Okay seriously, I have the best job in the world. Who else gets to show up late to work because they were out wine tasting on “business?!” Flight of Five Winery officially opened in Lockport today (literally BLOCKS from my house), and I wanted to make sure I wished them luck from Long Cliff on their first day in business!!
Located in the Old City Hall building at 2 Pine Street, this urban winery overlooks the Erie Canal, and Lockport’s “Flight of Five” Locks, for which the winery gets it’s name. Owners Jackie and Michael Connolly announced their plans for the historic site this past winter & I have been anxiously awaiting their opening ever since. They’re not a member of the Niagara Wine Trail (yet!) so you won’t find them on one of our maps, but you are DEFINITELY going to want to throw the address in your GPS and make a stop their way- (did I mention Lake Effect Ice Cream is across the street?! Um yeah. You’re gonna wanna visit. Especially on a hot day like today!)
Their signature flight is served in a five tiered spiral rack, which is as awesome to look at as it is to taste from. In order from dry to sweet each of their wines, (named numerically from Lock 67 to Lock 71) offers a different blend of fruit flavors and aromas that distinctly separate each one from the last.
Honestly, I wanted a bottle of all of them just for the significance of owning the entire “flight of five,” but getting ready to head back to school next month this broke college girl had some choices to make. I ultimately left with a bottle of “Lock 67” a dry red wine with a spicy finish and a fruity nose, and 2 bottles of their 100% Niagara grape, “Lock 71.” This one was a little sweet for my liking, but knowing grandpa was back at the winery bottling our OWN 100% Niagara, (available TUESDAY at Long Cliff!!) I had to bring him back a bottle for comparison. With our new vintages moving from the barrels to our wine racks, and harvest just around the corner, who knows when he’ll have a chance to make it out to their tasting room to compare them himself… But you better believe when he does I’ll suggest he swing by my house and pick up his dear little granddaughter on the way!!
Oh! AND, they had these adorable little “toadstool” wine stoppers, and there was NO WAY I was leaving without them… (little known fact- I have an obsession with Super Mario. That theme song is forever stuck in my head.)
Seriously how cute are those?! Although I’m not too sure the practicality… How often does one open a bottle and actually have wine left over? Oh well. That my friends is a different question for a different day.
Until next time, bottoms up!
-d. ❤ xo.
Long Cliff Vineyard & Winery, Inc. 