March 02, 2021
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.
September is harvest and this Discovery Pass program is all about is winemakers' comfort food when they are up against a deadline -- what do winemakers eat when they're working all hours to get harvest in? In our case, get ready for:
SIZZLIN' WITH SAS" GOES TO THE DOGS!
Our winemaker loves cooking...until harvest when her signature “Sizzlin' with SAS” creations are simplified to HOT DOGS! As a “Fancy Farm Girl”, Sue-Ann's hot dogs are accessorized with Grilled Corn and Feta Salsa, zesty BBQ sauce, and gourmet wieners on a Cobb’s bun.
Why does winemaker Sue-Ann Staff love this wine? The pairing is rustic, charming and refreshing.
FEATURED WINE: Fancy Farm Girl Foxy Pink
FEATURED MOCKTAIL: Lemonade with a mint twist
FEATURED CULINARY CREATOR: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery
Purchase your Discovery Pass online: https://niagarawinefestival.com/fall-discovery-pass-25
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.
October 2025
ALS Revolution Ride
When: Sunday, October 5
Where: Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery
What: The ALS Canada Revolution Ride is a volunteer-powered, fundraising event hosted in support of ALS Canada that encourages participants to do more for people and families living with ALS and in honour of the people we have loved and lost.
This premier cycling event takes place on Sunday, October 5 in Jordan, Ontario in the beautiful Niagara wine region. The roads surrounding the area offer a landscape that will take riders along a route, steeped in excitement and beauty, leaving participants with a sense of accomplishment and the reward of seeing their fundraising efforts go to help families affected by ALS. There are two awesome routes to choose from including 40km and 90km options. Choose the distance that suits your level!
Not only will the kilometres logged be worthwhile, but the start and finish lines are located in the heart of Ontario wine country at the stunning Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery. The day promises to be a memorable one.
Find out more and register to ride here: https://revolutionride.als.ca/revride/participate
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
Making sweet potato gnocchi was easier than I ever thought! The first time was daunting but it got easier each time I made it. And you only need remember the number 1! Truly! You will see as you make it why this is!!!
Ingredients
2 lbs sweet potatoes (approximately 3 medium sweet potatoes)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
Method
Preheat oven to 400F.
Wash sweet potatoes and prick the skin several times with a fork to release steam as they cook.
Cook on a tin foil lined baking sheet for ONE hour or until a fork inserted into the potatoes indicates that they are soft and fully cooked throughout.
Remove from oven and slit the skin to release all the steam.
Allow to cool for ONE hour.
When cool, remove the flesh from the skin of the sweet potatoes. Discard skin. Mash or puree sweet potato flesh.
Scope ONE cup of flour onto your work surface. Add in ONE teaspoon of salt and ONE cup of sweet potato. (reserve any extra sweet potato mash for another use).
By hand, bring the ingredients together kneading until the dough feels like a soft smooth pillow. This process may take more flour to achieve. Beware: adding too much flour will make the resultant gnocchi tough and too little flour will make the dough sticky (tough to work with) and unlikely to stick together.
Once the dough is complete, cut into 6 or 8 wedges.
Roll a single wedge into a ONE inch thick log. Cut into ½” pieces. With a floured fork, compress each piece so it is ONE INCHE wide and long. Repeat with other wedges. Allow to rest for ~15 minutes to one hour.
In rolling boiling salted water, add in gnocchi (you will need to work in batches to not decrease the temperature of the water). After one minute, the gnocchi should float. Once they float in the boiling water, they are done!
Serve with a browned butter sage sauce garnished with candied pecans.
Or in a blue cheese sauce. Or in a tomato sauce. Or in a mushroom ragu. Or … be creative!
Pair with Robert's Block Riesling, Elisha's Chardonnay or...if you're feeling daring...serve with Howard's Icewine Vidal!