For reasons you are now aware of, I am not presently drinking wine or any alcohol for that matter. However when I am able to again, I will choose local wine. Sustainable PF and I particularly like the Pelee Island Estates wines, which coincidentally they also served at our wedding. When we get the chance we want to visit the winery in person. The prices are the same for a similar age and similarly quality wine that you could buy from Argentina or France but the benefit is knowing it hasn’t travelled thousands of miles to get to you and you are supporting local wineries.
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There are some remarkably good Ontario wines. I’m a big fan of the Pinot Noir from Organized Crime vineyards; my girlfriend is from France and even she was impressed by it; it’s as good as some of the best French Pinots we’ve tasted. We live in Québec and our options here are more limited…we’ve only found a few local wines that we enjoy drinking, so unfortunately most of our wine is imported from Europe, Argentina, California, or Oregon. We do, however, always drink local beer — there’s a huge selection of very good microbreweries here.
I wonder how local those beers are though Brad. While the beer is made close by the ingredients may have traveled VERY far (e.g. hops).
Whoops I submitted my reply as a new comment instead of as a reply here, but anyway I meant to add that you also have to read the label careful on “local” wines as well — we have a bottle of Ontario white zinfandel that says it was made in Ontario “from local or imported grapes.”
I also cannot source local wine. The state I live in does have some wineries, but it’s more of a novelty than a good drink to enjoy with dinner.
Wineries mature. The trick is being able to grow grapes locally. Luckily the Niagara region allows grape growth.
I must say this is a good idea – except there’s just 1 winery in wyoming and it’s very new (but still pretty good) – doesnt leave me with much diversity :)
Also, I love the new header, who designed it?
Some is better than none Jeff. If it tastes good i’d be drinkin’ it.
Actually hops are being grown in Québec again (mostly in the Pontiac region for now) and a few microbreweries are using locally grown (or at least grown-in-the-province!) hops. The price of imported hops has increased significantly in recent years, so there’s an economic as well as sustainability factor at play in the desire to resurrect the cultivation of hops in the province.
I love our local breweries. We have a local cascade hops, but I don’t know about all the other ingredients. I love the fresh hop scent. We drink mostly local wine as well, I love to support local businesses.
Everything local just tastes better IMO. The less distance goods travel or less need to freeze them the food just gets so much flavour.