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Home for the Holidays A collection of nostalgic holiday recipes from our chefs

Introducing

Refreshingly Dry. Distinctively Canadian.

Available at TheWineShops.com

For the way Canadians actually drink sparkling

Contents 04 Nostalgic Holiday Recipes

Editor

Janet Roper

Wine Club

08 Gifting

Holiday & Corporate Save the Date

Mark Vaiana Leona Nicoletti Leeanne Spelier

in 10 Winter Wine Country

Contributors Carly Orsborn

12 Recipes

Carley Thurston Courtney Henderson Dana Del Fabbro Dave Larocque Frank Dodd Haley Strong Jason Parsons Joseph Legace Mark Torrance Maurice Desharnais Mike Harrison Riley McGilvray Tim Coons

Holiday & Corporate

Gifting

Nostalgic

Holiday Recipes

Photographer & Food Stylist Nataschia Wielink Carolee Krause

Graphic Designer Mari-Lynne Eastland

For general inquiries about myWineLife magazine or information about products please contact our Wine Club team at 1.866.440.4383

Save the Date

Winter in Wine Country

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Tag us in your photos and stories using the handles listed below with the hashtag #mywinelife.

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a co l l e c t io n o f

Nostalgic Holiday Recipes WINE PAIRINGS ON PAGES 13-15

Holiday Roast Beef Chef Jason Parsons, Riverbend Inn & Peller Estates recipe page 12 4

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Holiday Shrimp Ring with Sauces

Roasted Potatoes

Chef Jason Parsons, Riverbend Inn & Peller Estates

Chef Frank Dodd, Trius Winery

recipe page 12

Grandma Jean’s Sweet and Sour Meatballs Chef Michael Harrison, Peller Estates recipe page 14

recipe page 13

Pigs in Blankets Chef Frank Dodd, Trius Winery recipe page 13

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Holiday Sweets Walnut Cheesecake Chef Maurice Desharnais, Wayne Gretzky Estates recipe page 14

Holiday Peanut Butter Cookies (Big Sister’s Holiday Cookies)

Chef Michael Harrison, Peller Estates recipe page 15

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Christmas Eve Everything Chocolate Triﬂe Chef Frank Dodd, Trius Winery recipe page 14

Happy Time Shortbread Cookies

Chef Frank Dodd, Trius Winery recipe page 15

You can purchase your wine pairings at our Niagara estates, your local The Wine Shop or online via TheWineShops.com FALL 2026 myWineLife

HOLIDAY GIFTING Made Easy

Uncork joy with our selection of wine gift sets featuring premium wine boxes, wine accessories, decanters and more for the wine lovers on your list. Want to customize an order? Have a question? Our Wine Experts are here to help with customizing gift orders large or small.

Celebrate the Holidays with Us As a valued Wine Club Member, we’d love to host your holiday celebration at one of our wineries. Your membership comes with beneﬁts - let us make your holiday celebration even more special. Call 1-888-609-4442 for more information!

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Great

GIFT IDEAS Shop online at any time on our winery websites or visit TheWineShops.com for the most selection.

GIVE THE GIFT OF CHOICE! Gift Cards can be used to shop online, at Peller Estates, Trius Winery, Wayne Gretzky Estates,

Whisky Oak Aged Gift Set

Peller Classics Gift Set

Wayne Gretzky Whisky Oak Aged Chardonnay VQA Wayne Gretzky Whisky Oak Aged Red VQA Wayne Gretzky Estates Gift Box

Peller Estates Signature Series Ice Cuvée Rosé VQA Andrew Peller Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon VQA Silver Sparkle Gift Box

PJ’s Craft Creams Bestsellers Gift Set

Trius Cabernet Franc Vertical Duo

PJ’s Crème Brûlée Cream 750ml PJ’s Original Cream 750ml Silver Sparkle Gift Box

Trius Showcase ‘Red Shale’ Cabernet Franc 2020 VQA Trius Showcase ‘Red Shale’ Cabernet Franc 2021 VQA Silver Sparkle Gift Box Trius Corkscrew - FREE!

Shiraz Cabernet Gift Set

Call Me Old Fashoined Gift Set

Wayne Gretzky Signature Series Cabernet VQA Wayne Gretzky Canadiana Retro Toque Wayne Gretzky Estates Gift Box

Wayne Gretzky Estates Red Cask Canadian Whisky 750ml Old Fashioned Simple Syrup Wayne Gretzky Canadiana Retro Toque Wayne Gretzky Estates Gift Box

Sparkling Riesling Wine Gift Box

Honest Lot Pinot Grigio Gift Box

Thirty Bench Sparkling Riesling VQA ‘Sip Sip Hooray’ Gift Box

Honest Lot Pinot Grigio ‘Sip Sip Hooray’ Gift Box Under $25!

49.00

52.00

65.99

Thirty Bench, and select The Wine Shop locations. WINE • SPIRITS DINING • TOURS

41.95

96.00

136.00

Free giFT

88.94

17.12

ACCESSORIES Purchase Gift Cards online, in-store or by phone.

*PLEASE NOTE: PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Trius Sparkling Duo

58.00

SCAN TO

Trius Brut VQA Trius Brut Rosé VQA Trius Brut Gift Box

ONLINE

*PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE TAXES OR BOTTLE DEPOSIT

SHOP FALL 2026 myWineLife

More Winter Events in Wine Country December 4-5th, 2026 Join us at the Holiday House Tour of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Peller Estates is a proud platinum sponsor! January 16-17, 23-24, 2027 Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Village returns. January 30, 2027 Don’t miss the Cool As Ice Gala at Niagara Parks Power Station.

Upcoming Discovery Passes Friday to Sunday from January 16-31, 2027 Niagara Grape and Wine Festival Icewine Discovery Pass 2027

Weekends in February 2027 Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake Chocolate & Cheese Discovery Passport 10

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RESERVE ONLINE

Winter in Wine Country

myWine Country.com OR CALL

1-800510-5537

Make the Most of Your Member Perks

Plan your perfect winter in wine country with exclusive savings on tours and experiences. As a member, take advantage of Wine Club lounges and book your complimentary tastings for you and up to five guests. Members also receive exclusive pricing on our upcoming dining events.

Dinner Series at The Oaklands at Riverbend Inn

Wayne Gretzky Estates Skating Rink

Peller Estates Exclusive Pairing Experience

UPCOMING THEMES:

MEMBERS SAVE 50%

UPCOMING THEMES:

November 27 - French Classics

December 5 - Indulgence

December 4 - Christmas at the Inn

Opening December 1, 2026 (WEATHER DEPENDENT)

Experience an unforgettable evening at The Oaklands with our Frenchinspired interactive dinner series. Each event features a sparkling reception, a four-course tasting menu with expertly paired wines, chef-led course introductions, and a themed bottle of wine to take home.

Join us for a spin on The Great One’s backyard rink! Admission includes a table at the Whisky Bar Patio and one hour of skating. A limited number of gender-neutral hockey skates are available to rent. Food, drinks, and seasonal cocktails will be available to purchase.

Snowshoeing & Winter Hikes in the Vineyard MEMBERS SAVE 50%

Available Saturdays and Sundays starting January 2, 2027

Join us for a truly unique Canadian experience this winter and snowshoe through our Riesling vineyards! A Thirty Bench wine consultant will teach you tips and best trekking methods and guide you through samples of Thirty Bench wines amongst the snow-covered vines. Afterwards, warm up inside with a hot soup.

February 13 - In Love with All That Sparkles March 13 - And the Award Goes To ...

This interactive dinner starts with a glass of our award-winning Ice Cuvée sparkling wine followed by a ﬁvecourse tasting menu with wine pairings, all curated to reﬂect the theme of the dinner. Each dish is introduced by Peller Estate’s Head Chef and each wine pairing is explained by one of their in-house wine experts. Guests will receive a theme-related bottle of wine to take home at the end of the experience.

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Holiday Shrimp Ring with Sauces CHEF JASON PARSONS, RIVERBEND INN & PELLER ESTATES Serves 2-4

SHRIMP INGREDIENTS

2 bags 1 4 ribs 1 1 ¾ bottle 10-12 6 2 tbsp ½ bunch

shell-on, deveined shrimp (Easy Peel shrimp), thawed onion celery, chopped carrot lemon, halved rosé wine cloves of garlic, smashed bay leaves black peppercorns fresh thyme Kosher salt (about 1 tsp) water, as needed

SEAFOOD SAUCE INGREDIENTS

Holiday Roast Beef CHEF JASON PARSONS, RIVERBEND INN & PELLER ESTATES Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

8 lb ½ cup 1 bunch 1 bunch 3-4 ribs 1 large 1 large 12 cloves ¼ cup ½ cup 1 bottle ½ cup 1 cup ¼ lb

standing rib roast, should be around 3 bones dijon mustard fresh rosemary fresh thyme celery carrot onion garlic kosher salt coarse ground black pepper red wine corn starch beef broth butter, cut into cubes

DIRECTIONS Finely chop down the rosemary and thyme. Combine in a bowl with mustard, salt, pepper to make a paste. Use the red wine to thin it out slightly and add a layer of flavor to the paste. Sometimes the roast will have fat cut off but tied to the roast itself. Remove the fat but do not discard if this is the case. Take the paste and massage into the meat giving it a good layer, if the fat cap is present place over top of the crust. This will allow the fat to melt and baste the meat as it cooks.

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Preheat your oven to 450°F. While the oven is heating, roughly chop the celery, carrots, onions and garlic cloves. Arrange the vegetables in a layer in a deep baking sheet and place the roast on top. Place the roast in the centre of the oven and cook at 450°F for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue cooking until the roast reaches your desired internal temperature, approximately 2-3 hours depending on the size of the roast. For rare, remove the roast at approximately 110°F (43°C). For medium-rare, cook to approximately 115°F (46°C), and for medium, approximately 125°F (52°C). Once the desired temperature is reached, carefully remove the roast from the oven and transfer it to a warm area. Cover loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before slicing. While the meat is resting scrape the vegetables and drippings into a large pot over medium high heat, add in the beef broth, the rest of the red wine and bring to a simmer. In a bowl, combine the corn starch with water to make a slurry. Strain off the vegetables and discard, keeping only the broth. Over medium heat, whisk the corn starch slurry into the remaining liquid and return to a simmer for 10 minutes, the sauce should start to thicken, if it does not, make a smaller slurry and add slowly until the sauce thickens up. Add butter until the sauce gets a glossy look to it. Slice the beef off the bone, slice thinly and serve with the sauce. PAIR WITH

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Peller Estates Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

1 piece 2 cups 1 cup 2 cups 4 tbsp ¼ bottle

fresh horseradish, peeled white vinegar white sugar ketchup Worcestershire sauce Riesling Icewine (optional)

SWEET CHILI SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1 cup 1 tbsp 4 ½ cup 5 tbsp 2 tbsp

white sugar water cloves of garlic, minced apple cider vinegar soy sauce chili flakes

DIRECTIONS If preparing the shrimp the same day, remove them from the bags into a colander and run under cold water until thawed. Meanwhile, prepare the court bouillon. Place the onion, celery, carrot, lemon, rosé wine, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and a generous pinch of kosher salt into a large pot. Add enough water to cover the ingredients and bring to a boil. While waiting for the shrimp to thaw and the water to boil grate your horse radish and set aside. In a smaller pot pour the white vinegar and 1 cup of sugar, bring to a simmer to dissolve. Once dissolved pour hot over the horseradish, cover and set aside to cool Once cooled, strain the horseradish. Mix the prepared horseradish with the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. If using, stir in the Riesling Icewine. Set aside.

Traditional Dodd Family Turkey Side Dishes CHEF FRANK DODD, TRIUS WINERY Serves 4-6

Pigs in Blankets with Cranberry Sauce

Roasted Potatoes

PIGS IN BLANKETS INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp 16

8 16

thin slices streaky bacon chipolata sausages (breakfast sausages would work well too) cocktail sticks, to secure the bacon

CRANBERRY SAUCE INGREDIENTS

100 g 20 ml 90 ml 250 g 1 small ½

light brown sugar orange liquor fresh orange juice, + juice from orange fresh or frozen cranberries orange cinnamon stick

DIRECTIONS Pigs in Blankets: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the bacon on a chopping board, then using the side of the knife, stretch and flatten the bacon until about half as long again.

To make the sweet chili sauce, place the remaining 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve and begin to caramelize. Once the caramel is lightly golden, add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned. Carefully stir in the apple cider vinegar, then add the soy sauce and chili flakes. Remove from the heat and, if needed, thin the sauce with a teaspoon of water until it reaches your desired consistency.

INGREDIENTS

beef dripping, or duck fat Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the potatoes into a pan and just cover with water. Add a good pinch of salt, cover with a lid, and bring to the boil. Boil for 12 minutes, until cooked. Drain potatoes into a colander, then set the colander on top of the cooking pan and cover the potatoes with a tea towel. Set aside for 10 minutes to dry. Pour the beef dripping or duck fat into a roasting tin and place in the oven to heat for 10 minutes. Tip the potatoes into the roasting tin of hot fat and give it a shake to spread the potatoes out in the pan, but don’t turn them. Roast for 20 minutes.

Cut each strip of bacon in half across, then wrap each piece around a chipolata, securing with cocktail sticks.

Turn the potatoes and return them to the oven for a further 30-45 minutes or until golden and crunchy. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and serve.

Place them in a roasting tray and roast for 45 minutes until golden-brown and cooked through.

PAIR WITH

Cranberry Sauce: Bring sugar, orange juice and orange liquor to boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the cranberries and zest, drop in cinnamon stick and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until fresh cranberries begin to burst. Frozen cranberries will take longer than fresh. Leave to cool, it will thicken as it cools. Remove cinnamon stick.

—

Trius Brut Sparkling

Arrange the thawed shrimp in a single layer in a deep baking dish. Bring the court bouillon to a rolling boil, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then pour the boiling liquid over the shrimp, ensuring they are fully submerged. Stir the shrimp to ensure all sides get hit with the boiling Court, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Check the shrimp for doneness, if not quite cooked let sit for 5 minutes more. Once cooked strain off the court and place the shrimp into cold ice water to stop the cooking process. Once chilled, peel the shrimp plate as a classic shrimp ring and serve with the two sauces. PAIR WITH

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Peller Estates Ice Cuvée Rosé FALL 2026 myWineLife

Grandma Jean’s Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Christmas Eve Everything Chocolate Trifle

CHEF MICHAEL HARRISON, PELLER ESTATES

CHEF FRANK DODD, TRIUS WINERY

Serves 4-6

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS

1 lb 1 cup 1 large ½ cup ½ bunch ½ bunch

ground beef breadcrumbs egg finely diced onion chopped fresh parsley or 4 tbsp dried parsley chopped fresh basil or 2 tbsp dried basil salt and pepper

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1 cup 1 cup ½ cup ½ cup 2 tbsp 2 tbsp ½ tbsp 2 tbsp 1 tbsp ½ cup

brown sugar water ketchup apple cider vinegar soy sauce corn starch dried chili flakes hoisin sauce sesame oil Peller Estates Vidal Icewine (optional)

DIRECTIONS In a large bowl or mixer combine the ingredients for the meatballs and mix until thoroughly combined. Roll the meat into balls 1 to 1.5 inch across. Begin browning your meatballs in a pan over medium heat, allow to brown all over and cook through. If they do not cook through, do not worry, we will be cooking them in the sauce to completion. In a bowl combine the ingredients for the sauce together except for the vinegar. Once combined add in the vinegar slowly and taste until it reaches a sourness you like. Place the meatballs into an oven proof container and pour the sauce over top, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F until the meatballs are cooked through. Once finished remove foil and serve. Grandma Jean never used icewine in these but if you have access to it and would like to add a little luxury, add in a ½ cup of Vidal Icewine to the sauce before cooking. PAIR WITH

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Peller Estates Private Reserve Gamay Noir

INGREDIENTS

100 g

CHEF MAURICE DESHARNAIS, WAYNE GRETZKY ESTATES

300 ml 1

70% plain dark chocolate, broken into squares chilled ready-made Bird’s Custard good-quality chocolate Swiss roll, cut into roughly 1.5cm slices Kirsh or Cherry liquor Gretzky Canadian Cream pitted cherries in syrup (Bing cherries work well) 35% whipping cream Terry’s Chocolate Orange

1 bag

Chocolate Maltesers

CRUST INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

2½ cup ½ cup ¼ cup

Reserve one square of the dark chocolate for grating decoration and put the rest in a medium heatproof bowl and melt in a microwave on HIGH for about 1–1½ minutes. When it is nearly melted, remove from the heat and stir until smooth.

500 g 1

Walnut Cheesecake Serves 8-10

toasted walnuts (ground) all-purpose flour butter, melted

FILLING INGREDIENTS

1½ lbs 1 lb 1¼ cups 4 ½ tbsp

cream cheese yogurt sugar eggs vanilla paste

GARNISH INGREDIENTS

1¼ cups

toasted walnuts, rough chop drizzle of honey sea salt

DIRECTIONS Mix crust ingredients together until it is sticky. Press into bottom of your pan. Place in fridge to cool. For the filling, mix cream cheese, yogurt and sugar and then slowly add the eggs one at a time until all mixed. Fold in vanilla. Pour into pan with crust and bake at 325°F using a water bath. (A large pan with a little water in it so that the other pan will fit inside. This helps steam the cake and keep it moist). Bake for 1.5 hours and then turn off the oven, leave it cracked open and let sit for one more hour before removing it from oven. Allow it to come to room temperature and then chill overnight. Top with a little honey, pinch of sea salt, and toasted walnuts! PAIR WITH

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Wayne Gretzky Estates Vanilla Bean Cream Wayne Gretzky Estates Maple Cask Whisky 14

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3 tbsp 6 tbsp 1 can

Add the custard and Gretzky cream to the melted chocolate and stir well. Transfer to a saucepan and heat very gently, for just 20–30 seconds, stirring constantly until the custard is smooth and glossy. Don’t allow it to get too warm. Arrange the sliced Swiss roll around the base and sides of a medium trifle dish. Drizzle with cherry brandy or kirsh. Drain the cherries, reserving the syrup. (remove stones). Reserve 6-8 of the cherries for decoration. Drizzle the sponge with 5–6 tbsp of the cherry syrup, until lightly soaked. Add any left-over Swiss roll sponge, the cherries and ½ the Maltesers to the custard and gently mix. Pour the chocolate custard over the sponge and smooth off the top. Cover and chill overnight. Whip the cream in a bowl until just thick enough to form soft peaks. Spoon gently on top of the custard. Decorate with the remaining Terry’s Chocolate orange, Maltesers and cherries and finely grate the reserved dark chocolate on top. PAIR WITH

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Wayne Gretzky Estates Original Cream

Happy Time Shortbread Cookies CHEF MAURICE DESHARNAIS, WAYNE GRETZKY ESTATES COOKIE INGREDIENTS

½ tsp 1 tsp ½ tsp ½ cup ½ cup 4 tbsp

salt chopped thyme vanilla paste unsalted butter (room temperature) powdered sugar Wayne Gretzky Estates Maple Whisky

ICING INGREDIENTS

1 cup 3 tbsp ¼ tsp

powdered sugar Wayne Gretzky Estates Vanilla Bean Cream Liquor chopped thyme

DIRECTIONS Add salt, butter and the vanilla paste to mixer bowl and cream together. Add the sugar to the bowl and beat together until fluffy. Gradually, mix in the flour and the whisky, mixing until just combined.

Holiday Peanut Butter Cookies (Big Sister’s Holiday Cookies) CHEF MICHAEL HARRISON, PELLER ESTATES INGREDIENTS

1¹/3 cup ½ tsp ¼ tsp ½ cup ½ cup ¼ cup 1 large ¾ cup 1 tsp 1 cup 1 bottle

all-purpose flour baking soda salt unsalted butter (room temperature) packed brown sugar sugar egg (room temperature) creamy peanut butter vanilla extract maple syrup (optional) Peller Estates Vidal Icewine (optional)

DIRECTIONS Combine the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and whisk to combine. In another bowl beat the butter until it becomes creamy, you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer to help. Once creamy add in the brown sugar and ¼ cup of the white sugar and mix until creamed and smooth, if using a mixer scrape down the sides. Once creamed, add in the egg and mix further for around a minute, then add in the peanut butter and vanilla. Mix until combined and smooth.

Roll dough into a log and wrap tightly with saran wrap and place into the fridge for at least two hours, overnight is best.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix, if using a mixer use low speed. Once combined, the dough should be very soft. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or overnight. Chilling is a critical step here! Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take remaining white sugar and place into a bowl. Take a tablespoon of cookie dough and roll into a ball, roll in the sugar and arrange on a baking sheet 2-3 inches apart, use a fork to press a criss cross pattern into the top of the cookies and flatten into a disk. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are set and browned, cook further for a firmer cookie. Remover from the oven and leave on the baking sheet to cool for 5 minutes, once done transfer to a wire rack to cool. (Optional) In a small pot add the maple syrup and the icewine, place over medium heat and begin to reduce. Allow the syrup to reduce until it becomes thick, this may take a while. Once thickened remove and cool. Drizzle over top of the cooled cookies for something a little extra.

Remove from plastic wrap onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to about ½ inch thick. Cut out the shape you want with your favorite cookie cutter. Place onto a lined baking sheet and return to the fridge and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes, this will help keep the cookies in shape while they are baking. Place into a preheated oven at 375°F degrees and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from the oven and gently remove the cookies with a spatula onto a wire rack to cool. In a bowl, mix the sugar and the cream liquor until well mixed, spread onto the cookies and sprinkle with the chopped thyme. You could also add food coloring to decorate the cookies! PAIR WITH

—

Wayne Gretzky Estates Vanilla Bean Cream Wayne Gretzky Estates Maple Cask Whisky

PAIR WITH

—

Andrew Peller Signature Series Vidal Icewine

FALL 2026 myWineLife

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