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LXTV / NBC Video Coverage of 2010 Niagara Wine Festival

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Undiscovered Niagara: Q & A with Author Linda Bramble

We're pleased to share with you our first official Insider Blog post - An insightful interview with Niagara resident and acclaimed wine writer, educator and broadcaster Linda Bramble.

Linda has written numerous books on wine, food and wine travel, including her most recent book Niagara Wine Visionaries (Lorimer, 2009) that traces the Niagara wine industry’s radical transformation.

Before pursuing an exciting career in wine, Linda also wrote a book called Undiscovered Niagara which brought light to many underexposed and underappreciated places to be found across the Niagara region.

Linda is a passionate Niagara resident and we’re sure you will enjoy her insider insights and tips.

"Every wine region in the world is beautiful just by virtue of the symmetry of its vines along the landscape, and Niagara is no exception." Linda Bramble

~  FIVE Q & A 's  ~

1. TOURISM NIAGARA: Millions of visitors come every year to Niagara to see the beauty and power of the Falls – for good reason. But Linda - as you certainly know - there’s also so much more to see and do across the Niagara region. You wrote a book called ‘Undiscovered Niagara’ a few years back to bring light to many of the underappreciated places in Niagara. Would you say that there are still a lot of undiscovered places in Niagara? Could you recommend a few?

LINDA BRAMBLE: Gee whiz, there are still so many places that are underappreciated in Niagara: autumn walks along the Bruce Trail, for one.  I particularly love the walk at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in Grimsby or above the escarpment near Niagara College.  The arts scene in Niagara is also fascinating.  I just heard prize-winning author Stevie Cameron speak at the author's series at the Roselawn Centre in Port Colborne.  Brock University’s Centre for the Arts has an unbelievable play bill for the season.  I love the Market Square in St. Catharines, but I guess that's fairly discovered, isn't it.  

But a place that defined where we chose to live is one of my favourite places in all of Niagara ---the versatile St. Catharines Central library.  It has kept pace with change in electronic media, has book clubs, events, speakers and even tai chi lessons.  And I haven't even begun to mention wine country.....

2. TOURISM NIAGARA: As a Niagara resident, what are 3 things you love about (living in) Niagara?

BRAMBLE: …and I do love living here.  I guess I'd say proximity to wine country.  Every wine region in the world is beautiful just by virtue of the symmetry of its vines along the landscape, and Niagara is no exception.  I love the fact that I can buy fresh local produce because I live in an agricultural region of the world. And I love the fact that I can see world class theatre at the Shaw Festival. We're never disappointed with other venues for local theatre as well.  I also love the fact that I live so close to Buffalo and Toronto, but I guess most of us here feel that way.  The best of all worlds.  I can take advantage of the shopping and arts, yet come home to a more amenable and peaceful life in St. Catharines.

3. TOURISM NIAGARA: Your latest book is called Niagara's Wine Visionaries: Profiles of the Pioneering Winemakers. What inspired you to write this book?

BRAMBLE: I love local history.  I have always believed that the universal can be found in the local.  I've been covering the evolving progress of the wine industry since the mid-eighties and I realized that, although Tony Aspler had done a great job in chronicling its history, there were many other stories that were still left untold.  When my publisher suggested that the time was right to write the story, I agreed and went full steam ahead.  I've always been a sucker for a good story and there were so many in the wine industry to tell.  As a matter of fact I could write another book about the stories I left out.  There's a posthumous book in there somewhere....

4. TOURISM NIAGARA: As a wine expert and Niagara wine enthusiast, can you share a couple wine country recommendations for visitors?

BRAMBLE: As far as wines go, I think the new movement to create biodynamic and organic wines is fascinating.  I would recommend visiting those wineries that are trying to produce wines that truly are a reflection of the place in which they were grown by adding no herbicides or pesticides to their vines, plus by using indigenous yeasts in the winery. Le Clos Jordanne, Stratus, Southbrook, Frog Pond Farm, Featherstone are some who are taking this route.  For wines, I would recommend any of our Rieslings, Chardonnays, Cabernet Francs or Pinot Noirs.  We are becoming specialists in these varieties.  You should also consider picking up a copy of Chris Waters' exceptional 'home grown' magazine VINES.

5. TOURISM NIAGARA: Anything else you’d like to share about Niagara?

BRAMBLE: I think we're going to witness a burgeoning of new activity that will bring a new sprit to Niagara. A great testament to that is the incredible success of the new coffee place in St. Catharines on St. Paul Street, Coffee Culture.  It's now the place I, and hundreds of others like me, go for cappuccino --- the very best around.

You can get a copy of Linda’s book Niagara's Wine Visionaries: Profiles of the Pioneering Winemakers at fine bookstores, some local wineries, and online. For more information about Linda Bramble please visit her website www.lindabramble.com.