If there's one thing we love doing in the summer, it's sipping a crisp, chilled glass of wine in the sunshine. Some may call them lazy, hazy summer days, but we like to think they're pretty productive – and that's exactly how i4C was born.
For the uninitiated, i4C is an acronym for the International Cool Climate Chardonny Celebration, an annual three day wine and culinary event held every July in Niagara. The Chardonnay focused weekend consists of over 15 public tasting and dining events.
The i4C is the brainchild of a handful of Ontario winemakers who in 2009, gathered around a summer fire to celebrate the success of one of their own award winning Chardonnays, the 2005 Claystone Terrace from Le Clos Jordanne. Fast forward seven years later and the i4C Ontario Founding Member Wineries are still devoted to reinstating the dignity of the often-overlooked Chardonnay, inviting premium Cool Climate Chardonnay producers across the globe to join the cause. It all culminates in a three-day celebration of world-class Chardonnays paired with food from top Niagara chefs from July 20-22.
The event, which lists LCBO Vintages, Wine Country Ontario, Toronto Life and the Grape Growers of Ontario among its sponsors, features tastings, workshops and winemaker experiences from some of the world's most distinguished Chardonnay producers. This event has sold out for the last two years but tickets are still available and you can get your tickets here.
