Central Canada
Cranberry wine for Thanksgiving? At Muskoka Lakes Winery, situated at one of Canada's oldest cranberry farms, take a tour of the cranberry marsh to learn about cranberry growing, then visit the winery to learn about winemaking techniques and taste some great wines.
Want to see who's behind what you're tasting? Wine enthusiasts can meet with the partners who run Thirteenth Street Winery in the Niagara region, where the focus is small-scale, handcrafted production of table and sparkling wines.
What flavours do you imagine when you hear of Holy Smoke Scotch Ale? Find out at Church-Key Brewing near Campbellford, Ont., by taking a brewery tour and tasting.
Western Canada
If you didn't think that wine was made in Alberta, head to Field Stone Fruit Wines near Strathmore, Alberta's first cottage winery, where the pick-your-own farm has evolved into a winery using crops such as raspberries, strawberries, cherries and saskatoon berries.
Learn how to pair apple cider with meals made from locally grown ingredients at Merridale Estate Cidery on Vancouver Island, take a cidery tour, then taste cider or another specialty such as Scrumpy, a strong, sharp drink made from crab apples fermented without sugar.
Can you imagine a winery inside a straw-bale building, in the desert? The straw-bale winery building at Orofino Vineyards has thick, straw-filled walls that maintain a constant temperature for making and aging wine in the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia.
Plan an outing
How can you find local producers? Look at local or provincial tourism websites, or consult local producer associations such as:
• Fruit Wines of Ontario
• Quebec Wine Route
• Wine Council of Ontario
• Ontario Craft Brewers
• Southwestern Ontario Vintners Association
• The Wine Islands of B.C.
• Association of B.C. Wine Growers
• B.C. Wine Country
• Wines of B.C.
Food for thought
The bottle of drink you serve your guests with supper can be doubly special if you take a trip to get it directly from the producer, especially if your guests join you on the tasting errand.
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