Canada As You Like It Blog
Rediscover a world of new experience in Ontario this summer.
- by Canada As You LIke It
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- 20 May, 2022
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Explore Ontario’s foodie flavours and meet the farmers, chefs, bakers, wine makers and brewmasters who elevate food and drink into a culinary adventure.
Ontario is one of the greatest foodie destinations in Canada thanks to its multi-cultural populations, diverse agricultural conditions and seasonal climate. Expect to enjoy an appetising array of culinary delights, world-class wineries and breweries, a variety of festivals and fun food trails. These include, among others, the apple pie trail, the butter tart trails and, of course, the maple syrup trail.
From fertile farm fields and vineyards to freshwater fisheries, great passion and innovation goes into everything grown, raised, produced and served in this extraordinary state.
Ontario’s wine regions sit within the 41st and 44th degrees north, the geographic heart of wine-making excellence.
Ontario is home to hundreds of vineyards producing a wide variety of red, white, rosé and sparkling wine, plus specialties like Icewine, Mead, maple wine, fruit wines, and even lavender-infused dessert wine.
Tour gorgeous wineries, meet passionate winemakers and taste award-winning vintages in Ontario’s established and emerging wine destinations.
If an hour or so is not long enough to explore the vineyard, why not opt for an overnight stay? Stay in the on-site Nordic-style Vintner’s cottage at Trail Estate Winery or perhaps in a Georgian style mansion at Riverbend Inn, just outside historic Niagara-on-the-Lake. If a fireplace, soaker tub and giant bed is more your style, check out Inn on the Twenty, an upscale boutique hotel in Jordan.
Breweries, cideries and distilleries
Ontario is the proud producer of world-class beverages. Whether you prefer is beer, cider or spirits, you're going to be blown away by the quality and variety on offer. Here's your ultimate guide to Ontario breweries, cideries and distilleries Take a deep dive into the different worlds of craft beverages, browse articles, specific spots, travel to different destinations and get the important information to know before you go.
If you’re a beer connoisseur always on the hunt for new flavours, you’ll love Ontario’s ever-growing craft beer community. Brewers and beer crafters are constantly challenging and reinventing the landscape of local beer, from taste to design, while continuing to honour old-world brewing techniques and traditions. Craft breweries are located in over 110 communities across Ontario and most will feature a tap room with beer flights available to sample. Enjoy the well-earned flagship flavours and explore the new seasonal blends that often are inspired by and celebrate the character of the local area.
Southern Ontario's lakes create the perfect microclimate for producing apples and over 15 varieties are grown. These and other fruit are transformed into creative craft ciders from over 60 local cideries across Ontario. Visit a craft cidery to tour the orchards, taste the flavours and discover why cider is making such a splash in Ontario.
Tours and tastings are available at most Ontario crafter distilleries and are a great way to get a behind the scenes look at the distilling process. Locally sourced fruits and herbs are used alongside traditional methods to create superb whiskeys, rums, vodkas, and gins.
Food trails and festivals
Take a culinary tour around the world without leaving the province this summer at Ontario’s delectable food festivals. As well as festivals celebrating world cuisine why not check out some true Canadian ones! The Ottawa Poutine festival takes place every Spring. Poutine is the ultimate comfort food of french fries and cheese curds, topped with warm gravy. Find all sorts of creative variations at this event. Other festivals include the Lebanese Food Festival in July. Hosted at the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, the festival features music performances, cooking demonstrations like those at the saj bread booth, carnival rides and, of course, plenty of delicious hummus, tabouli, falafel and chicken shawarma.
One of Canada’s largest street festivals takes place along Danforth Avenue in Toronto, every August. The festival features entertainment, arts and crafts, live music, special menus and sidewalk tasting tables to sample all the best Greek cuisine and naturally, plate smashing.
Ontario has a fantastic range of guided and non-guided food and drink tours. Sip and savour your way around this beautiful province.
If you love cheese, pay a visit to Oxford County in Southwestern Ontario, the renowned Dairy Capital of Canada, and the birthplace of Canada’s commercial cheese industry. Explore the area along the Oxford County Cheese Trail, a self-guided route that features factory tours with cheesemakers, cheese-inspired menus at local restaurants, museums devoted to the history of dairy, family-friendly farm attractions and more.
The Niagara Icewine Festival takes place over three weekends every January. The fun festival, created to showcase the delicious Icewine of Ontario, has been known to turn the entire region into a roaring event where guests explore the region's wineries via tasting tours and other events such as ice skating, chestnut roasts, Icewine Brunch, and even the Icewine Gala.
Other tours include foraging for wild edible plants, searching for the buttery-ist pies and exploring city markets. Whichever one you choose, one thing is sure, you won't go hungry!
In the northwest of Canada where eighty percent of the area
is wilderness, lies the Yukon. With friendly locals, wildlife to observe,
activities to immerse yourself in and fascinating history to explore, this destination makes
for the perfect fly-drive holiday.
Lace up your boots and hit the back country. With trails at your doorstep for exploring, hiking is the best way of seeing the province on a fly drive holiday. There are areas suitable for all levels of hiking, from the congenial leisure walk to the avid hiker. Head to Saskatoon at the Meewasin Valley, this area offers over 105 km of trails across 67 square km of land. It provides year-round adventure and sightseeing opportunities in the heart of beautiful Saskatoon. Benefit from the well-maintained, multi-use pathways to cycle, jog or walk the scenic riverbank trails. Sections of the Meewasin Trail are also part of the Trans Canada Trail which extends almost 24,000 km across Canada from coast to coast. Keen for a challenge? Look at some of the best back country hiking at places like Prince Albert National Park, Lac La Ronge, Meadow Lake- and Narrow Hills Provincial Park in the north or Grasslands National Park and Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park in the south.
With three different water ways and an UNESCO heritage site, Ottawa is the place to explore. Take a trip down the Rideau Canal or explore the ByWard market. Walk along Parliament Hill and through acres of woodland and royal trees planted by dignitaries.
Imagine swimming thousands of miles to find that special someone. Whales complete this every single year, known as a whale migration, to find suitable habitat for feeding and reproducing. In British Columbia, these stunning orcas, also known as killer whales, are a prominent site and seeing them is a once in a lifetime experience. As well as orcas, expect to find humpback whales, grey whales and minke whales. These amazing creatures call BC their home from April to October. When the sun is out the whales come to play. From tail flukes to pectoral slaps, go for a whale watching trip and you can bask in their playful nature and enjoy the sunset with a relaxing drink, perfect for families and solo travellers. You can also go paddleboarding with orcas for a unique perspective from the water to see these magnificent creatures. You must, of course, always keep four hundred metres away from them for their safety and yours.
Welcome to the province of Saskatchewan, Canada – a place of breath-taking landscapes, wide-open spaces and hospitality that is second-to-none. This province is big – 651,900 km2, in fact, and has nearly 100,000 lakes and waterways. Natural beauty is not the only thing this province is known for though. Join us on a culinary journey of Saskatchewan, where food and drink abound, and you will find something good to eat around every corner!
Welcome to the fourth largest province in Canada. With five National Parks and six UNESCO Heritage sites, Alberta is a wonderful and varied place to visit. This blog will explore this great province and expose you to the unique qualities that make this area a location sure to be your next travel destination. A playground for outdoor adventure, popular summer activities include hiking, biking, horse riding, rafting, and fishing. As the seasons change and snow begins to fall, head to Alberta for world-class winter activities including skiing, snowboarding, dogsledding, snowshoeing, heli-skiing, ice climbing and more. From wildlife in the Rockies to Waterton Lakes National Park, and art and culture to explore, Alberta is a wonderland packed with options for every traveller.
Atlantic Canada is famous for its fresh and abundant seafood, from succulent lobster, to scallops, mussels, oysters and cod – but it offers so much more. Dine at a seaside restaurant, take a stroll through a local farmers' market, or take in one of the many culinary festivals. It’s truly a foodie’s paradise.
Here's a round up of a few amazing foodie events and experiences that we thought you might want to try:
Head to Northern Manitoba for a wild and exciting trip. Waterways provide refuge to an abundance of wildlife and the land holds the stories of Indigenous peoples.