#Sizzlin' with SAS -- Demystifying Duck, or, How To Make The Easiest D - Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery
Welcome to Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery! We are a boutique winery in Jordan, ON (Lincoln, Niagara Benchlands) offering award-winning wines and memorable tasting experiences.


Visit: Monday to Saturday 10-6, Sunday 11-6   Taste: Wine service daily until 5:30 pm

Winter event info HERE. Wine Club curious? Learn more HERE


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January 23, 2021

February 2026

Every Day Is Valentine's Day: Wine & Chocolate Flight

$20 pp

Available daily February 2 to March 1, 2026

Treat yourself and your favourite person to a Wine & Chocolate Flight and explore how two of the tastiest things in the world work together!

Includes three wines and three chocolate treats. The best part? You get to choose your wines based on our recommendations!

Swiss Milk Chocolate paired with your choice of:

  • Fancy Farm Girl Frosty Fizz
  • Riesling Loved By Lu
  • Bank Barn Baco

Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries (from our Vineland neighbours Cherry Lane) paired with your choice of:

  • Fancy Farm Girl Flirty Bubbles 
  • Fancy Farm Girl Flamboyant Red
  • The Gritstone Cabernet

White Chocolate Coconut Almond Confection paired with your choice of:

  • Lavelle's Vidal
  • Fancy Farm Girl Foxy Pink
  • Howard's Icewine Vidal

$20 per person. Reservations highly recommended to ensure best service, but walk-ins are always welcome. Reserve now: https://www.sue-annstaff.com/collections/tasting-flights/products/everyday-is-valentines-day-wine-chocolate-flight

 

 


Lu & Lavelle Sweet Treat Tasting

$10 pp

Available daily February 2 to March 1, 2026

Celebrate long-lasting love with this sweet treat!

Sue-Ann's grandparents Lula and Lavelle were married for over 60 years and were honoured by having their favourite wines named after them.  Enjoy a tasting of both Riesling Loved By Lu and Lavelle's Vidal along with a little sweet treat.  

Only $10 per person. Available daily February 2 to March 1, 2026. Reservations highly recommended to ensure best service, but walk-ins are always welcome. https://www.sue-annstaff.com/collections/tasting-flights/products/lu-lavelle-sweet-treat-tasting

 


collage image of Sue-Ann Staff in winter, three Icewine bottles in the snow, and the wine shop door in the background, tinted blue.

FLIGHT OF THE ICE QUEEN: Icewine Tasting

$20 pp

Available daily February 6 to March 2, 2026

No one loves making Icewine like Sue-Ann. And that's why we call her the Ice Queen!

This February we are celebrating Canada's liquid gold with The Flight of the Ice Queen, a unique tasting of three of Sue-Ann's finest Icewines, including past, present and future releases! 

  • 2018 Howard's Icewine Vidal (future-release)
  • 2017 Howard's Icewine Vidal (current release)
  • 2012 Howard's Icewine Vidal (library wine) 

Your flight includes an ounce of each Icewine, and each wine is perfectly paired with a gourmet tidbit.

$20 per person.

Available daily February 6 to March 2, 2026

Reservations highly recommended to ensure best service, but walk-ins are always welcome.  https://www.sue-annstaff.com/collections/tasting-flights/products/ice-flight

 

March 2026

 

Winter Wine Trail 

$120 + HST pp

Saturday, March 7 or Sunday, March 8 

Escape the chill this season with the warm hospitality of the Benchlands Winter Wine Trail.

Visit five exceptional wineries to enjoy five different expertly crafted cheese and wine pairings. To keep the magic going long after the fifth stop, you will be taking home five bottles of specially selected wine—one from each winery—to relive the Wine Trail in the cozy comfort of your home. It’s the ultimate winter indulgence: rich flavours, cozy moments, and unforgettable sips.

With your ticket, you’ll enjoy:

  •  Tastings at FIVE renowned wineries
  •  Locally sourced bites paired with each wine
  •  FIVE bottles of wine to take home (one from each winery) 

$120 + hst per person. Purchase your tickets online, choosing either Saturday, March 7 OR Sunday, March 8. You can also choose the winery where you'd like to start your day! 

https://winetrail.trilogen.ca/

 

 



#Sizzlin' with SAS -- Demystifying Duck, or, How To Make The Easiest Dish You'll Ever Wow Your Guests With

Demystifying Duck

I love duck.  Every part of it.
I even love to watch them fly.  And especially walk.

Seared duck breast is the easiest protein on the planet that likely scares most. 

Here are my tips to help make your duck searing a success!

  • leave the skin on
  • remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before searing
  • while warming up, score the just the fat layer, not touching the meat
  • salt and pepper it now
  • 5 minutes before searing, transfer to paper towel to remove all water plus any water that has rendered out of the fat
  • transfer duck breast, FAT SIDE DOWN into a COLD PAN aluminum, stainless steel or cast iron pan (definitely not a non-stick pan – it will not sear properly)
  • apply medium heat and allow the duck to moderately sear.  You will be searing the meat ¾ of the time on this side
  • adjust the temperature to keep the searing similar to the sound that you would hear bacon cook
  • after searing 6 to 8 minutes on the fatty side then the flip to the non-fat side
  • re-salt the fatty side NOW!
  • once the lean side has seared, then sear on each side for 30 to 60 seconds per side (must be equal time!)
  • remove from the pan to a cutting board and allow to rest for ~5 minutes fatty side up
  • cut on the angle cross-wise with a sharp knife always preserving the fatty layer
  • serve ½ breast per person for an first course, a whole duck breast per person for a main
  • keep the duck fat from the pan – it is gold!  Sear potatoes in it!   Then call to thank me for the fabulous advice.

 Duck breast, because of its richness, needs an acidic or savoury sauce to accompany it.  Orange, cranberry, cherries, prickly pears, etc, all make a fabulous sauce.  Here is the one that we made for today's Sizzlin' with SAS Instagram live post:

Ingredients:
1 shallot, peeled and chopped finely
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
1 cup of Cherry Lane Sweetened Dried Cherries (or dried cranberries)
½ cup low sodium chicken stock
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves, chopped finely (lavender would also be fabulous, just unsure of the quantity)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled

Heat either 1 tablespoon of duck fat rendered from searing (or 1 tablespoon of olive oil) over medium high heat in a medium sized saucepan.
Cook the shallots until they are soft (about 3 minutes).
Add in garlic and rosemary until it is aromatic (about 1 minute).
Add in the dried cherries, chicken stock and honey.  Cook for about 10 minutes with the lid on until the cherries are plump.
Remove from the heat.
Swirl in chilled butter.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve beneath the duck breast.

The sauce and the duck can be served both warmed or both chilled. IDEAL with the Split Rail Gamay Noir! 


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