wine tasting in niagara on the lake | canada

When I lived in Japan, I got asked frequently, "What are your hobbies?" My students asked me, and my colleagues asked me, and eventually - even my fellow English-speaking friends started to ask me because when you hear a phrase or question that sounds strange at first often enough, it becomes normal, and you, too, adopt it into your jargon. I always stammered and paused. I could have produced a quicker answer if asked my thoughts on metaphysics, and that's pretty nuts since I absolutely couldn't begin to tell you what metaphysics even is (my best guess: being terribly self-aware of one's existence as a block of matter).

Looking back now, I struggled to answer because I'm not sure I really had any developed hobbies. I had interests and likes but none that I'd explored so in-depth as to really give it the high praise of a hobby. I think what makes a hobby a real hobby is your investment of time and energy in becoming good at it - learning as much as possible not because you need the information to pass a test or do well at your job but because you can't get enough of it and you love learning about it.

Now, several years later, I have occasional moments when a silly little part of me wants to go back to Japan for the sole purpose of being totally and completely prepared to answer that question. And since you're dying to know... my hobbies include hiking, blogging, researching and planning international trips, writing, photography, baking, eating carbs, following gymnastics, and wine. Any of you who read my blog (and thank you for that!) could have told me that list, but it was some kind of bizarre self-realization when I realized that I have hobbies - real hobbies!

I took my wine hobby to the next level when Zander and I visited Niagara on the Lake, a beautiful town situated about 25 minutes outside of Niagara Falls, Canada. Almost 30 wineries dot the periphery of Niagara on the Lake, ranging from behemoth producers whose wines can be found all over the country to boutiques where I felt right at home. On our day trip to the town, we managed to visit six wineries - an incredible feat that left me guzzling water for the next several days.

I've done a lot of wine tasting and learning in Virginia wine country, but it wasn't until I stretched my wings a little and tasted another region's specialties that I got enough perspective to see all the knowledge I've acquired along the way. I tasted with confidence in Niagara on the Lake, picking out floral and fruit and savory notes that I didn't know I'd come to recognize. I had preconceptions stripped away: I'd come to think of Reisling and Gewürztraminer wines as traditionally sweet, but when those grapes are grown in cooler climates, where they do exceedingly well, they produce some incredibly varied, complex, dry wines that are really delicious. At Strewn Winery, we indulged in an entire tasting of these two varietals, moving from off-dry to bone dry.

I've never developed a taste for Port, the sweet dessert wine, so I anticipated disliking Ice Wine, another style of dessert wine made from grapes frozen on the vine and a specialty of the Niagara region. I found, instead, that I like it very much, in small sips. We tasted a sparkling ice wine at Inniskillin Wines, the go-to Niagara winery for ice wine, and even the gigantic $120 price tag couldn't keep us from buying a bottle to keep for a special occasion. 

Konzelmann Winery & Estate, situated on the banks of the lake, reminded me of a large Bavarian cottage. Zander said I might be crazy so clearly architecture is not a hobby of mine. The winery offered more than a stunning view and questionable architectural influences - it introduced me to Baco Noir, a red hybrid grape (hybrid of French & North American grapes) that, again, does well in cooler climates like Niagara and Oregon. It's a traditionally medium-bodied, approachable wine. Zander went nuts over it and bought several bottles. 

At Reif Estate Winery, we tasted a fruity, dry $10 Vidal that left us wanting more, so we bought 2 bottles to take home. Wines like that Vidal, that Zan and I drank just the other night while casually watching a TV show at midnight on a Friday, are part of the reason why I love wine so much - it doesn't need to be pretentious or over the top - a $10 bottle of wine can be just as enjoyable and perfect for an occasion as a pricey, full-bodied one can. 

My favorite of the Niagara on the Lake wineries we visited, Marynissen Estates is a small, unassuming boutique with pedigree you wouldn't expect - winning prestigious awards for Reislings, Chardonnay's, and Grape Grower of the Year multiple times over. Marynissen has the oldest planting of Cabernet Sauvignon in Canada. The maturity of the grapes is evident in the body of the wines - particularly their Syrah and Cab Sauv blends. We left with bottles from damn near their entire flight of tasting wines, and they were kind enough to offer us vintage reserves to taste, as well.

The final winery - which was actually our first stop - was Trius Winery, where we enjoyed a brunch with wine pairing that I still can't get out of my head, it was that delicious. Since our visit to Trius, I've been scouring the Virginia wine events list for a similar offering for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Those kinds of pairings are expensive but absolutely worth it.

So now that I've talked for oh so long about one of mine, tell me, what are your hobbies?