When travelling for business or leisure, especially to a country other than your own, often times you would like to experience what the locals do, immerse yourself in culture and discover hidden gems off the beaten path. I soon found out that through wine and food, you learn plenty about local culture and lifestyle.

I’ve travelled to a decent amount of key wine countries around the world for a relatively short span of time. Italy, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and of course, my local area situated in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. As you can see, I still have a lot more places to go. I generally stay for a week or more, taking in the sights through wine and culinary delights. Sometimes through coach tours, staying on a farm in a villa, and even by bicycling. I leave with many fond memories and when I go back again, it will feel more like I’m visting one of my homes away from home.

I therefore named this section ‘Vintourism’ – Visiting a place where one experiences the local culture through its wine and culinary arts. Here, I will write about these exciting journeys, introduce some of the fantastic friends I’ve made along the way, and reminisce on the great food and drink that tied everything together.

A long journey first starts at home and this marks the first entry into my Vintourism column:

If you are from Toronto, as I am, and don’t want to travel too far to taste some great wine and food, you are in luck. Niagara-on-the-Lake is just a short 90-minute drive from Hogtown, down the QEW. At the gateway of this quaint winemaking, and historical town is the Niagara College Glendale Campus. This is the home of their culinary arts and winemaking & viticulture program. December is a great time to go to Niagara as things are relatively more quiet compared to the bustling summer season.

I had never been to the College but had to try something new. So after the long ride, I arrived at the restaurant for lunch. Culinary and hospitality management students run the establishment, from decoration, assembling the menu, creating the dishes, and serving the tables. In addition, the wine list is comprised of the top examples from the winemaking program.

Strangely enough, I entered an empty restaurant and thought they were closed. I soon learned that this particular saturday lunchtime was dead for business. I was the second table of the day to be seated – and also the last table for the lunch service. Luckily for me, I had an all-you-can-eat buffet spread of gourmet food! No lineups, great service (of course) and no rushing to finish.

To just breeze over the top of the list of items, there was a mixed greens start to the meal, followed by the charcuterie assortment (the prosciutto and bresaola was delicious) and artisinal cheeses. The carvery station featured moist turkey and ham with a hearty gravy and stuffing. Usually I expect these to be too salty, but the dressings of stuffing and gravy were balanced very well. And then there was the roundabout dessert table that encircled the Christmas tree and decorations at the centre of the room. If you have anything remotely resembling a sweet tooth, you’ll find something tasty. I liked the rice pudding best as it had a balance of sweet and spice.

Of course, I can’t forget the wine list. There’s a small assortment but a good selection. The wine is exclusively Canadian with most of the offerings from the Niagara-on-the-lake and Vineland-Beamsville bench area, which is near St. Catherines. The ‘house list’ is comprised of a dozen wines. Most range in price from $28-42, while the finest examples of the College on the list are the Dean’s List Chardonnay ($59) and Dean’s List Pinot Noir ($72). The nice part about winery restaurants is that there is no ‘middle-man’. You buy direct from the winemaker and therefore pay less for the bottle of wine. However, the wine was still marked up a bit compared to the prices in the store (and more than just a simple corkage fee mark-up).

Being a fan of peppery reds, I enjoyed a glass of the Cabernet Franc 2006. Medium-bodied, white pepper and bell pepper on the nose, a firm dry taste of cinnamon spice, earth and cocoa. The finish was enjoyable. Try breathing out slowly after ingesting the wine and take note of what you taste. I sensed dried fruits and plum. It’s a nice all-rounder that stood up to all the dishes I tried at the buffet. However, it’s probably not the wine to pick for desserts as the sweetness of the treats overpowered the wine. So move on to a sweeter dessert wine instead.

Overall, the lunch was a great prelude to the Christmas season. The price of the meal, $30 plus $8 for a glass of wine (excluding tax and gratuity) is slightly on the high side, but will be well worth it if you have time to enjoy the atmosphere and plenty of great tasting food.

The Teaching Winery store was about a two minute walk from the restaurant, in a separate building. Practically brand new, it had a ‘Royal grand opening visit’ by Prince Charles in November, 2009. The place was very pretty indeed. The tasting bar was at the centre, and all around the circular room were windows that showcased the vineyards in their post-harvest slumber – peaceful beauty.

Some of the white wines of note were the Gewürtztraminer 2007 (noticeable lychee and tropical fruit; the perceived sweetness would be a nice pair for mildly spicy dishes), the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, 2006 (very bold butter and vanilla; a heavyweight wine suitable for oily fish such as salmon and definitely pairs well with chicken), the Dean’s List Chardonnay (for comparison, it is more delicate in nature than the barrel fermented and one would argue it is more balanced), and the very zesty, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc (think herb garden and fresh cut grass; a real palate cleanser for the start of a meal).

The one red wine I did try was the Baco Noir, purely for interest sake. This hybrid grape, grown in France and now a main hybrid variety in Ontario, is known for being very dark and inky purple. It has very high acidity for red wines and this example from the College was no exception. It could have been the most acidic I’ve tried. It was one I didn’t really like too much (If I had to criticise). Definitely something to have with food as it is not too palatable on its own as a sipper.

The service was very friendly and the staff (also partly run by the students of the College) were knowledgeable, but don’t expect to be served by sommeliers as they are still learning. I know I’ll still be returning the next time I’m in town.

Featured soon, will be the next leg of the trip, to the Historic District. Stay tuned!