Despite the dipping temps and back-to-school furore, until September’s autumnal equinox, it’s still summer. If you long to squeeze every last ounce of fun and flavour from the year’s most stimulating season, head to Rosewood Winery & Meadery. There, in the heart of Niagara wine country, you’ll find a number of seasonal small plates guaranteed to help you and your crew soak in the end-of-summer splendour.
Launched in June, Rosewood’s food program is “a love language inspired by the bounty of Niagara, low intervention wines and meads, generations of beemasters and old flames,” according to the team. It’s a fitting partner to a business built around a passion for beekeeping and a love of the Niagara region. Owned by Eugene and Renata Roman, the Beamsville property that houses Rosewood was purchased in 2002, with the winery opening to customers in 2008. Third-generation beekeepers, the Romans created a winery where bees, honey and mead (an alcoholic beverage made with fermented honey) are as integral to the business as fine wines.
To further showcase their property, the area’s bounty and their unique offerings, Rosewood announced a food program earlier this year. Created by estate chef Wesley Gendron, the menu features elegant small plates, bursting with seasonal produce and the team’s unbridled passion for what they do.
Available on the patio from Friday to Monday, between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m., dishes include oysters on the half-shell with mignonette, elk tartare, beets with endive, capers and chevre, and lavender posset sweetened with Rosewood wildflower honey, and topped with local fruit. Recent specials have included a succulent lobster roll, and burrata served with shaved mortadella and radicchio, garnished with a wildflower honey drizzle. With Rosewood’s full selection of wines and meads on offer, guests can order a glass, bottle, or tasting flight, to accompany their lunch.
A family farm, winery and meadery, Rosewood is a unique spot on the Beamsville Bench. Head to its sun-dappled patio for a delectable lunch surrounded by its stunning sights and sounds, and make the most of the season's final days.
