Icewine festival is the perfect way to celebrate winter

There’s even more of a reason to support local Icewine producers. Last weekend, as over 30 Niagara wineries gathered to kick off the 2013 Niagara Icewine Festival, the question on everyone’s minds was whether it would get cold enough this winter to harvest the grapes. To get the sweet, sugary taste of Icewine, grapes are left on the vine past regular picking season. When temperatures fall below eight degrees Celsius, winery staff gather to pick the entire harvest within a few hours. Needless to say, Ontario wine growers were lamenting last weekend’s fall-like temperatures.

Still, the show must go on. This weekend, head to Queen Street in downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake to sample the best from 28 local wineries. Admission is free for the festival which includes ice sculpture viewing and Icewine-inspired edible delicacies.

Stick around at night for the Flash & Panache Icewine Cocktail Competition from 9 pm to 11 pm. Mixologists will create unique Icewine cocktails in a competition to win the Icewine Cup.

If you’re looking to learn more about how to enjoy Icewine, sign up for a tasting class at some of the local wineries. I was recently treated to an enlightening pairing class at Reif Estate Winery, where I learnt the proper technique for savouring every sip (hint: let the wine linger on your tongue).

One way to get a taste of the region is what a Discovery Pass. For $40, you can visit eight different winteries for wine and food pairings.

And, amazingly, this is just the tip of the Icewine (ha!). There are a ton of events happening in the Niagara region. Find your favourites here, and make a weekend of it. (I stayed at the Hilton Fallsview — a large hotel with spoil-yourself rooms and a casino.) For year round Wine Country Ontario events, click here. And enjoy the winter — why not, we’re Canadian after all.

-- Anna Miller, MSN Travel