Lockport, N.Y.- Outdoors Sports Specialist Bill Hilts Jr. takes a trip to Spring Lake Winery, calling it a "must experience" destination.

Spring Lake Winery, located at 7373 Rochester Road (Route 31), Lockport has become a must-experience destination for visitors (and locals) enjoying the relatively new Niagara USA Wine Trail that continues to blossom each year – especially if it’s during one of the winery’s special events!

It was late October and the stage was set for the final “event” at Spring Lake at Varallo Vineyards. I honestly didn’t realize how big of a deal this was … and how much fun was available to all who enjoyed this wonderful autumn afternoon in Western New York.

It was a bye week for the Buffalo Bills and the Vineyard Express – a popular excursion train – was set to take passengers from Lockport to Medina, stopping for a one hour tour of the Medina Railroad Museum. The museum is a story in and of itself – one of those hidden jewels we talk about in the region. With temperatures hovering in the 60 degree range and fall foliage colors jumping out in the backdrop of sunny, blue skies, it was a perfect day for a chicken barbecue and some live music.

By noon, the train arrived at Spring Lake and a short, scenic walk alongside some of the vineyards helped to set the tone of the day. On perfect cue was The Carl Motyka Band, pounding out some classic rock hits by favorite artists like Three Dog Night, The Who, Loggins and Messina, Van Morrison, Tommy Tutone, Journey, the Beatles and Neil Diamond to name but a few. My wife Sandy and I were impressed with the sun, scene and sounds of a rockin’ Spring Lake – a beautiful eight acre lake that served as a background for another Western New York standard – an outdoor Chiavetta’s chicken barbecue!

There’s one thing we haven’t touched on – the wine. Our personal favorite just happened to be the Riesling, which comes from one of the Varallo family’s signature grapes. It was outstanding, in our humble opinion. We will be back for more!

The Varallo’s are doing things right in Lockport. The entire family is involved with a long history of winemaking. You could say that it’s in their blood. To find out more about the winery or to book a special event like a party or wedding, contact them at 716-439-5253 or check out their website at www.springlakewinery.com. While the train will not be running the rest of 2011, be sure to check the calendar out for 2012. They will be setting up dates for late summer and early fall. All train dates feature food and live music. You won’t be disappointed!

Pointers: Hold on to your plate when eating the chicken. The tables were a little slippery and mine hit the ground pretty quickly. Fortunately, I had finished most of my chicken … Be sure to mark your wine glass. I caught my wife inadvertently grabbing my glass several times during the course of the day… Bring a camera – some great photo ops! You might want to bring a fishing rod, too…Be sure to dress for the weather, as well. When the sun tucked in behind a cloud, it cooled down a bit.

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