Winterlude Wonderful Wines

4 ratings
6 January 2012

Want a fun way to warm up this winter? Ottawa’s Winterlude festival now features a Winter Wines and Beer event. Along with local wine, beer and cider tasting, you will be treated to live jazz and blues music. Cold never tasted so good!

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Red Hunt

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Ottawa’s Winterlude is one of Canada‘s best winter parties. Along with popular activities like skating on the frozen Rideau Canal and marveling at the ice sculptures, Winterlude offers something more: flavour! (aka Taste of Winterlude). If you’ve ever been to Winterlude, you know that food and drink is a big part of the fun — and I don’t mean just munching on sweet beaver tails and sipping hot apple cider!

Photo courtesy National Capital Commission

Taste of Winterlude is what has enticed me to personally want to return to Winterlude in 2012. This cuisine themed part of the festivities has no fewer than 35 special events planned. Looking over the list it is impossible to decide what events to attend – the Après skate and STeaK or the Eastern European Evening event?

Some may seem obscure, such as the already sold out Seinfeld themed dinner, while others are purely indulgent, such as the Martinis & Manicures event. The options seem endless. However, if you are a beer lover like me, then the Winter Wines and Beers event looks perfect.

Featuring samples from 15 different micro-breweries, including Gatineau-based Les Brasseurs du Temps you’ll surely discover some new, tasty beers. Plus, there will be plenty of red, white and ice wines as well as ciders to sample.

If that wasn’t enough, the event will have jazz and blues music and a range of appetizers to sample and pair with your beer or wine choices. All of this for only $22-35 each, a price that is half of what some of the other events cost.

I know I still won’t be able to resist dining on a beaver tail or two while wandering the city, but I’ll definitely put aside a night to enjoy some local beer and wine!

Photo courtesy National Capital Commission

Winterlude: Spread over 18 days, from February 3 – 20, 2012, Winterlude, is all about enjoying the best that winter has to offer and showcasing some unique Canadian talents.

Taste of Winterlude: Some tasting events begin as early as January 26 and require booking in advance. Be sure to view the Taste of Winterlude event listing so you don’t miss out.

The Winter Wines and Beers Event: February 17 and 18 (one of nine events focused on wine or beer).

 

 

Red Hunt

With a passion for nature and wildlife, Red Hunt provides writing, photography and marketing services to the tourism and travel industry. He ditched the corporate suit-wearing lifestyle in 2003 and has since travelled to more than 40 countries around the world.