Twenty Valley “not just Icewine” festival comes to life with great wine, food and fun.

Sweet, sparkling and sensational wines poured all week-end long at the inaugural Twenty Valley Winter WineFest ” not just Icewine” festival Jan 16th/17th 2010.Taking place during the 15th annual Niagara Icewine Festival, this year’s organizers in Twenty Valley wanted to offer all of the wineries in the region an opportunity to participate as not all make Ontario Icewine.

Twenty Valley’s Winter WineFest, Dori Andrews.

Over 50 wines poured by 29 wineries were enjoyed, “The Jordan Ice Bar has been very successful, but we wanted to create something that is distinctly Twenty Valley – an event that better showcases the variety of premium wines available here”, announced Dori Andrews. The decision proved to be a fabulous one as over 4000 visitors descended on the quaint village of Jordan to enjoy of course Ontario Icewine ( otherwise known as liquid gold) as well as some of Ontario’s best sparkling and premium VQA wines.

We had so much fun that day moving from winery to winery and culinary station to culinary station all to a back drop of local live jazz entertainment, breathtaking ice sculptures and roasted chestnuts all adding to a festive outdoor atmosphere. All of this captured on video here.

Some of the highlights included a visit with wine maker Rob Power from another Canadian legend Wayne Gretzky. Rob shared a glass of Estate No 99. 2006 Shiraz Icewine with us.

Rich and luscious in the mouth it was a perfect start to an already beautiful Canadian winter day with promises of delicacies to be enjoyed all day long.

Sue Anne Staff, the unofficial Icewine Queen.

We were also caught up in the excitement as Sue-Ann Staff otherwise known as the “unofficial official Icewine Queen” appeared brimming with pride with her newly opened winery Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery merely a few months old. Having been making Icewine for years for other wineries she decided to open her own label and has struck a chord with her 2008 Cabernet Franc Icewine. “Come on Sue-Ann pour the wine”, exclaimed Georgia as we enjoyed chatting with this accomplished winemaker and entrepreneur.

President Len Pennachetti takes The Wine Ladies through a flight of Cave Spring Cellars wines.

Donald Ziraldo drops by for a chat

Sweet, Sparkling, Sensational Celebrity Chef Icewine Brunch Contest, Twenty Valley Winter WineFest