Visiting the Grapes of Niagara
It was a little chilly today, some of the puddles were ice-covered, so we went to look at the vineyards to see if they would be picking grapes for Late Harvest Wines or Icewine... still not cold enough... here are a few pics of our neighboring vineyard... Inniskillen...
It was a little surprising to see the grapes still as lush as they are... we think it will be a vintage year for late harvest and icevine. These vineyards are near to us... in fact, they are across the street from our chiropractor and acupuncturists home. Here they make award winning wines, but at this time of year, we are looking for the day the temperature will drop to -8C... when the grapes are at their peak for picking.
The netting is to keep the millions of migrating birds from attacking the grapes which are at their sweetest point now. The vintners also use different tools to frighten the birds away from the vines... the sound of shot-guns, recordings of birds in trouble and so on.
Inniskillin has a wonderful video that I would recommend linking to from below... it starts with video of the falls in winter... these pics are from about 15km from here... then along the Niagara River, looking over at the towns of Lewiston and Youngstown in New York State... then to the area here in Niagara-on-the-Lake. In these pictures, you can see the amazing quantity of grapes... there are over 30,000 acres of vineyard in this area which is known for its Rieslings, but makes some darn good Chardonnay and a myriad of red wines. Below is the vidoe link... hope you enjoy it. There are 21 wineries here in town... many with restaurants, all with tasting bars that you can walk or cycle to on a weekend...
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