The Coach House Café @ Henry of Pelham Winery, St. Catharines, Ontario
Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery has serious history, well rooted in the food culture of both Ontario and Canada. So when the owners, the Speck family, decided to open a small café, they searched the region for a chef with ideals to match their own. Chef Erik Peacock and his family have been serving forth locally-inspired cuisine for many years at their St. Catharine’s restaurant, Wellington-Court.
Henry of Pelham Estate Winery’s first vintage was in 1988. At that time they were one of a very few estate wineries dedicated to producing premium quality wines made from 100% Ontario grown grapes. Their focus then and now is on vinifera grape varieties – Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Specks write: “In 1984 when our father, along with each of us (Matthew, Daniel and Paul), tore out the Concord and Niagara grapes at our own expense, people thought we were crazy. When we planted Riesling and Chardonnay under newly contoured hills and under drainage, many said they would never grow. We knew, after studying the heat scans and speaking with some of the other more progressive growers, that our vineyard was not only suitable for these special varieties but also located on the prime grape growing lands of the Short Hills Bench.”
It’s in this idyllic winery setting that Chef Erik Peacock creates beautiful lunches…the kind where one can linger over the food and understand the wine pairings created specifically for each dish. Erik’s tomato soup is served with goats cheese, bacon and sunflower oil 8 and paired with a Baco Reserve; the Wellington Court chicken liver paté is served with cranberry crostini and 
Niagara peach chutney, perfect with the winery’s Pinot Noir. He serves the gravlax terrine with a dill & mustard vinaigrette and Sibling Rivalry White.
The Coach House Café is one of about 250 restaurants that celebrate Food Day across Canada. Contact them at the number below to reserve a table.
The Coach House Café est l’un des 250 restaurants à travers tout le Canada qui participent au Journée des terroirs. Contactez Coach House Café directement, au numéro ci-dessous, afin de faire votre réservation.
The Coach House Café
Henry of Pelham Winery,
1469 Pelham Road, St. Catharines, Ontario L2R 6P7.
T: 905-684-8423.
https://www.wellington-court.com/page/coachhouse
