Wine: Niagara Region

Our Walking Wine Tour of Niagara

As listeners of my podcast will know, I’ve devoted a lot of time to talking about wine. If you’re not already a listener, here’s a link to past episodes. I’ve spent the most time tasting, drinking, and reviewing wines from Prince Edward County (Ontario) as I’ve spent more time there in the last few years, which has given me time to explore this (relatively) new Ontario wine region.

Now, finally, one of my trusty wine tasting companions, Cousin Jano, and I had the opportunity to do a two-day wine tour of the Niagara region. Our goal going in was to spend time at some of the smaller producers, but things had a way of evolving as the days went on.

There are two main regions: Niagara Escarpment (The Bench) and Niagara-On-The-Lake (NOTL.) You can get more info on all of the Ontario Wine Growing regions here.

We set out from Toronto on a late Thursday morning headed towards Beamsville, Ontario, which is one of the hubs near The Bench. Of the two regions, this has the most wineries with 58, even though it is smaller in area than NOTL (more on that region later.)

Note: Wine tasting notes can vary greatly from one taster to another, so I’m not going to give you my detailed personal tasting notes for each wine. Rather, I suggest you click the links provided and read them to see if they resonate with you. I believe that all of the wineries will ship wine to you if it’s not available in your local store. I have no affiliation with any of the wineries, nor did (or will I) receive any compensation for these reviews. We paid for all our tastings, and any wines we purchased, at the posted prices. My goal in this post is to share what our experience was at the wineries we visited.

Day One: Thursday!

Our first stop was the winery that was voted Best Winery in Canada for 2023: Hidden Bench. Our $45 tasting included a welcome glass of sparkling wine (2017 Natur, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, $47) then six wines: three whites and three reds. I tried going in without expectations or preconceptions, but sometimes that can be hard. The wine I expected to like – the 2019 Terroir Caché ($44.75) did not disappoint. It’s a typical right-bank Bordeaux-style blend of 50% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 16% Malbec. I will freely admit that I was surprised that I actually liked some of the wines I didn’t expect to like (2021Estate Gamay, $29.75, 2020 Felsek Vineyard Chardonnay.) In fact, this whole trip I tried to be open-minded about Ontario Chardonnay since it grows very well in our cool climate, and I didn’t want to go into my tastings with an ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) mindset. This Chardonnay was flavourful, crisp, and had lovely acidity, with just the right amount of oak. I would call it a Chablis-style Chardonnay. I don’t typically like light-bodied, fruitier reds, but the Gamay was lovely, a nice alternative to a rosé to sip on a warm afternoon. Some people call Gamay the “white wine drinker’s red.” Or is it the “red wine drinker’s white?” Either way, it was a nice change from the heavier reds I usually drink. I ended up buying the Chardonnay and the Terroir Caché.

This ended up being the only winery on The Bench that we went to this trip. We’d planned to visit another on the way home, but our plans changed. So now, on to Niagara-On-The-Lake!

NOTL is a much larger wine growing area geographically, but it actually has fewer wineries with only 38 wineries, many of them quite old and well-established. You’ll recognize the names: Inniskillin, Peller Estates, Jackson-Triggs, etc. But newer and smaller ones have popped up in the last several years, bringing a fresh new look, feel, and taste to the area.

Our first stop, in the South-Central part of the NOTL region, was a small, family-owned and run winery called Icellars. We were greeted by Lulu Icel, their four-legged ambassador. She ensured that we felt at home during our tasting.

The Icel family immigrated from Turkiye in 2006 and the centerpiece of the space is a gorgeous stained glass chandelier they brought, piece by piece, from home. Click the link above to learn more about this winery and their organic, sustainable, and regenerative farming practices. They had nine wines available for tasting and since our $25 tasting included four wines each, we divided and conquered. Since I was driving, I limited my tasting to one or two small sips of each of the eight wines we tried. I just haven’t managed to master the skill of tasting and spitting (working on it!) While all the wines were fantastic, the highlights for me were the 2018 Syrah ($45,) the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc ($35, which was purchased for a friend) and the 2019 Red Velvet ($140.) The Red Velvet is an appassimento-style wine, similar to Ripasso and Amarone, which is made with 67% dried grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon,) 22% fresh Malbec, and 11% fresh Merlot. It really was stunning and worth the price tag. I can’t wait to open this wine in a few years.

After checking in and getting settled at the Best Western in NOTL, we decided to walk to the iconic Pillar and Post Inn for (more) drinks and dinner. Now that I didn’t have to worry about driving anymore, I could finally enjoy a full glass of wine! At the wine bar in the hotel I tried the Creekside, Iconoclast Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (retail $23-28/bottle) which was quite enjoyable. At dinner, I ordered the Prime Rib (complete with Yorkshire pudding and all the fixings, including some super-hot horseradish.) The menu had recommended a Napa Cab to go with this dish, but I really wanted to drink a local wine, so I chose to enjoy a glass of The Hare Wine Co., Jack Rabbit Red Special Edition, a blend of Baco Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, & Cabernet Franc (retail $26) which was perfect. Thank goodness the restaurant was less than a kilometer from our hotel as the walk home in the cool night air was welcome.

Day Two: Friday!

We had pre-booked three tasting in the area at noon, 2PM and 4PM. We checked the map ahead of time and decided that it was entirely feasible for us to walk to/from each of the wineries, rather than having to rely on cabs or ride sharing services (which I loathe.) Google Maps told us the walking tour would be about 11 kilometers in total – a (literal) walk in the park for two former marathoners! Luckily, the weather cooperated, and we were met with a beautiful and warm (for March) sunny day. Our first winery of the day was 3.7 kilometers away, mostly along quiet streets and a path next to the Niagara River, which took us just under 40 minutes.

First Stop: Lailey and Stonebridge

Lailey has been around since the early 1970s, though it did change hands for a bit in the 2010s. It’s now back to its former glory, producing wines under the Lailey and Stonebridge labels. The tasting room and shop are beautifully designed. Our $25 tasting included four wines, so we again divided up the list and tried four different wines each, for a total of eight. One of the pleasant surprises from my tasting was the Lailey Vineyard 2022 Off-Dry Riesling ($29.) I didn’t find it to be off-dry (aka, a little bit sweet) at all. It had lovely acidity and just the right amount of sweetness for a cool-climate Riesling. Don’t be afraid of wines that are a little bit sweet – they pair really well with spicy food! My tasting also included the 2019 Stonebridge Red, the 2019 Cabernet Franc, and the 2020 Stonebridge Cabernet Sauvignon, but my budget only allowed me to buy two bottles, so I ended up buying the Cab Franc ($48) and the 2019 Stonebridge Chardonnay ($48, which had been part of Cousin Jano’s flight.) Maybe next time!

Since we were on a walking tour, they let us leave our bottles there to be picked up the next day, and even told us a short-cut to get us to our next tasting! So, off we went on the next leg of the tour, which was a mere 1.2 kilometers away!

Second Stop: Peller Estates

As I mentioned, we booked our tastings two hours apart to allow for walking time in between, however with our second scheduled stop being so close, we had time to pop into Peller because they were right next door to our intended destination, and we still had an hour to kill. Our walk only took us 15 minutes. We hadn’t intended to go to Peller since they are very large, and their wines are readily available at the LCBO. The tasting room was quite busy, so it wasn’t the same individual attention we’d received at our previous tastings. We could choose three wines for $27, and again, we chose three different wines each and shared. Everything I tasted was well made, but none of it blew my socks off. Retail prices ranged from $24-30 per bottle.

Third Stop: Two Sisters Vineyards

We literally walked through a path in the vineyard to get from Peller to Two Sisters. The estate building is magnificent, and I’ve been told their restaurant is outstanding, so I’ll have to go back another time. I tried four red wines and Cousin Jano tasted the whites and a sparkling. My favourites were the 2018 Eleventh Post ($54) another Bordeaux-style blend of 48% Merlot, 24% Cab Franc, and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon. I also purchased the 2020 Unoaked Chardonnay ($44) which, like the other Chardonnays I tried this trip, was lively, flavourful, and crisp – just the way I like my white wine.

Fourth Stop: Stratus Vineyards

This was the longest of our walks, clocking in at 4.2 kilometers. It would have been closer to an even 4K, but we had to pop into the library on the way to use the bathroom. Thank goodness for public libraries! This leg of our journey took 47 minutes, but the sun was shining and there was no wind, so it was a pleasant way to let all that wine digest.

Stratus was the first Ontario winery where I remember seeing bottles for sale in the $45+ range. At the time – perhaps 15 years ago – I couldn’t imagine spending that kind of money for an Ontario wine, but their Red Blend definitely lived up to the hype, and I’d always hoped to visit some day. The estate/tasting room is modern, with high ceilings and a gorgeous full-window view of the vineyards, that I’m sure would be spectacular in the summer and fall when it’s at its peak. Our $25 tasting included four wines, and again, Cousin Jano and I split up the flights so that we could try all eight wines. The standouts for me were the 2006 White ($59), a blend of six white varietals. Being that this wine was almost 18 years old (how was 2006 18 years ago??) it was incredibly complex, well-balanced, smooth, yet still had that lovely acidity we expect in a white wine. The other wine I purchased was the 2020 Merlot ($45), which was another smooth, flavourful. 2020 was a fantastic year for wine in Ontario, so I’m definitely going to let this one sit for a while before I open it up.

I did also taste their 2022 Riesling Ice Wine (the only ice wine I tasted this trip) and it was lovely and fragrant, and much less sweet (at about 140g/L of sugar, as opposed to 250g/L or more for other ice wines.) Cousin Jano bought this one for $69 (375mL bottle.)

I should also mention that one of my favourite white wines is also produced by Stratus, that being the Charles Baker Riesling. The B-Side Riesling ($24.75) is one that I recently purchased at the LCBO, but Cousin Jano has also purchased his Picone Vineyard Riesling at $44.95, which we are both eager to taste.

Fifth Stop: The Garrison House

Even though we’d each packed a bagel to eat along the way, we were both hungry, so we walked across the road to a local pub for an early dinner (it was barely 5PM by this point, so yes, we old people eat dinner early!) I was ordering the Lamb Korma, so I decided to stick with a white wine and ordered the Bachelder Unoaked Chardonnay (which I can’t seem to find online anywhere.) Thomas Bachelder is an icon in Ontario winemaking and this was the perfect accompaniment to the mildly spicy lamb dish.

Final Stop: Back to the hotel!

By this point, my watch battery was down to 3% and it finally conked out during the walk back to the hotel, which I would estimate to be about 2 kilometers. After all the wine we consumed, we were in bed by 8PM, I think!

I logged almost 21,000 steps that day (keeping in mind that I lost a bunch of steps due to my watch battery running out.) The official tally of the walking wine tour was 11 kilometers (according to Google Maps,) but we also walked to/from the main street in NOTL earlier in the day to get coffee and breakfast, so add another 3-4K to that.

Circumstances dictated that we head home on Saturday, rather than continuing our wine tasting on the way out (I don’t know if my liver – or my wallet! - could have handled much more, to be honest.) But we definitely will be returning to try a few more wineries in NOTL and The Bench that we didn’t get to this trip. I think we need a designated driver next time so that we can cover more ground!

Cheers to Niagara Wine! Let me know in the comments which Niagara wineries you’ve been to and liked, and which Niagara wines you enjoy drinking and I’ll add them to my list.