50 minutes. 

That is approximately how long it took us to completely vacate our life on the farm for a few hours of wine, cuisine, and flirtation as we enjoyed a day in Niagara on the Lake, Canada. 

Dates have been few and far between these days. Well, that’s a lie. They have been completely and utterly non-existent for the last few months as we have been preparing for cocktails at Shirt Factory and dealing with all the unexpected events that have happened in our life as of late. But last weekend we celebrated our first anniversary, and we decided that if nothing else, a day away was necessary. 

niagara-on-the-lake-16 niagara-on-the-lake-18Enter a day trip that pulls on the heartstrings of Scott’s first love: wine. He may be cheating on wine with spirits of late, but when I met him, there were few things that could get his heart racing like an afternoon tasting wine. But when we pulled up to the grandeur that is Two Sisters Vineyards, I saw the gleam return to his eyes, and only get bigger when we sat down to one of the best lunches we have had in a very, very long time. 

niagara-on-the-lake-1 niagara-on-the-lake-2Don’t let the sprawling green grounds and expansive architecture fool you- this winery just won Small Winery of the Year for 2018 by WineAlign for the National Wine Awards of Canada and is completely deserving of the recognition.  Beyond bottles that wow, their restaurant Kitchen 76 was just…. well, beyond. We were seated in prime real estate, right at the edge of a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking the vineyard.

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Heeding all the advice of our server, our meal consisted of the Polenta (the most beautifully stacked creations you’ve ever seen or tasted), the Salumi e Formaggi (an incredibly curated charcuterie board) and possibly the best pizza we have EVER had: The Funghi (mushroom, pesto, mozz, goat cheese, asiago and truffle oil).  I’m serious. It’s on an entirely other level. 

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We sipped on glasses of their 2017 sparkling rosé to start (don’t even think of sitting down at Kitchen 76 without kicking it off with a toast  of bubbly), and for our meal Scott chose the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, while I enjoyed the refreshing 2016 Unoaked Chardonnay.  We were then honored and delighted to meet the Manager, Tony, who gave us a tour of the winery while conversation drifted to all facets of food, drink, and life. The passion the sisters have for their winery is evident in the way their staff executes the vision, and we walked away that afternoon with not only a deeper appreciation for Niagara on the Lake, but for the entire concept and work happening at Two Sisters. Bravo, all. 

niagara-on-the-lake-6 niagara-on-the-lake-10 two-sisters-9Where were we off to next on our day to trip to Niagara on the Lake? Stay tuned! 

Cheers!! 

(Itinerary and experiences coordinated by Visit Niagara, but all opinions 100% our own)