Uncorking Niagara’s Grape and Wine Festival

Harvest season in Niagara is always a time for celebration and this year will be no different.

The annual Niagara Grape and Wine Festival (which happens to be Canada’s largest wine festival!) is scheduled to press on this fall with some new safety-focused vineyard experiences for wine lovers.

From an initiative that will bring the festivities of Montebello Park to your own backyard and new creative ways to enjoy and explore Niagara’s wineries, here’s how you can still experience Grape and Wine.

Socially distanced sipping Discovery Pass

The Discovery Pass touring program lets you pick from 20 different Niagara wineries to plan your wine country adventure. The $50 pass gets you eight wine and culinary experiences and can be used Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from September 11 through 27. A food-only drivers pass is available for $40. The festival has launched an all-new reservation system available exclusively to Discovery Pass holders, guests can bypass lines and busy tasting rooms.

Discovery Pass holders will also be able to access a collection of self-guided virtual winery tours while at the wineries – which includes winemaker tasting notes, vineyard updates and interesting stories about the wineries.

Bringing the party to you

Group size restrictions mean the traditional festivities in Montebello Park can’t happen, but they’ve come up with a way to bring the wine and music to your home. Niagara wineries are creating special Grape & Wine packs and concerts from headline bands will be live-streamed online Saturday September 19 and Saturday September 26.

Two Niagara chefs are each creating a “Brunch in Your Backyard” basket for two which includes a bottle of sparkling wine, brunch goodies and featured ingredients so you can create something delicious on while watching a chef-led Zoom cooking class. The brunch kicks off the festival on August 30 and the cost of the basket is $75.

So even though things look a little different this year, there are still lots of ways to raise a glass and celebrate the harvest season. For more info and to purchase passes check out their website.

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Written by Britt Dixon
Britt Dixon is a digital creator & social media marketer and loves telling stories about Ontario wine. She teaches others about local wine through her regular #SippingOntario video series, and interviews with winemakers and producers on her social media channels.  Britt also works with wineries producing video content to help them share their stories and grow their brands on social media. She’s a TV expert, freelance writer and contributor, and also loves hosting events and tastings. Britt’s passion for the Ontario wine industry started young. Growing up in Niagara she would pick grapes and make wine with her Papa. She has a Certificate in Ontario Wine through Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute.