Fireside Raclette at Hidden Bench Estate Winery

“Who was sick in my house?” my mom asked rather sternly walking through the front door.

This was many years ago. I had hosted a high school graduation party at our house. Just a small group of girlfriends. Not a big party. But I suppose it was a fair question. We were 18. We had the house to ourselves. It smelled terribly. Reminiscent of smelly gym socks.

We were not a rowdy drunken teenage crowd that evening. Food, rather than drink, was our focus. We even got all dressed up for the event. We had a raclette party.

And that cheese stinks.

In a really good way.

So when I heard Hidden Bench Estate Winery was serving Raclette with a glass of their wine this February (part of Love the Bench), I knew I had to go with my Mom. It was time to relive some pungent memories.

Walking up the path to the Hidden Bench wine shop, there was a distinct smell. It tickled my nostrils. But it was a warm welcoming scent. A pleasant smokiness from the wood burning fireplace. Definitely nothing like smelly socks.

The cheese they served did not stink up the place. But otherwise I can’t fault it. It was delicious. A thick slab of Niagara Gold from Upper Canada Cheese company, nicely toasted, was served over Yukon gold potatoes. The melted cheese was gooey, the bits around the edges crispy. Ultimate comfort food on a cold winter’s day. The tangy gherkins, sweet pickled onion and tender prosciutto were a perfect accompaniment (and locally sourced we learned from our friendly servers).

There were four wine pairing options. We both choose the Estate Riesling. I tasted this delectable wine when when I visited in the fall, so I was glad to see it was one of the options. The lovely aromas of fresh blossoms and ripe pear and apple were just as delicious on this February day.

We were very content at our long wooden table tucked in a corner window with expansive views of the snowy vineyard. The other guest at our table worked at a local brewery. He gave high praise to the wine, cheese and honey pairing at Rosewood winery (also part of Love the Bench). The enthusiasm for this region is infectious.

In addition to a bottle of Riesling, we also left with a carton of eggs collected that morning. The server pointed out the window to the nearby chicken coop to show us where the eggs were from. If it weren’t for the crackling fire we might of heard those hens clucking.

We lingered in the tasting room, reluctant to leave the cozy room with its striking wood beams, rustic stone fireplace and roaring fire. To extend our stay we took a short walk out back, past the rows of Viognier. The crisp air, gently falling snow and snowy white vineyards made for a peaceful winter scene.

We plotted our wine and cheese outing for next weekend.