Gaspereau Vineyards 5th Annual Autumn Food and Wine Festival

This past weekend was our 5th Annual Autumn Food and Wine Festival and it was a great success. We had over 20 different vendors come and set up in the loft of our barn. The vendors included other local Nova Scotia wineries, Glenora Distillery, local restaurants such as Paddys Pub, Kellocks, Between the Bushes, Pizzazz Bistro, Saraj Bakery and Fireside Cafe, local artisans such as Silver Moon Alapaca, Magnetic Jewelry, Creative Wonderings and Monica's Water Colors, and other local businesses such as Foxhill Cheesehouse, Tideview Cider, and Tangled Gardens.

The Music for the weekend was provided by SWIG, a local band, which was extremely well recieved. They made the atmosphere in the loft of the barn very festive!

This year we held our first Grape Stomp here at Gaspereau Vineyards for our Autumn Food and Wine Festival and it went off without a hitch. The participants and the audiance had a blast. Saturday our first place winner was Julie Skaling Physio Clinic with 26.19 lbs of juice, second place was Nicole Robinson, Kingstec team with 24.55 lbs and third place was We Love Lovis team with 22.26 lbs of juice. Best dressed went to Julie Skaling with their cowgirl outfits! On Sunday first place went to Scotia Squashers from Scotia Bank with 25.38 lbs of juice, second place went to Blomidon Bloomers with 24.29 lbs of juice, they also got best dressed with their long gowns, crowns and bloomers. Third place on Sunday went to the Nova Scotia Sommeliers with 23.96 lbs of juice. First place got $300 to the charity of their choice, second place for $150 and third place got $50 to go to their charity of choice. Best dressed recieved $100 to the charity of their choice. Alot of fun was had by all!

We are definitely planning on having a grape stomp again next year during our 6th Annual Food and Wine Festival so if you would like to enter a team next year watch our Blog and Facebook for more information!

All in all our Food and Wine Festival was a very fun and successful weekend and we look forward to doing it all again next year! : )

September 26 & 27 - 5th Annual Autumn Food and Wine Festival

Come join us on Saturday September 26 and Sunday September 27 from 10am to 5pm for our 5th Annual Autumn Food and Wine Festival. There will be wine, food, grape stomping, whiskey seminars and much more for you to take part in. Listen to the music of SWIG while you relax and enjoy Nova Scotia Wines. Have your picture taken with our Pumpkin People all about the winery and try to figure out which pumpkin is which staff member! Prizes to be given away each hour - your name goes into the draw when you purchase your tasting glass and plate at the door. Join us at Gaspereau Vineyards for more fall fun!

Why Not Host a Wine Tasting Party??!!!

We are becoming an epicentre of wine country here in the Gaspereau Valley. We are in close proximity to at least six other wineries within twenty minutes of our location. What would be more fun than to host a wine tasting party. For example, L'Acadie Blanc is a grape variety grown here in Nova Scotia and is used to produce white wine - 98% of all L'Acadie Blanc grows in Nova Scotia. However, each of the wineries working with L'Acadie Blanc produces a much different style, flavour profile, and terrior characteristics in their wine. A group of friends could easily each purchase a L'Acadie Blanc wine from each of the wineries and have a wine tasting party - no two wines would be the same but the initial grape variety would be. What a wonderful way of exploring a new, emerging wine region! Get to know your Nova Scotia Wines better and pair your local wines during your party with local cheese - Foxhill Cheesehouse. Makes for a relaxing, fun and entertaining evening! For more information -

http://wine.about.com/od/holidayswithwine/ht/Winetastingpart.htm

Temperature of Wine for Serving - And Consumption!

It has been a few really warm weeks here in the Gaspereau Valley, and in the winery boutique, one of the questions we get asked is "What temperature should we be serving our wines at?" Well, when it is 31-32 degrees celcius plus humidity - not at room temperature!

We have found a really good article that explains the temperatures for wine service. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

http://4cousins.blat.co.za/2009/08/26/why-you-should-chill-that-wine/


"Wine is like revenge. Both are best served cold. But just how cold?" - Bivio

Fall Festival Brochures Arrived Yesterday!

We have received our Fall Wine Festival Brochures, so please, feel free to stop in to the winery boutique and pick up a copy to browse through and decide which events you would like to participate in - maybe all of them!

Here is a rundown of events for the month of September -

September 12 & 13: Perfect Pairings Progressive Dinner - Go North Tours, Annapolis Valley
September 19: 11th Annual Grape Stomp - Jost Vineyards, Malagash
September 19 & 20: Champagne Wishes & Seafood Dreams - L'Acadie Vineyards, Gaspereau
September 19 & 20: Wine in the Vines - Blomidon Estate Winery, Canning
September 26 & 27: Autumn Wine & Food Festival - Gaspereau Vineyards, Gaspereau http://www.gaspereauwine.com/
Friday, Sept 25: Walking Dinner - Domaine de Grand Pre, Grand Pre
Saturday, Oct 3: Annual Harvest Wine Fest - Sainte-Famille Wines, Falmouth

There will be lots to do, wine to taste, food to eat and grapes to stomp. Come, relax, savour and enjoy Nova Scotia wines with all of us!

The "Eat Atlantic Challenge"

Everyone is encouraged to join the Eat Atlantic Challenge taken place on September 4th, 2009. It is very important in todays society to eat local and support the local businesses! The politicans and the Atlantic food advocates have sent out a challenge to the 4 Maritime Provinces to see who can get the most pledges to eat ONLY Atlantic food on September 4th. The province with the most pledges per capita will win the challenge; So get your pledge in!! This is an excellent way to show people that our Atlantic provinces have so many food choices which are local and delicious. The end result of this will not be about which province "wins" or "loses" but will be about showing people that it is more beneficial and just as delicious to buy their food locally! If you would like to be a pledge or for more information go to http://www.eatatlantic.ca/.

Gaspereau Vineyards Sunday Market was a Success!

The first Sunday Market of the year was yesterday, August 2nd, and it was a great success! We had many different vendors with products such as organic blueberries, magnetic jewellery, lavender products, alpaca wool, chocolate covered pretzals, celtic tarot reading and more! When the vendors were done the market they left very excitted to come back this coming Sunday, August 9th. The music was done by Matthew Martin; He played classical guitar and it was very well recieved! It was a great day to sit in the sun and listen to music while having a snack and sample of wine. On Sunday, August 9th we will be having our second Sunday Market, there will be even more vendors attending, a BBQ to support LOVIS (local young child battling cancer) and the music will be done by Mike Aube from Rustbucket! The Sunday Market here at Gaspereau Vineyards will be heard from 12:30pm - 4:30pm so come relax, savor and enjoy local Nova Scotia products with us! We are located at 2239 White Rock Road, Wolfville.

If you are interested in being a vendor at our Sunday Market please contact Andrea by email at gaspereauvineyards@live.ca or call at 542-1455! Hope to see you soon : )

Upcoming Events

This weekend, stop by the winery to sample our latest food and wine pairing. We will be highlighting our 2006 DeChaunauc (a light, dry, unoaked red) with fresh local portobello mushrooms. Come for a sample on Saturday or Sunday afternoon!

Find us at the Wolfville Farmer's Market on Saturday morning - the market is hosting a Taste of the Valley. Local chefs are preparing sample sized dishes with delicious local ingredients for only $3. You can also try a glass of wine for $3 - a perfect pair for many of the amazing dishes.

Don't forget to gather a team for the Grape Stomp at our 5th Annual Food and Wine Festival! The deadline to register is August 31. See our blog or website for further details and a registration form.

Fifth Annual Autumn Food and Wine Festival - Grape Stomp

Join us this September for our 5th Annual Autumn Food and Wine Festival at Gaspereau Vineyards! We will be featuring local wineries and restaurants on site, as well as featuring the music of a favourite local band, SWIG!

For the first time this year, you can be a part of a Grape Stomp! We're looking for teams of 4 people to compete for their choice of charities. Prizes will also be given to Best Dressed teams.

You can access the poster and registration form to download and print at:

Poster = http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EQWBCHN0

Registration = http://www.megaupload.com/?d=093MHIIH

Rainy Days Gives Us Time to Plan Our Fall Festival Sept 26/27

We are in the midst of planning our Fall Festival for 2009. We are working on a different twist this season by hosting a GRAPE STOMP instead of the food and wine pairing seminars. We are still inviting the wineries who are members of the Wine Association of Nova Scotia and many of the local restaurants, bakeries, cheese house, and Sea Level Brewing. There will be lots of food, fun, wine sampling and our first grape stomp. All of the money raised by the grape stomp will go to the winning teams' personal charities. If you would like to put together a grape stomp team and register, please, call Gaspereau Vineyards at (902) 542-1455. First come, first paid ($150 per team) basis - limited to sixteen teams with the stomp happening from 1:00pm to 5:00 pm on both Sept 26 and Sept 27. Register Early!

Saturday July 18 and Sunda July 19 - Fresh Corn Salsa

We are making fresh corn salsa for our weekend food and wine pairing. Join us in the Winery Boutique for a complimentary tour and/or a complimentary tasting and ask staff members about which wines will pair best with the fresh corn salsa. We will offer many wonderful suggestions! Maybe we can share the recipe too and you can enjoy it at home. Delicious with barbeque chicken, pork or as a side dish for steak. Enjoy also with grilled veggie kabobs or portabello mushroom burgers.

We are open seven days a week from 9am to 6pm with complimentary tours at 12noon, 2pm, and 4pm. Complimentary tastings any time! Come, relax, savour and enjoy Nova Scotia wines with us at Gaspereau Vineyards. www.gaspereauwine.com

Sunday August 23, 2009 The IncrEdible Picnic!

Last season was incredibly exciting as plans were made the IncrEdible Picnic. Local restaurants, producers, and wineries gathered at Prescott House Museum in Port Williams for our first ever IncrEdible Picnic. Everything served that day had to be locally grown and/or produced, no imports. It was beautiful, sunny and well attended. Now, we are looking forward to this year and have we got plans brewing! Just like a good Nova Scotian Beer! Things are shaping up nicely and we look forward to seeing everyone there...............for more details check out the Select NS website at http://www.selectnovascotia.ca/.

Ross Creek Centre for the Arts performance series

Join Gaspereau Vineyards at Ross Creek this summer! Two Planks and a Passion is a wonderful theatre company, and they will be putting on "Rockbound" this summer.

From their website:

"Allen Cole’s new musical tells the story of David Jung, a poor orphan who returns to the island of his birth to claim his rightful share of land, his uncle Uriah, the cunning “King of Rockbound” who is adamant that David has no place on Rockbound, and the various members of the Jung and Krauss families who battle over a small oasis in the midst of the merciless North Atlantic. At once a story of unrequited love and the destructive greed that drives many of the inhabitants of Rockbound, Cole’s musical is humorous, human, and absolutely timeless.

Rockbound is based on the novel of the same name by Frank Parker Day. Released in 1928, Day’s work is one of the best-known pieces of Canadian literature of the period, recently enjoying a resurgence of popularity following its win at the 2004 Canada Reads competition on CBC Radio."

Get your tickets now! We have partnered with Ross Creek to offer wine and food for purchase before the play each evening and at intermissions.

For more information, see http://www.twoplanks.ca/

Atlantic Canada Wine Awards 2009

Middleton Market July 3, 2009

Denny has just arrived and is getting prepared to go to the Middleton Market. He is going to offer tastings of Maple Wine today! Go see Denny at the Middleton Market and if you purchase two bottles of Gaspereau Vineyards Wine you can purchase a bottle of our Maple Wine for $10, at the Middleton Market ONLY!

Wine and Roses with Blomidon Nurseries

Join us at Blomidon Nurseries for a celebration of wine and roses. You will be able to sample and purchase Nova Scotia Wines in among the gardens that evening. Come relax, savour and enjoy Nova Scotia Wines with us at Blomidon Nurseries!

NS wins bid to host Tourism Summit!

The inaugural World Culinary Tourism Summit is going to be in held in Nova Scotia in September 2010. We are pleased to announce this news, which really puts Nova Scotia on the map for having world-class local food, wine, and products. Here at Gaspereau Vineyards, we are excited to be around such a wonderful event. We've known for years how wonderful Nova Scotia produce is, and it's exciting to share that with the world.

The conference will "bring together 300 to 500 leaders of the culinary tourism industry to discuss the state of the industry today as well as best practices for sustaining and developing the future of the culinary tourism industry," according to the recent press release.

"We were competing against established culinary destinations from around the globe,” says Janice Ruddock, executive director of Taste of Nova Scotia. “Winning the bid for this summit confirms what we have known for a while…that our local farmers, fishermen, chefs, winemakers and tourism partners are producing international caliber culinary experiences for consumers.”

For more information, http://www.tasteofnovascotia.com/news_events/ .

Catch the NS Seafood Festival

July 27-28 at the Cunard Centre, Halifax

CATCH: The Nova Scotia Seafood Festival
www.novascotiaseafoodfestival.com
Come visit all the wineries of Nova Scotia (including Gaspereau Vineyards!) and sample the best that the ocean has to offer.

Mark your calendars, and we'll see you there!

Food Security

Still thinking about organic food and related issues? Suggested further reading: "Band-aid solutions ineffective against problem of food security" http://tinyurl.com/qlwwwt

There's a lot that goes into what we eat - from the soil our food grows in, to the food itself, to chemicals that preserve it, to the whole production of shipments and sales. Our message can be boiled down to this: read your labels, make responsible decisions, and opt for local and healthy foods where possible.

Any thoughts? Other suggested reading?

ORGANIC OR NOT?!?!!

The word "organic" has proven to be one of the most powerful words in today's market. But what does "organic" mean? Here at Gaspereau Vineyards, we meet people at the tasting bar on a daily basis who ask if our wines are organic. I always reply to them that "No, we are not producing organic wines, however, we are very conscious of the environment and we keep it as balanced as we can."

We participate in many farm markets in the Annapolis Valley and there are many organic farmers who participate as well. Organic food/wine is perceived as safer, more nutritious, fewer "harmful" residual chemicals because of less/different sprays, more "friendly" means of raising livestock, and more "sustainable" agricultural practises. In Ontario, they introduced ladybugs to help eliminate aphids in the vineyards but it unbalanced the equilibrium of nature and tainted the wines as well.

Our practises at Gaspereau Vineyards are designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible; we spray when necessary, only when necessary, and we only add nutrients into the soil that will restore the balance of nature, with the goal of keeping the soil sustainable instead of enhancing growth chemically.

All of us enjoy organic products and strongly believe in the practises of some farmers over others; however, I always read the label to ensure what I am purchasing, where it is from, and whether the product is organic or certified organic. I am also conscious of the fact that many of us must source produce from farms other than our own, some of which may not be organic or certified organic but do share the same sustainability beliefs that we do. Read your product labels, understand agricultural practises, understand where, how and why the products were sourced.

Organic is more a philosophy, not to be dismissed. However, being environmentally conscious is very important too! Check out http://www.foodincanada.com/ and http://www.financialpost.com:80/small-business/story.html?id=1650127 . Basically, we need to be conscious of our surroundings, the environment around us and the products we purchase but we should also be balanced, practise sustainability and choose locally, responsibly produced products.