WineFest heats up Jordan

Food, wine and music proved a winning recipe for a great weekend on Main Street Jordan last week as Winter WineFest took over the town.

“There was something for everyone,” said 20 Valley Tourism Association executive director JD Pachereva.

“It really could not have gone better. We had a bit of rain on Saturday, but that didn’t slow the crowds much.”

Aside from a plethora of tasty treats and the wide variety of Niagara wines showcased, a star of the weekend was Montreal chef Chuck Hughes.

Hughes hosted cooking demonstrations in the main tent both Saturday and Sunday as well as an icewine brunch in On The Twenty Restaurant’s Windows Room.

Whether he was describing the food or talking about his 14-year-old dog, which he described as his best friend, Hughes commanded the room and provided informatiive comment and plenty of levity.

“We came out just for the brunch, mainly, and it was fantastic,” said Craig Allen of Newmarket. “We stayed over and covered the whole thing, though. This is an excellent event.”

In fact, many of the WineFest visitors said they came to Niagara expressly to attend the Main Street Jordan event.

“The event has an excellent reputation and it’s really starting to attract big crowds,” said Pachereva.