Bacon and onions and creme fraiche, OH MY! - Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery
October 29, 2020


AUGUST 2025

Nature Girl: 10K Trail Challenge: Chasing Waterfalls Fitness Hike Aug 10

When: Sunday, August 10

Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery

What:  Begin your day with a revitalizing yoga session in the serene courtyard of Sue-Ann Staff Winery. Then, set out on a 10 km guided fitness hike along the scenic Bruce Trail, where you’ll explore lush forests and take in the beauty of cascading waterfalls. After your adventure, return to the winery to unwind with a well-deserved flight of wines. A perfect blend of movement, nature, and indulgence!

$65 per person, find all the details at https://www.naturegirlexpeditions.com/product-page/10k-trail-challenge-a-fitness-hike-for-strength-endurance-aug-10

 

August 2025

THE BERNER BBQ

When: Sunday, August 24, 1 pm to 4 pm

Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery

What: It's the winery's favourite day of the year! Sue-Ann and Brix Bravo invite you to their FOURTH annual BERNER BBQ!

Bring your dog to the winery for a relaxing afternoon of wine, music and new dog friends! All dogs are welcome, but most especially Bernese Mountain Dogs!

Enjoy our wines by the glass OR flight while making new friends with other dog & wine folks, PLUS live music by GEORGE TIRPKO, and food by SMOKE & MOONSHINE FOOD TRUCK!

This event runs rain or shine (lots of grassy areas if the weather's fine, and lots of shade and shelter under the Moyer Marquee). Seating fills up quickly -- bring a blanket or camp chair just in case! 

No tickets are required, but we’d love it if you would let us know you're coming. Send us an e-mail with the number of humans and dogs attending, and everyone’s name!


September 2025

GRAPE AND WINE DISCOVERY PASS

When: September 5-7, 12-14, 19-21, 11 am to 5 pm

Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery and other participating Niagara wineries

What:  The Niagara Wine Festival's annual Grape & Wine Discovery Pass returns. Buy your Discovery Pass online and visit up to six participating wineries for innovative and delicious wine and food pairings. Watch this space for updates or visit https://niagarawinefestival.com/

 

SEPTEMBER 2025

Nature Girl: Waterfalls, Yoga & Wine

When: Saturday, September 13

Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery

What:  Begin your day with a revitalizing yoga session on the serene grounds of Sue-Ann Staff Winery. Then, set out on a guided hike along the scenic Bruce Trail, where you’ll explore lush forests and take in the beauty of cascading waterfalls. After your adventure, return to the winery to unwind with a well-deserved flight of premium wines. A perfect blend of movement, nature, and indulgence!

$65 per person, find all the details at https://www.naturegirlexpeditions.com/product-page/hike-wine-sept-13

 

SEPTEMBER 2025

Run for the Grapes

When: Sunday, September 28

Race Times: Half-Marathon at 8:30 am, 5k at 8:45 am  

Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery

What:  Run a half marathon or 5k and support The Heart & Stroke Foundation! Find all the details you need and register at the Subaru Running Series website here: https://niagararunningseries.com/running-event/run-for-the-grapes-1-2-marathon-5k/

 

Harvest Sunday

When: Sunday, September 28, 1-4

Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery

What:  September's the best in wine country! You're invited to visit the winery September 28 for an afternoon of live music by Michelle Hedley in Sue-Ann's front garden. Enjoy music and wine surrounded by lush vineyards. Wine flights, wine by the glass and wine-friendly snacks available for purchase. 

 

November 2025

THE GREAT GRILLED CHEESE EXTRAVAGANZA

When: Saturday, November 1st 11-4:30, Sunday, November 2nd 11-4

Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery

What:  Experience the best grilled cheese sandwiches of your life, each one perfectly paired with our wines!

It’s a celebration of Sue-Ann’s long-time love affair with inventive grilled cheese sandwiches. “Why have tomato soup with your grilled cheese, when you could have wine?”

Ticket-holders are welcomed with a refreshing sip of our Fancy Farm Girl sparkling before setting off on a delicious cheese adventure. Four fabulous grilled cheese stations are set up throughout Sue-Ann’s home, each one offering delicious sandwich samples with our award-winning wines.

$48.53 per person ($42.95+HST). Gluten Friendly timeslots available! Find all the details and buy your tickets online here: https://www.sue-annstaff.com/collections/events/products/sue-anns-great-grilled-cheese-extravaganza-2025

 


Bacon and onions and creme fraiche, OH MY!

Bacon and onions are a perfect match. Just ask anyone who walks in your house after you've sauteed both ingredients in preparation for Flammekuechen!

Basically the best onion & bacon pizza you can imagine, Flammekueche is an Alsation specialty...that's also served in the Pfalz, the Rhine, the Moselle regions -- if it's a wine area, there's a version of onion pie served at harvest.  We paired ours with the 2016 Louie Pinot Gris, a weighty, round, buxom Gris that spent 10 months in French oak barrels. 

 

 

While Sue-Ann utilized pre-made, par-baked pizza crust for last Saturday's Flammekueche on Instagram Live, here's a FABULOUS recipe from Patricia Wells (NYT Cooking) for making the whole thing from scratch. As with any regional recipe, there's as many versions of flammekueche as there are cooks -- try this one and see if it works for you! 

 

Flammekueche (Thin-Crusted Cheese, Onion And Bacon Tart)

 INGREDIENTS

THE DOUGH:

1 cup lukewarm water

2 ½ teaspoons, or 1 package, dry yeast

2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon salt

THE TOPPING:

2 medium onions, sliced into thin rounds

1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta

1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

 Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

12 ounces slab bacon, rind removed, cut into matchstick-size pieces

 

PREPARATION

Combine the water, yeast and one cup of the flour in a large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended and set aside to proof the yeast, about five minutes.

Once proofed, add the salt, then begin adding the remaining flour, little by little, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and begin kneading, adding additional flour if the dough is too sticky. Knead until the dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes.

Once kneaded, place the dough in a bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, about one hour.

Punch down and let rise again, covered, until double in bulk, about one hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the onions, cheese, creme fraiche, salt and pepper and let sit for 15 minutes to soften the onions.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle to fit a large baking sheet, measuring about 12 1/2 by 15 inches. Place the dough on the baking sheet.

Spread the onion mixture over the dough right to the edge. Sprinkle the bacon evenly over the top, then sprinkle generously with pepper.

Bake just until the dough is crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.


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