One half of the Wine Sisters, Erin Henderson, on their new book.
Erin Henderson at the Somewhereness Ontario wine event in October.
October and November see a flurry of wine trade events as producers scramble to get their products noticed for the holiday season. One lady I have had the pleasure of running into at these events lately is Erin Henderson, who runs the Toronto-based wine event, sommelier and consultation company The Wine Sisters with her sibling Courtney. When I asked what’s new, she presented me with a copy of The Wine Sisters’ new book, Lake Ontario Uncorked.
Commissioned by an American publisher as part of a series on wine region tourism, Lake Ontario Uncorked focuses on the two Canadian wine areas on its shores: Niagara and Prince Edward Country. It offers a number of itineraries through the regions based on the experiences and preferences of the industry insider Henderson sisters. The last time I saw Erin, at the launch of a new wine, I took my phone and recorded the short interview below, which explains the book in her own words.
This interview has been edited for clarity and style.
Good Food Revolution: So, Erin I am very excited by your book because whenever one my friends is planning a trip to Niagara or Prince Edward County, I get an email asking where they should go. What they get is a couple names, and that’s about it – maybe a few URLs. Now, I will just send them a link to Amazon.
Erin Henderson: Great! The premise of the book is that if you’re a tourist coming into either Niagara or Prince Edward County from Toronto or Buffalo, where would Courtney and I take you and in what order. Where would we tell you to eat, stay, or taste wine. These are insiders’ tips: it could be a wine recommendation, it could be a restaurant recommendation, or it could be for Peller Estates’ Winery Boutique that sells mittens with removable thumbs, so you can use your smart phone.
GFR: You give your readers a series of do-it-yourself tours, but with expert knowledge.
EH: Exactly. My friends would do the same thing that yours do. And first I’d say, “why don’t you read my fabulous blog?” But now, I can say, “I have a book that has it all, here’s the link.” Or pick it up at one of the wineries that carry it like Henry of Pelham, Stratus, Southbrook and more.
