Flat Rock Cellars

This past Christmas we were given a gift from a friend which allowed us to visit a local winery for a - tour, tasting, and gift of 2 bottles of their wines. It was a great idea and gift (www.sambadays.com)

Well, after looking through the list we decided to head off to Flat Rock Cellars to take advantage of the offer.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the charming Katherine. She was very helpful as the reservation we'd made had not been conveyed to them, but she proceeded to take us on a 30 minute tour which really opened out eyes to the workings of this establishment.

We were first given a tasting of their excellent 2007 Riddled Sparkling wine, and then off we went to see the vines. The vines we visited were the Nadja vines, just out front of the main building. Our tour guide went in to great depth regarding the vine type, the planting, maintenance, etc and was able to enlighten us on their methods to employ strategic pruning to produce a low, quality wine.

From there it was back to the tasting room and now their 2009 Pinot Noir. Once our glasses were filled with the Pinot, we headed out to the balcony and got to view the full vineyard. Katherine explained all the various plantings, mostly Pinot, and showed us how Flat Rock uses much of the natural landscape to provide for the vines. I was surprised to hear that they do not irrigate, as their was a pond nearby, but that they wanted to force the vines to get their roots deep in to the ground and pick up all the subtle flavours found in the soil. After a few pictures and a moment to enjoy the serenity of the view, we headed back in for another selection.

This time it was their 2009 Chardonnay. A very nice wine, with a bright refreshing taste and aroma.

We now headed off to the cellar, which is just off of the main tasting area, where we heard all about the wine process that Flat Rock uses. We were able to see the various vats used for the un-oaked wines, and the various implements used to crush the grapes and seperate them from the stems and skins. All in all an interesting time and very much an eye opener. Our thanks to Katherine and the staff for making this a very pleasant morning.

Now, with the tour over we had the fun in picking our two bottles which had been included in this gift. Of course that requred a few more tastings, yea!, and we decided on the following:

2009 Twisted blend A favourite of my wife's and a nice blend to enjoy on the back porch on a nice sunny day

The other selection was their 2008 Unplugged Chardonnay. We both enjoyed the clear flavour and aroma, with the beautiful aftertaste it gave.

I would also recommend:

2010 Gewurztraminer

2009 Riesling

and their

2010 Nadja's Vineyard Riesling

Although I did enjoy the Pinot Noir, it didn't seem to yet have the finish I was looking for. I am sure it will age well.

Something to remember. On your way to Niagara? Take a detour and stop by Flat Rock. You will be glad you did..