March 12, 2015
Tickets On Sale Now!
Sue-Ann's Annual Holiday Sip & Savour Open House $45+HST
When: Saturday, December 13, 11 - 5
Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery
What: Sue-Ann's Holiday Sip & Savour is back!
We are rolling out the red carpet for a delicious day of holiday flavours! Our Holiday Sip & Savour is the ultimate holiday open house for wine lovers and foodies alike!
Enjoy deluxe wine & food tasting stations on the way -- we are opening our premium wines, pairing them with delicious foods to warm and delight your senses. Plan to spend an amazing hour touring and tasting your way through Sue-Ann's home!
Tickets are $45+HST per person. $5 from each ticket sale will be donated to the Howard V. Staff Memorial Fund at the Niagara Community Foundation, supporting St. Catharines Community Care.
Buy your tickets here: https://www.sue-annstaff.com/collections/events/products/holiday-sip-savor-open-house-2025-45-hst
Save the date!
Shortbread Showdown: Sip & Stock Up
When: Saturday, December 20
Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery
What: Stop into the winery on Saturday, December 20th and join the fun! Try a selection of shortbreads while enjoying a glass of wine, and then cast your vote for the best cookie! It's a great little break from holiday fuss AND you can stock up on feast-worthy wines while you're at it! $10 per person, with $5 going to The Howard V. Staff Memorial Fund at the Niagara Community Foundation, supporting community care.
No advance tickets or reservations required, simply show up and pay $10 to cast your vote while enjoying a 5 oz glass of wine.
Reservations open! Book now!
The Holiday Board: Flight & Bites
When: December 27 & 28, January 3 & 4
Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery
What: The Holiday Board: Flight & Bites is the perfect post-Christmas treat!
You've done all the cooking. You've done all the hosting. You've assembled, you've wrapped, you've done it all. Now it's your turn to sit back and relax!
Reserve your time now for an elevated wine tasting that will delight your senses, taking place December 27 & 28, January 3 & 4 at Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery.
Enjoy a seated tasting of four wines, each one perfectly paired with a delectable small bite.
It's like a four-course meal...in miniature!
Fancy Farm Girl Flirty Bubbles sparkling rosé with Creamy Brie & Cranberry
The Louie Pinot Gris with Duck Rillette with Blueberry Jam & Cornichon
The Gritstone Cabernet with "SASsoulet", our deconstructed sausage cassoulet
Howard's Icewine Vidal with a White Chocolate Coconut Almond confection
$24.50 per person, reservations highly recommended! Book now: https://www.sue-annstaff.com/products/the-holiday-board-flight-bite-december-27-28-january-3-4
In the new year...
Icewine Festival Discovery Pass
When: January 16-18,23-25, 30-February 1, 2026
Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery and other participating Niagara wineries!
What: Sip, Savour & Explore Niagara This Winter
Get ready for a self-guided tasting tour through Niagara’s most scenic vineyards! The Icewine Discovery Pass pairs world-class Icewines with spicy, savoury, or sweet bites from inspired local chefs — the perfect way to warm up your winter weekends.
Our offering? Tinga, Tango, Taco!
Imagine juicy, spicy Tinga de Pollo (chicken in a smoky tomato/chipotle sauce) tucked into a warm, soft corn tortilla, dressed with lime crema and a cilantro garnish. Paired with our 2018 Vidal Icewine, it’s a divine marriage of spice and ice!
Find all the information and tickets you need here: https://niagarawinefestival.com/icewine-discovery-pass
There is a Fancy Farm Girl in all of us!
Timing is everything. When I visited Sue-Ann in August last year, we walked through the vineyards & I suggested that we feature her this month; at that moment in time neither Sue-Ann nor I knew that March would be a turning point for her. Sue-Ann Staff is, to use her words, “going at it on my own”. She is shedding her responsibilities as a winemaker at other wineries and focusing 100% on her own winery:
Sue-Ann Staff Estates Winery. This is a big leap for anyone, yet, in my humble opinion, this remarkable woman can do
anything.
Sue-Ann & I have been friends since I started The Savvy Grapes over 13 years ago. She was the first woman winemaker we featured at a winemakers dinner showcasing her talent at Pillitteri Estates Winery. And she wowed everyone with the delicious wines she made and most of all, her charm. Read on as our Savvy Sommelier Velma LeBlanc captures more about the dynamic Sue-Ann & her deeply rooted ties to Niagara’s vineyards.
Meet Sue-Ann!
You are the first to know….The Fancy Farm Girl herself is coming to Ottawa. We are delighted to host a portfolio tasting on Wednesday April 22nd at the Orange Art Gallery,where Sue-Ann will be showcasing all of her wines – and perhaps some barrel samples too. This event will also showcase Pondview Estates Winery of Niagara-on-the-Lake. We are just nailing down the final details, so watch your inbox for your invitation.
As a Savvy Selections subscriber, 2 complementary tickets await you. To be added to the guest list, email me directlydebbie@savvycompany.ca
Can’t attend? You can still order the featured Sue-Ann &Pondview wines. And share the experience by giving the tickets to friends.
Cheers!
-Debbie & Savvy Team
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Fancy Farm Girl
March 6, 2015 · by Caroline ·
At a recent wine event I heard about this Ontario wine for the first time and was instantly drawn to the name, Fancy Farm Girl. One day soon after, I found a little burlap wrapped package at my door and was so delighted how it brightened up my day. The message that I found inside won me over, and so did the wine.
After a few years as a blogger, having tasted many gems around the Niagara region, I now know why they have grabbed the world’s attention. See the frivolous white and the flamboyant red below. If you are still one of those few who stay away because of some old fashion attitude – get over it!
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