Toast Our Region on the Niagara Wine Train

This article was scraped from Rochester Subway. This is a blog about Rochester history and urbanism has not been published since 2017. The current owners are now publishing link spam which made me want to preserve this history.. The original article was published September 17, 2014 and can be found here.

     By       Mike Governale

The Niagara Wine Trail--right in our backyard--features 20 wineries and stretches from Lewiston to Rochester, along the Niagara Escarpment and the Lake Ontario shore. This region has been quickly gaining national attention for the variety and quality of its wines, including late-harvest, ice, and traditional vinifera. Now you can experience the Niagara Wine Trail in true style; via train...

   Beginning September 27 through October 18, trains will depart from the     Medina Railroad Museum

for the Niagara Wine Trail. Guests will enjoy a variety of wines from eight Trail wineries as well as gourmet farm-to-table dishes prepared by well-known Western New York-area chefs.

The winery-train excursions are being organized by WNY Excursions, a partnership between Benjamin Woelk and Michael Gaughn.

Woelk sees this as more than just scenic train rides, rather a whole new way to promote our region and boost tourism. "This effort brings an unprecedented experience and connection to the whole of Western New York," he says. "This is great way to celebrate the natural assets that make our region so special."

The excursions are a two-train ride through the Niagara Region's vineyards, orchards, and farmland, and along the historic Erie Canal. A farm market on the museum property features fresh produce, goods from local vendors, and live entertainment, as well as the chance to purchase wine from the participating wineries.

The Niagara Wine Trail Winery Trains offer a unique experience of the Western New York countryside, taking passengers through the fields used to harvest the ingredients for the food and wine they are enjoying on the train.

Each excursion showcases two Niagara Wine Trail wineries, offering a wide selection of tastings, from sweet to dry wines, red and whites, dessert wines, ciders, and more. Passengers are served gourmet farm-to-table dishes prepared using locally-sourced ingredients. A First Class option provides table seating in a vintage 1949 dining car, with live entertainment and one-on-one time with winery representatives.

Participating wineries are scheduled to include     Flight of Five Winery

,     A Gust of Sun Winery & Vineyard

,     Long Cliff Vineyard & Winery

,     Schulze Vineyards & Winery

,     Victorianbourg Wine Estate

, and     Vizcarra Vineyards at Becker Farms

.

   Trains depart at 1 p.m. on Sept. 27, and Oct. 4, 11 & 18 from the Medina Railroad Museum, 530 West Ave., Medina, NY. Tickets are $45 for Coach and $63 for First Class, and can be purchased at the     Medina Railroad Museum Web site

or by calling (585) 798-6106.