Set upon a magical estate in the Niagara region, the picturesque Vineland Estates Winery, owned by Fred DeGasperis, receives over 150,000 visitors annually. Proudly producing wines of an award-winning, world-class calibre, Vineland Estates Winery leaves its guests in awe. While visitors have the opportunity to taste Canada’s most expensive red wines and dine on meals prepared by master chefs, they will take in the pristine settings that make the Vineland Estates Winery a heavenly place to visit.

As the sun was setting and a light breeze ruffled my clothing, I slowly sipped a glass of wonderful, Dry Riesling and munched on delicious steamed mussels. From my vantage point on the large cedar deck of the restaurant, I looked around and stared out at what could only be described as a paradise of sorts. A beautiful winery lay behind me while lush vineyards stretched out in front with Lake Ontario and the Toronto skyline in the distance. Was I dreaming? I gave myself a pinch. No, I was awake and thoroughly enjoying Vineland Estates Winery in Niagara.

Not many wineries in the world can boast of producing award-winning, world-class wines, possess a fabulous, on-site restaurant and have the most scenic locale in an entire region. But this gem can.

It all started back in 1979, when Hermann Weis, a Mosel winegrower, planted two 50-acre vineyards of Riesling in Niagara, one on this 20-mile bench sub-appellation of the escarpment. Using his fruit, Dieter Guttler opened the original winery in 1983 on a homestead dating back to1845, utilizing many of the original historic buildings. He sold it to the Weis family five years later and businessman John Howard bought the property from them in 1992. Realizing the potential, Howard expanded the original winery preserving the farmhouse into a tasting room and restaurant. He restored the historic coach house for social functions and as a final metamorphosis, built a new California-style winery with a distinctive stone tower which housed his office. In 1998, Fred and son Jim DeGasperis construction and development magnates, visited California’s Napa Valley on Jim’s 40th birthday to look into buying a small winery there but found nothing suitable. Then, after lunching at Vineland that very same year, they were smitten. Jim admits: “We were extremely impressed with the region, winery and quality of the wines, so my father and I decided to invest in Vineland instead and became shareholders.” In 2004, Howard sold his controlling interest to the DeGasperis family and the rest, of course, is history.

Today, Vineland has the distinction of producing Canada’s most expensive red wine, a Meritage (blended red) priced at approximately $125. Rather interesting, considering that the winery’s reputation was built on creating great Riesling. However, due to its prime location and terroir, additional varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Vidal, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir now flourish on some 275 acres and are part of the winery’s vast portfolio of wines produced. Styles include red, white, rosé, sparkling, blends, late-harvest, and of course, world-renowned Icewine. The wines are exported throughout North America, the United Kingdom and the Far East. Much of Vineland’s vinous success and diversification can be attributed to the efforts of the Schmidt brothers, Allan and Brian.

Born and raised in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia to a wine family, both brothers followed in the family business. Allan studied viticulture and winemaking in California and Germany before moving to Ontario to take up the position of winemaker and general manager at Vineland Estates in 1987, which really helped put Vineland Estates on the map as a premium producer. Today, he is the president and holds shares in the winery and couldn’t be happier with his partners. “The DeGasperis family,” he proudly announces, “truly understands the potential of Niagara wine and food and live the lifestyle daily.” Jim DeGasperis actually dines at the winery restaurant at least twice a month.

Brian travelled extensively throughout Europe, studying winemaking and in 1991, came to Ontario to train with Allan. He took over as winemaker of Vineland in 1994. Since then, his distinct style of winemaking has garnered endless national and international awards in well-respected competitions worldwide such as the All Canadian Wine Championship, Decanter Wine Awards, Japan Wine Challenge and London’s International Wine Challenge. Perhaps most noteworthy was the Vinitaly Grand Special trophy as the highest scoring winery in a field of over 3,000 wines. “Producing excellent product starts in the vineyard and is based on control,” says Brian of his success. As Vineland’s 50,000 cases of wine produced yearly are made with over 85 per cent of its own, estate-grown grapes, it’s easy to see this philosophy at work. Today, he is also vice president of operations.

After a guided tour of the facility, which is available regularly, a tasting of some of their wonderful wines at the gorgeous Wine Boutique, located in the aesthetic, 1877 historic barn, is a must. With its magnificent wooden bar, upstairs loft that often doubles as an art gallery, complete selection of their wines (many of which are only available here), wide range of stemware, crystal, wine/food books and other wine-related paraphernalia, it’s the best wine shop of its kind in the region.

What would a great glass of wine be without some tasty, well-chosen food for it to play off of? The restaurant at Vineland Estates, open for lunch and dinner throughout the year featuring local Niagara cuisine, has evolved from a somewhat small operation to a full-fledged dining extravaganza. With its idyllic location overlooking the St. Urban Vineyard and Lake Ontario in the distance, a finer setting to enjoy a glass of wine and a nibble would certainly be hard to find. Under the masterful cooking of Mark Picone, the restaurant gained notoriety as the hot spot in the region to dine at. In 1996, after graduating from the Niagara Culinary Institute, Jan-Willem Stulp joined Picone as his assistant and quickly worked his way up to sous-chef. In 2002, Picone switched to managing the restaurant, leaving all food prep to Stulp and when Picone departed Vineland in 2005, Stulp became sole culinary director. Since then, he, like Picone, has become quite the celebrity in the region by catering to large, prestigious events and doing cable TV. With rave reviews and awards like Distinguished Restaurant of North America (DiRoNA), a 4-Diamond rating status from AAA/CAA Dining Review and an Eat Smart Award for Healthy Menu, dining here has become a unique, culinary experience. It’s even been showcased at the renowned James Beard Foundation in New York City.

Most of the 150,000 or so visitors arriving yearly come by car, but a few actually arrive by helicopter (which can be arranged by the winery if desired) and stay over in their private Bed & Breakfast Cottage or Estate Guest House on the property. Regardless of how one gets to Vineland Estates, “Ontario’s Most Picturesque Winery,” a trip here is sure to be a memorable, vinous, gastronomic experience that will surely have you coming back for more.

Sitting on the restaurant deck, finishing my Riesling and watching visitors enjoying themselves in this pristine setting, I recalled an earlier time when, on this very spot, I stood with Hermann Weis, the original owner of the property, who said, “This piece of land and region have great potential.” How right he was. As the sun’s rays slowly fade, the profound words of Jim DeGasperis echoes in my brain; “Niagara and Vineland Estates are one of the region’s best-kept secrets.” I couldn’t agree more. www.vineland.com

Gallery 1: A celebration of Niagara’s bounty, The Restaurant @ Vineland Estates Winery uses the freshest ingredients, locally sourced.

Gallery 2: Alfredo DeGasperis (left) and son Jim DeGasperis (right) ruminate over a glass of Vineland’s finest at Eagles Nest Golf Club.

Gallery 3: The cosy 3 bedroom Guest House @ Vineland Estates Winery.

Gallery 4: Vineland Estates Winery produces award winning Icewines, Reserve and Premium wines.

Gallery 5: The Carriage House plays host to small weddings, private functions or high tech corporate meetings.

Gallery 6: Vineland Estate’s award winning Riesling perfectly pairs with seafood, making it a staple on the restaurant menu.

Gallery 7: President, Allan Schmidt (left) and brother, Winemaker / VP, Brian Schmidt (right) are third generation wine producers from the Oakanogan in British Columbia.

A People are becoming more conscious because they’re realizing that the food they’re eating is starting to have an effect on their bodies. And it’s not just the way we feel; in some cases, it takes an event like an illness to bring about change, but I think that with generations taking care of their parents there’s an understanding that we can prevent some of that through our daily lifestyle habits. People are just looking for that education.

Q As Pusateri’s Fine Foods’ resident nutritionist, how do you help shoppers attain that healthy lifestyle?

A The original intention was for me to come in and shine a light on the nutritional benefits of the amazing products offered, but we’ve definitely evolved from there. I spend a lot of time at each store consulting with customers and staff with the whole premise of trying to educate people on how to be healthier. I also work with the chefs at Pusateri’s to create some really awesome new dishes like the organic salad, which combines so many amazing sprouted beans and nuts and seeds and apple cider vinegar — all the things that I love and that taste good. There’s so many quinoa dishes that we’re doing right now! We’re really evolving in that direction of offering not just tasty food but healthy food along with it. I have these ideas and Pusateri’s brings them to life; it’s a beautiful marriage.

Q How do you host a spring soiree with a health-conscious curve?

A When you’re entertaining you want to supply amazing food. It’s kind of a misconception that healthy food doesn’t taste good. There are so many creative ways to turn a delicious dish into one that has more whole grains and less saturated fat. It’s a matter of swapping ingredients. For example, I recently designed a chocolate fudge cake recipe for Pusateri’s, and instead of having the butter and the white flour, I did a flourless version with pumpkin in it and it’s really moist and creamy. We used dark chocolate as opposed to milk chocolate. If you serve your guests good food and they feel good eating it, and they feel good afterwards, then you have a hit.

Q What’s a golden rule for foodies to live by?

A Make sure that you’re combining the right foods when you’re eating. Try to consume those raw living foods that help digestion and avoid as much processed food as possible because it’s just been stripped down. I also really believe in not overcooking vegetables; we want to preserve enzymes in food. If we do have proteins like meats, try to have a raw vegetable with it. I think it’s always great to have a salad with beef or chicken because it helps digest that food.

For more information on Miranda Malisani visit

www.pusateris.com/nutrition/

Ingredients – Serves 6
3/4 cup organic pearl barley
1 cup organic wheat berries
1/2 cup red quinoa
1 tbsp organic black chia seeds
1/8 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup organic goji berries
1/4 cup walnut halves
1 tbsp sacha inchi seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup mung beans
1/4 cup adzuki beans
1/4 cup urid beans
1/4 cup soya beans
2 tbsp coconut water
4 tbsp rice bran oil
2 1/2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
2 tsp agave syrup
black pepper and salt, to taste

Methods

1 In a pot, cover the pearl barley with water and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until it is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside to cool in the fridge.

2 Rinse the wheat berries under cold running water. In a pot, cover the wheat berries with water and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the wheat berries are cooked through and tender. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Set aside to cool in the fridge.

3 Add 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa in a pot. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the quinoa for 20 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and resembles being “popped.” Drain under cold running water and set aside to cool in the fridge.

4 Chop the apricots into bite-sized pieces. Roughly chop the walnut halves.

5 In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Adjust the seasonings, to taste. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to use.

Recipe designed by Miranda Malisani, RNCP and Pusateri’s chef Bernard Attard

Next, she applies a few pumps of volumizing mousse for life and texture evenly from the roots to the tips of P!nk’s hair. After that, she blow-dries her hair with a medium round boar bristle brush. Then she clips extension pieces into the crown of her hair and makes sure to leave the perimeter out. “If your hair is fi ne or a bit short, I suggest using clipin extensions to achieve P!nk’s Marilyn style,” she explains. “Approximately three pieces should do the trick.”

After that, she sprays the hair with a heat protectant such as White Sands Liquid Texture — Firm, curling the entire head with a medium to large curling iron. If you want streaks for playful colour, Hamilton suggests applying HyperColor Hair Powder with a makeup brush and then setting the style with a medium hold hairspray, while teasing the roots a bit.

The gutsy rock star has proven that even the colour pink can be bold. Now her stylist, Marcia Hamilton, opens up about this season’s hottest trends.

Q: How would you describe P!nk’s style?
A: P!nk’s beauty style is fun and edgy, yet effortless. She’s a spunky girl and lets it show in her tough mama swag.

Q: What are P!nk’s go-to looks?
A: She loves her hair short, especially with her busy schedule. Her go-to is short on the sides and long on the top.

Q: What new looks can we expect from her this spring?
A: P!nk is always switching it up. She loves to keep folks guessing and stays ahead of trends. Stay tuned and see what she rocks next!

Q: What are some of this season’s biggest trends?
A: The bob is the hottest cut for spring/summer 2013 trends. Clean, geometric shapes and lines are flooding the runways.

Marcia Hamilton
Jada Pinkett Smith, P!nk, John Legend and Kim Kardashian are among Marcia Hamilton’s star-studded clientele.
Known for her spunky, edgy style, Hamilton has made a colourful splash in celebrity beauty. She has appeared on The Ellen Show, The Today Show, E! Entertainment and other shows on NBC, ABC and HBO.
www.marciahamilton.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEBORAH ANDERSON

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Responding to high demand and positive feedback from Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa’s comprehensive seven-day program, — experienced by more than 100,000 people — Taste of Pritikin Weekends has condensed the best elements of its weeklong retreat to better serve its time-strapped clients. Combining its four fundamental principles of diet, exercise, medical supervision and lifestyle education, Pritikin’s three-day plan of action aims to achieve the ongoing purpose it has become renowned for. “Our mission is to lead you back to health and vitality, to help you find your best and happiest self,” says Pritikin Longevity Center’s medical director, Dr. Ronald Scheib.

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