subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Wed, Nov 25 2009 

Published: August 01, 2008 05:26 pm    print this story  

WINE TRAIN: A dreamy ride to Spring Lake

Ed Adamczyk, Spring Lake Winery, Niagara vineyards

By Ed Adamczyk

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The “Wine Train” to the Railroad Museum in Medina and the Spring Lake Winery in Lockport

WHEN: Trains depart at 10 a.m. the last Sunday of every month through October (reservations required)

WHERE: Michigan Street and Park Avenue, Lockport

MORE INFORMATION: Call 439-5253





By Ed Adamczyk

niagaraliving@gnnewspaper.com

It was an evocative and romantic adventure involving a ride on an old train, an alfresco lunch on a sun-swept estate and a glass of wine.

A memorable experience, it unleashed the sophisticated European in me and occurred last week in an exotic and mysterious land known as Niagara County. It’s known as “The Wine Train,” a monthly production of Lockport’s Spring Lake Winery that includes breakfast, lunch, music and wine sampling, steps away from the vineyard of Riesling grapes growing behind the winery.

And, yes, you arrive by train. A train with aluminum-sided 1947-vintage railroad cars, still marked New York Central Railroad, pulls away from the small station at Michigan Street and Park Avenue in Lockport and comfortably heads east across Niagara County for a 17-mile trip to the Railroad Museum in Medina.

Along the way is a spectacular overhead view of the Erie Canal’s Locks 34 and 35 from the notable “Upside Down Bridge” built in 1902. The train then travels back to the winery.

That’s when a you’re-in-Tuscany-now vibe sets in. Departing the train, which has tracks that run behind the winery, visitors walk past 12 acres of grapes to the main building and to a bucolic greensward sloping down to an eight-acre lake. It’s time for a meal and an opportunity to sample some wine.

The Spring Lake Winery, one of 12 in Niagara County, provides an impressive setting for a day-long excursion such as this. On what was once a gravel pit, grapes are growing, music is playing, wine is being made and consumed with lunch. It feels like a scene from some Italian movie.

It’s what’s considered a “boutique winery”.

“We make 2,000 gallons a year,” said Dr. Nicholas Varallo, who operates the winery with his family. “Four different kinds of Riesling and a pinot noir. New York state makes an excellent Riesling and a good chardonnay. In the next three years, we hope to make 10,000 cases a year to market to Asia, among other places.”

There is also ice wine, the sweet delicacy appropriate to the late growing season in Western New York. “No one can make ice wine the way we can,” said his wife Tamre.

On a warm and sunny day such as this one, no one was thinking about ice wine. We were wandering around the walking paths, hanging around the “tasting room” and strolling through a beautiful and pastoral surrounding, wine glasses in hand. There were chairs on the lawn aimed a gazebo, from the two weddings that had occurred there the day before.

We eventually wandered back to the train, wondering if we dreamed this and already making plans to return.

Ed Adamczyk is a freelance writer from Kenmore.

print this story  

Photos


Riders on the Wine Train lunch outdoors at Spring Lake Winery in Lockport / (Click for larger image)



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Featured Jobs

Marriage Counselor
Catholic Charities has an excellent professional development opportunity available for the following position:
   
...>MORE

Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioner, Family or Geriatric  Per diem visits, to complete an assessment form with a home visit.   $40. per v...>MORE

Adult Residential Services Administrator
HUMAN SERVICES
Progressive Niagara County Agency serving adults with psychiatric disabilties seeks an Adult Reside
...>MORE

MST Therapists
Catholic Charities has an excellent professional development opportunity available for the following position:
MST
...>MORE

SHIPPING CLERK
Shipping Clerk, p/t, 30-35 hrs. wk., exp. in warehouse environment, knowledge of Word/Excel, data entry, UPS, freight ch...>MORE

Driver
DRIVERS – CDL A
TEAM DRIVERS NEEDED FOR
DEDICATED RUNS
No touch freight............Good miles
...>MORE

Maintenance Supervisor
Maintenance Supervisor
FT Maintenance Niagara Falls YMCA. HVAC, electr., plbg, carpentry, cleaning, pool. $13.25/hr
...>MORE

BILINGUAL PHONE INTERVIEWER
Bilingual Telephone interviewer. Surveys for insurance policy review. Spanish/English a Must. ft/pt & Sat. No sales/coll...>MORE

FOREMAN & LABORERS
Basement Waterproofing co. needs a foreman & laborers for expanding business, exp. w/interior drain tile a plus, 471-723...>MORE

Hospitality/Tourism Instructor
Hospitality/Tourism. NIAGARA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE is seeking applications for part-time instructor to teach hospita...>MORE

See all ads

Feature Autos

1996 Ford Escort
FORD 1996 Escort 4 cyl, 2 dr, exc cond in & out, no rust, 1 owner, only 61k orig mi, $2195. 523-7102...>MORE

1999 Dodge Caravan
DODGE 1999 Caravan, 33, V6, auto, A/C, 99k miles, good cond., runs great. $1950. 525-7796...>MORE

Chevy 1994 High Topper Van
CHEVY 1994 High topper van, high road miles, mechanically sound, $900 or bo, 716-510-8105...>MORE

Ford 1998 F150
FORD 1998 F150, standard cab, 4wd, excellent shape, $3495.
716-525-2889
...>MORE

Ford 2001 Taurus
Ford 2001 Taurus Station wagon, well maintained, 112,000 miles Siver ext. 4 dr, auto, asking $2800/BO. 716-772-2454....>MORE

1984 Cadillac Eldorado
CADILLAC Eldorado 1984, runs, inspected, $500. 283-3552....>MORE

Chevy 1995 Pickup
CHEVY 1995 Pickup truck, 4WD, 5 speed, must see, never had plow on it, $2800 bo, 804-5579...>MORE

Nissan 1993 4x4
NISSAN 1993 4x4, extended cab, bedliner cap, $1200 or best offer, 715-2450...>MORE

Monte Carlo Z24 1998
MONTE CARLO Z24, 1998, runs good, average miles, excellent shape, $1800 , 990-2303...>MORE

Dodge 1993 Dakota 4x4
FORD 1999 WIndstar, LX, fully loaded, 38k miles, $3850. Excellent condition 860-4747...>MORE

See all ads





 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index