Niagara Escarpment

A Round of Appletinis on Me

Taking a page from the recent success of the Niagara Wine trail, Robert Gallucci, a Youngstown engineer has a brilliant idea to combine tourism, apples, hydropower, and good old fashioned drinking to Route 104 in Lewiston. He's planning on building a distillery where he can turn apples into vodka according to the Buffalo News. He's already came up with a great name with "Devil's Hole Distilling Co."

Here's a pull quote from the story:

He also plans to position his distillery and product as a tourist attraction. A recent change in state laws regarding alcohol production and sales will allow distillers to sell their liquors at the retail level for the first time. “Over 4 million people visit Niagara Falls each year, and we think we could be a memorable stop on their vacations. We’ll have tours, tastings and down the road cooking demonstrations using our products,” he said.

Could vodka tasting trips come next. Perhaps whiskey in the future as well? Well, I'm not gonna get my hopes up. Let me be the first to share the idea of turning the vacated Ontario Orchards building on Rt. 425 in Wilson into a Brewing Company for hand crafted beers. Investors can comment here and make that dream come alive, lol.

Wine Trail Sees Increase in Sales

Just a few news items and google finds tonight. Since I spend quite a bit of time pouring in a winery, helping out in a few others, and being generally immersed in the Niagara Wine Trail information these days, you don't have to convince me that this news item is accurate. Apparently sales are up 50% from last year at this time and the Niagara Gazette has even went as far to say that much of this increase is due to the Niagara Falls Parks department handing out wine trail brochures to people who pay to park. No matter what the reasons are, and I think they are many including positive word of mouth from other locals, it's great for the whole wine trail.

Another link I found is on the WBFO website for members. Apparently it's a wine tasting event that includes geological tours of the escarpment and the lake shore as well as tastings at Schulze Vineyards, Warm Lake Estate, and a barrel tasting at Arrowhead Spring Vineyards. I hope there's more events like this in the future. Membership does appear to have its privileges.

USA Today does Travel Story on Niagara Wine Trail

With fall on the way, the Niagara Wine Trail is preparing for what should be its busiest september and october yet. Forget the fact that fall means another grape harvest is around the corner, with a few wineries and vineyards like Freedom Run Winery seeing their first ripened grape clusters this season. In the rural fruit belt that is the niagara escarpment, fall gives way to corn mazes, pumpkins, apples, and hay rides. With the Niagara Wine Trail doing so well this year, the September Harvest Wine Trail event and the October Hallowine event will probably bring thousands of people out to wine country. Earlier events this year have exceeded expectations in turn out, with art, music, and food filling tasting rooms on the trail.

I can see the momentum around here due in part to all the recent local press directed at the wineries. Since every summer season seems to bring a couple new wineries, the newspapers have a lot to write about. Today I noticed a story that took Niagara Wine Trail press to the next level. A National newspaper, the USA Today, published a travel story specifically highlighting the Niagara Wine Trail.

From the article:

New York wines often struggle to find a place at fine dining tables, playing second fiddle to California's better-known labels. In truth, the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Long Island regions of the Empire state have been producing award-winning wines for many years. Canadian wineries in Southern Ontario Province, west of the Niagara River have also flourished, but Western New York's Niagara Wine Trail is the newest kid trying to make its mark in the vineyards, and orchards.

Since each winery is mentioned and there's an indication that this AP writer actually tasted at each winery, this story goes far beyond the usual "oh, and there are wineries in Niagara County too." With more and more tourists visiting Niagara Falls finding the wine trail, we are expecting a continuation of this growth with the best yet to come.