Day 14. Falls and wine. Not related.

16:45
I’m up with the lark. I’m starting to feel a little coldy, and wake up around 06:00 with a stuffy head. No time for moping though. I’ve a busy day planned…

I’m in the car just after 08:00, and headed all the way around Lake Ontario to Niagara. Once again, the weight of traffic surprises me. For this early on a Sunday, there are WAY more cars on the road than I’d imagined there would be. It’s a 90 minute highway cruise, and I see some spectacularly bad driving. The speed limit is 110kmh, so not dissimilar to UK motorway speeds. There are drivers weaving in and out of traffic, doing at least 140-150 clicks. I see a couple that almost, ALMOST cause accidents. It’s a very far cry from the stereotypical Sunday driving I’m used to back home.

The has got his hat on. For the first time on this trip, I’m actually disappointed to have left my shades back in my apartment. As I get closer to Niagara, there are signs for wineries, breweries and distilleries everywhere. Oooh, there’s a sign for a cheese maker. Arriving into Niagara, I’m hungry, so stop at a cool little restaurant to grab some breakfast. They give me an outstanding Shakshuka, which is one of my very favourite breakfast/brunch type dishes.

Fortified, I walk down to the falls. I chose the restaurant in part for its location, just a 10 min walk from the falls, and so that I could leave my car there whilst I wander. I hear the falls before seeing them - a deep rumble in the distance. I walk through a small park. Emerging from it, I can see the spray billowing up into the air. There are two main parts to the falls - one each on the American and Canadian sides of the border. The US side is a little smaller, and to my view, a little less striking. Next to it is what looks like an unfinished bridge, but which I quickly determine is some kind of viewing tower. The Horseshoe Falls are more impressive. Not far short of 10 times the amount of water flows over the Horseshoe Falls. There are certainly bigger crowds on this side of the falls as well.

There are several ways to get close up to the falls - by boat, or even on foot. There’s a tour option called ‘Behind the Falls’ which takes you right up to the base of the falls. They’ll give you a poncho to wear, but all reviews I read state that you’ll still get sopping wet. Now, in Brazil, in 35C heat, that was fine. No great shakes. Here in Canada in -2C. No. No no no. No way. Not happening. Cold is one thing. Cold and wet is simply not on the list for today. The view from the top of the falls will have to do - and it does. It’s a hugely powerful natural phenomenon, and the sound and sensation of being close to it are incredible.

Now, I’ve seen some waterfalls this year. Is it more striking than Iguazu Falls? No. I think much of that is to do with the setting. Iguazu feels like it’s in the middle of the jungle, largely because it is. Its position in a natural National Park is part of its charm. The Niagara Falls are surrounded by humanity. There’s a two lane road running right next to the Horseshoe Falls. There are countless chain hotels overlooking the falls. The two experiences are simply incomparable. Is my experience here today as emotionally driven as spending time at Snoqualmie Falls earlier on this trip? No. In trying to come up with some kind of attachment to Niagara, the only experience I can think of is seeing it in Superman II when I was a kid. It’s a diverting use of a couple of hours, and definitely s spectacle, but I don’t know for how long it will live in the front of my memory, as both Iguazu and Snoqualmie have managed to do.

Back at the car, I make a plan to visit a couple of wineries. There are countless vineyards on the Niagara peninsula, some of whose wines I’ve tried before. I start at Chateau des Charmes, a 20 minutes drive from the falls. It’s weird driving through the winelands. I’ve never been to a wine region that’s needed me to wear warm clothes. The surrounding scenery is also pretty unfamiliar. I’m used to jagged rock formations, flinty soil, sunshine. The Ontario winelands are actually pretty desolate. Very little geology on the horizon, and the wintry scene feels quite bleak. Ontario is most famous for its ice wine, using grape that are left on the vine, and actually freeze as the winter sets in, causing the sugar in the grape to set, and making incredibly sweet, but incredibly delicious wines. It feels very strange to be pulling on my beanie and gloves, as the harvest for these vineyards is just around the corner.

Chateau des Charmes produce a wide range of wines - a couple of ice wines, but a much bigger stable of still table wines. I have a tasting flight of 5 - three red wines, and the two ice wines. A couple are good, a couple are great, and one is outstanding. The Vidal based ice wine is the standout for me - just an incredible clarity of flavour, and featuring good acidity, despite its sweetness.

From here I head on to Inniskillin, a winemaker whose ice wines I’ve tried at Hide, Ollie Dabbous’ restaurant on Green Park. The sky has largely darkened, and the earlier sunshine has all but disappeared. It’s trying to snow… At Inniskillin, I pick three ice wines to try - a Riesling, a Cabernet Franc (a red grape), and a sparkling ice wine made from more of the Cabernet Franc grapes. Holy shit - they’re fantastic. My favourite is the sparkling Cab Franc. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever tried before. I tend to think I’ve covered *most* ground when it comes to wine, so I’m always delighted to try something that takes me by surprise. This does so, and in spades. I ask if they export any of it to the UK, but alas. It’s made in pretty small quantities, all of which are sold in North America. I give myself a sizeable pat on the back for resisting the urge to buy some, and take it home with me.

The snow is getting slightly heavier. It’s pushing 13:00, and I decide it’s time to head back to Teronno. My car needs to be back by 16:00, and I don’t want to feel rushed. The drive back is more of the same. Fairly bland motorway cruising, with some driving dickheads liberally scattered throughout. About halfway back, I look across the lake, and can see the Teronno skyline in the distance. It’s around 20 miles as the crow flies from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Toronto, but driving round the edge of Lake Ontario makes it a 90 mile drive. As we get closer to the city, traffic becomes heavy. Again, I’m astonished at the weight of traffic on the roads. I drop the car back a little before 15:30, and walk back towards my apartment. My plan is to drop my bag off, and head out in search of sustenance. Now I’m back here though, I’m feeling a little sleepy, and might have a nap instead…

20:45
Nap was great, though I could have slept on quite easily. I have the remainders of my room picnic as an early supper, and then head out to Bar Hop for some Happy Hour beers. I’m still feeling pretty jaded though. Just after 20:00, I head back to my apartment, and curl in bed with a movie. Onwards tomorrow, to Montreal!Read more