Sipping By Cycle - Allen Abel

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Cycling is always fun. If there is a particular purpose to cycling or it is out of the city, cycling can be more attractive. This article introduces the bike tour at Niagara-on-the -Lake, that is wineries tour. The author says the tour is equal parts vacation, libation and education, a chance to meet vintners and vendors who prove to be refreshingly frank about their Cabernet.

The itinerary of the author's team is a slow- paced day long pedal through the flatlands, pausing at small and large wineries to sample the best of their cellars and casks. After five and half hours, they drop in at six scattered wineries, taste 17 vintages, and paddle 25 kilometres. At each wineries, they learn how to breathe while drinking, why two-thirds of the grapes on some vines are discarded before they ripen and what it means when a label promises a hearty red, redolent of “blackberry, leather, rhubarb and coconut.” They run to the wine store to test their new knowledge as soon as they go home.

Since I have not tried wines yet, I do not know what their taste like, how different they are or how sensitive they are. But I think it is a neat way to enjoy cycling. I would like to try such a cycling tour someday.

Allen, Abel. “Sipping By Cycle. ” Canadian Geographic Travel. September 2008. Print