Niagara Wine Trail hosts annual Harvest Festival food pairing weekend Sept. 24-25

It’s harvest season along the Niagara Wine Trail – time to celebrate fall at participating wineries at the trail’s annual Harvest Festival. The event is set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25.

Tickets guests can enjoy samplings of three selected wines at each participating winery, along with a harvest-themed appetizer or dessert sample. Tickets are $30 each for this self-led weekend, and are valid for both days.

“The Niagara Wine Trail’s Harvest Festival is planned to inspire guests to delight in the tastes of the season,” said Susan Swiatkowski, executive director of the Niagara Wine Trail. She noted wine always makes a great gift. “We hope that guests will purchase a bottle or two so they can recreate these pairings at their own dinner parties during the upcoming holiday season.”

Participating wineries and featured pairings include

√ 810 Meadworks (Medina) – Savory pumpkin bites with local chèvre and walnuts

√ Honeymoon Trail Winery (Lockport) – Sample a variety of cheeses

√ Long Cliff Vineyard and Winery (Sanborn) – An assortment of autumn-flavored macarons, including pumpkin cheesecake, caramel apple, and peaches and cream

√ Mayer’s Lake Ontario Winery (Hilton) – Harvest apple butternut squash flatbread with harvest apple butternut squash soup

√ Schulze Vineyards & Winery (Burt) – Cherry barbecue meatballs with barbecue sauce from Cherry Republic

√ Vizcarra Vineyards at Becker Farms (Gasport) – Apple crumb pie

√ Victorianbourg Estate Winery (Wilson) – Crostini topped with extra-sharp cheddar cheese, local apples, bacon crumbles and maple syrup

√ The Winery at Marjim Manor (Appleton) – Noodle kugel

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.NiagaraWineTrail.org or follow the Niagara Wine Trail’s Facebook and Instagram pages.