The Pinot Affair 2020
POSTPONED

Due to these uncertain times and to ensure the safety of everyone involved, The Pinot Affair is postponed until further notice.  We will continue to monitor the situation and make updates in the days and weeks to come.

We are all hopeful that we will return to celebrations again soon.

Let’s all do our part to stay safe and stay healthy.

Your ticket opens up a world of exploration into Pinot Noir, with several unique seminars from each winery to choose from. Seminars run at 11 am, 1 pm, & 3 pm each day. Ticket holders are also welcome to visit the wineries between 11 am and 5 pm for a casual “drop in” experience.

When purchasing tickets, you may customize your Weekend Package by selecting the desired wineries, dates, and times on the following checkout page. Attendees are welcome to select 3 winery experiences each day.

Cave Spring Cellars – Pinot Noir: The New Frontier

Cool-Climate regions around the world have become synonymous with producing outstanding Pinot Noir. One such place is the Niagara Peninsula, where this noble variety excels. At Cave Spring we work exclusively with our Beamsville Bench Estate vineyard. Perched on the hillside of the bench and at the base of the physical escarpment, our site is particularly well positioned to grow complex and structured Pinot Noir.

Is there an ‘ideal’ site for Pinot? What parallels are revealed in the vineyard between Pinot and other varieties? How are these nuances manifested on the palate?

Join Oenologist and Viticulturist Gabriel Demarco in our century old cellars for an exploratory discussion and tasting on the attributes that make cool-climate regions so exciting. This Pinot Noir focused tasting will be framed by the sheer strengths of our unique meso-climate and will include select wine styles to accentuate our terroir.

Savour delectable pairings chosen by local sommelier and nutritionist Laura Discepola. Commence with our 2017 Riesling Brut followed by the newly released 2018 Pinot Noirs along with a rare back vintage Pinot.

» visit the website

Westcott Vineyards – Comparing Clones in 2 Vineyards

What are clones & do they really make that much of a difference in the final wine? Join Winemaker Casey Kulcyk in comparison tasting of 4 different Pinot Noir Clones from our two vineyards, the Westcott home farm planted in 2007 and the Butlers Grant vineyard planted in 1988. You will have the opportunity to explore the different flavours that each clone contributes and taste through a selection of different barrels. Finally – we will blend the different clones together & show you how we create our Reserve wines. Can you make a reserve wine taste better than our Winemakers’ version?

» visit the website

Domaine Queylus – Creating Food when the Wine Needs to Shine

Hosts: Winemaker Kelly Mason and Chef and Sommelier JP Challet
Pairing 3 different vintages (2014 – Cold, 2015 – difficult and 2016 – Hot)
with Quail prepared 3 ways. Kelly Mason will discuss the differences in the wines, and JP Challet will explain the pairings he has made and how they compliment each very different wine.

» visit the website

Flat Rock Cellars – In Pursuit of Pinot Perfection

Join the Flat Rock Cellars team behind the scenes in our pursuit of Pinot Noir perfection. We will guide you through a variety of interactive blind tastings to determine your perfect Pinot Noir. In an intimate group setting let us show you our methods and techniques culminating in three unique tastings with our owner Ed Madronich, winemaker Dave Sheppard and assistant winemaker Allison Findlay. You’ll have the opportunity to spend time with each of them and objectively experience the decisions they make when crafting our signature Pinot Noirs: barrel selections in the cellars, inoculation techniques in the lab, and determining age-ability in our newly completed wine library.

»  visit the website

Henry of Pelham – Barrel Selection: It’s An Art!

How do Oak barrels impact a finished Pinot Noir?  When selecting a barrel, many variables must be considered including growing region, grain size, and toast level to carefully craft a balanced wine. Venture underground into Henry of Pelham’s state-of-the-art working barrel cellar and learn the importance of each decision in the process from tree to barrel. Guided by a winery principal, we invite you to taste our current Pinot Noir vintages, plus exclusive, specially–selected barrel samples that will highlight how our Pinot Noir is impacted by each unique barrel.

» visit the website

Hidden Bench – A Local Cheese and Pinot Pairing

Join us at Hidden Bench as we showcase Terroir Driven Pinot Noir with local Ontario Cheese. Our team will guide you thru a selection of carefully curated Ontario Cheeses paired precisely with our wines to offer an optimal wine pairing. We will discuss Terroir and how that shapes our high quality wines and discuss how cheesemakers use the same attention to detail, to produce top award winning cheeses.

» visit the website

Malivoire & Rosehall Run – Brothers From Another Mother

Every Winemaker works to craft a style and direction that sets them apart from every other. Inevitably this translates to their wines, as personal preferences influence many winemaking decisions. But every once in a while, they find themselves with an uncanny synchronicity with another like-minded winemaking artist. Something that makes them feel like ‘brothers…from another mother’! Dan Sullivan, Winemaker at Rosehall Run, and Shiraz Mottiar, Winemaker at Malivoire Wine Co., can attest to this.

Coming from vastly different regions and histories, it’s no surprise when their styles diverge…and yet, there are other times when their work shows an almost brotherly resemblance. Two sites, two winemakers, four wines! Taste the wines, crafted individually from the 2019 harvest, listen to a discussion of their intentions, and participate in a blending session for a future, potential ‘Winemakers’ Blend’. Here is your opportunity to taste and judge the work of two brothers-in wine. The outcome will be intriguing, exciting and one of a kind!

» visit Malivoire website   » visit Rosehall Run website

Megalomaniac – Appreciating Pinot Noir: A Delight for the Senses

Megalomaniac’s VP – Winemaking and Vineyard Operations, Sebastien Jacquey, will guide you through a sensory exploration of Niagara Pinot Noir. Hone your tasting technique by understanding the aromatic and flavour profiles of this unique varietal. You’ll smell and taste the standard components, such as fruit, floral, earthiness, and oak. Whether you’re new to Pinot Noir or a seasoned taster, this seminar will be a fun way to increase your ability to assess and describe the wine you are tasting. Test your new skills as you sample our 2017 and 2018 Pinot Noirs.

» visit the website

Tawse Winery – For The Love of Bubbles

Sparkling wine popularity has seen a huge increase over the last few years here in Niagara. At Tawse Winery, we thought it would be an interesting topic for Pinot Noir lovers to learn more about. Visit us at our Disgorging Line* as our winemakers Rene Van Ede and Devin Campbell walk you through the Sparkling Wine process from first fermentation to disgorging and everything in between. We will taste different levels of sugar in our “Spark Trials” and compare the differences between our Blanc de Noirs; a 100% Pinot Noir based Spark! and the 100% Pinot Noir Rose Spark! If you’re lucky there may even be a Sabering demonstration!

» visit the website

NDDlogoPlease don’t Drink & Drive! Check out Niagara Designated Drivers if you are interested in booking a driver.