Sixth celebration of all things Chardonnay
I have written in the past about the unique aspects of Niagara in respect to what we grow here, and what kind of wines we make. The range from the Riesling grapes that I named my dog after, to the complex appassimento drying process creating lush and bold reds, it is easy to find something spectacular to drink. It is however hard to argue that we produce some of the best Chardonnay wines on the planet and in a few days thousands of people will descend on the Niagara region to celebrate just that. This showcase will bring the amazing wine makers of Niagara, and local chefs, together as part of Niagara’s premier wine event, the Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration or locally known as i4C. This event is in its sixth year as it continues to develop, grow and improve and 2017’s version is no exception.
The key premise of this celebration of the grape brings together 30 of our local chardonnay producing wineries, along with 30 visiting chardonnay fermenters from across the globe to come to Niagara to showcase what they do best. As part of the weekend you will see seminars, tours, lunches, dinners, tastings and brunches. The three days from Friday, July 20 to Sunday July 22 will see everything from lunches at some of our stunning properties and vineyards, to larger social events including a walk around tasting and culinary events exposing some of Niagara’s best culinary magicians to the guests. The two major social events are the Flights of Chardonnay walk around event at the Niagara on the Lake airport, to the showcase event called the Chardonnay World Tour Tasting and Dinner, where 850 people will dine under the stars at Ridley College enjoying amazing food and wine. This is not all about drinking and eating but also a keen focus on education. In my lifetime I have attended endless schools, training and seminars. The subject list is endless with some being riveting and relevant, while others seemed to make me wonder how I was ever going to get the time back in my life. This coming week there is an opportunity to attend a series of seminars called The School of Cool at White Oakes Resort on Friday July 20, and how that can be anything but awesome.
Aside from the social and education aspects of the celebration, it also has brought in media icons from across the globe to be exposed to what is happening here in Niagara. These individuals have created millions of social and print media touch points since the inception and that has brought our “best kept secret” to a stage that approaches something more like a well-known fact. Over its six years it also has brought thousands of people into the Niagara region to not only taste wines, but also generate much needed tourism dollars for our hotels, restaurants and retail outlets.
Here is hoping the weather stays bright and rain-free this week, as guests from across the world come to Niagara to share in what we have to offer. You can go online to see all the details of the events being offered and what still might have tickets available at www.coolchardonnay.org . I will be joining in on the weekend and taking in as much as I can, as well as my opportunity to don the white jacket for the big dinner at Ridley College and join the spectacular team of Niagara chefs. I raise a glass of cool climate delicious chardonnay to our entire chef team and revel in the fact they are all young and strong and will keep me from working too hard. Cheers!
— Craig has been in the food and beverage industry for three decades as a chef, restauranteur, professor, international competitor and now dean of the Canadian Food and Wine Institute at Niagara College.