A Year in Niagara: The People and Food of Wine Country

Marcia Sweet, former editor of the Queen’s Quarterly, is an
information consultant and freelance editor.

The highlight of this book is the recipes, many of which are contributed
by professional chefs. They are arranged by season, with rich, hearty
dishes for a cold evening by the fire and light, airy dishes for spring
and summer meals on the patio (lemon lime icebox cake sounds especially
cooling). The ingredients, though not all originally produced in the
area, are all accessible, and a suitable wine recommendation accompanies
each recipe.

The design of A Year in Niagara is vexing. The book starts off with
selected journal entries. These are interspersed with mini-biographies
of area chefs and winemakers, thumbnail discussions about ice wine, and
other items that might better have been put into sidebars. The two
indexes and four tables of contents only underline the disconnectedness
of the format.

The “people” cited in the book’s subtitle are a very limited
group. Most of the people we meet are from outside Niagara. There’s
not a word about the Jamaican and Mexican laborers who, from March to
October, work with the fruit trees and vines. Nor is there any
suggestion of threats, political or agricultural or social, to the
heaven on earth that is Niagara. With its excellent recipes, this book
will be of interest to those who like to cook with or talk about wine.