2-Day Winery Itinerary: Niagara, Ontario

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In June we visited Niagara Falls, Ontario for a winery tour weekend. Despite living less than 2-hours from Niagara wine country, I’ve never visited the Niagara region for wine tours or tasting. I’ve been on wine tours in Italy and France, but this was my first experience here in Canada, and it surely won’t be my last! Below I’ve shared some interesting information about the Niagara wine region, and highlights from each of the wineries we visited. We visited 10 wineries over our 2-day winery itinerary, so we definitely had some great sampling and wine education along the way.

Learning about Ontario Wine

Canada’s wine regions are divided into various appellations which provide different growing conditions for grapes. Ontario’s appellations produce the majority of Canadian wine with approximately 17,000 acres of vineyards in the province. Ontario also produces icewine, which has to meet specific cool climate conditions to actually be certified as icewine. So don’t fall for any “ice wine” you may see… if it’s the real deal it should be “icewine” – all one word!

What is VQA?

Another interesting fact to know is that when purchasing wine, you may see Ontario wines labelled with “VQA” or Vintners Quality Alliance. This qualification is a program for Ontario wineries to uphold winemaking standards and certifies that any bottle with the “VQA” label is made with 100% Ontario-grown grapes. On the label you will also see which appellation the grapes were grown.

2-Day Winery Itinerary

We had a full 2-day itinerary planned out by our friends who are Niagara winery veterans! We kicked things off by hitting a few wineries for samples on our drive to Niagara Falls (don’t worry, we had a responsible driver and carpooled!) and followed that with an organized tour. The next day we hit a few final wineries for samples on our way back to the Toronto area. Our 2-day winery itinerary hit some of the bigger wineries and some off the beaten path, so whatever your taste you will surely find it on this list. So without further ado, here is my 2-day winery itinerary:

Hidden Bench Estate Winery

Atmosphere
We made our first stop at Hidden Bench Estate Winery which is found in Beamsville, or more specifically the Beamsville Bench region. The location is picturesque – and as you may have guessed – off the beaten path. This winery is known for their premium organic wines that are made with sustainable winemaking techniques.

Wine Tasting
The tasting was on the more expensive side of our tastings – with flight tastings ranging from $15 to $30 CAD. Like most wineries (if not all) your tasting fee is complimentary with the purchase of a certain number of bottles – no price minimum, just bottle minimum. The wines offered were quite diverse; ranging in style and price. If you know what you like, wine is also available by the glass and on weekends you can enjoy wine and a charcuterie & cheese board on the patio.

Overall Experience
I’d say Hidden Bench was probably on the higher end of the wineries we visited. The tasting room is on the smaller side and they cater to intimate settings. If you are bringing a group of more than 4, they suggest you book your tasting in advance. We arrived right at 10:00 am (when they open) so luckily there weren’t too many other people in the winery at that time. I’d definitely go back, and I’m looking forward to drinking the wines I purchased here soon!

Cave Spring Cellars

Atmosphere
Our next stop was at Cave Spring Cellars located in Jordan Village. The actual winery is located in the Beamsville Bench, and they are the first certified sustainable winery in Ontario. The location in Jordan Village is the tasting room and wine shop only. The shop was spacious with a large bar for wine tasting, and high-top tables and chairs

Wine Tasting
Cave Spring is known for their cool-climate wines and 80% of their production is dedicated to white wines. Their main focus is Riesling, and I’m no expert, but the vintages we sampled were delicious! The tastings here were reasonably priced for a flight from $8 – $10 for 3 or 4 samples. No reservations are required, and your tasting fee is waived with the purchase of 2 bottles of wine. They offer charcuterie boards and hummus and dip for snacking while sipping.

Overall Experience
The store is lovely and I really liked how much seating there was. I did feel that this experience was missing that “winery feel” as you aren’t close to the vineyard. On the plus side, popping into this shop/tasting room is far more convenient if you want to purchase wine but not head out to a winery, and you can visit the actual winery estate and stay in their Estate House. I purchased wine here as well and think it will be an excellent summer wine.

Southbrook Vineyards

Atmosphere
The last stop of the morning was at Southbrook Vineyards where they produce organic and biodynamic wines. The tasting room is bright, airy and spacious. There is a small patio where you can enjoy your tasting or glass of wine outside. You can explore the outdoor space of the winery or go on a an organized tour. This winery also produces honey, jams and different mustard that you can sample in the tasting room as well.

Wine Tasting
The wine tasting was priced on the higher end here with three 1oz samples for $10. The menu was quite varied and the tasting price was waived with a $50 purchase. On the patio they were set up to make pizza for anyone looking to stay for lunch or a snack, or you could sample some of their mustard/jam while you tasted.

Overall Experience
I only tried three samples, but wasn’t in love with the wine here. If we were staying longer, I would have tried some of the other varieties and probably would have found one I liked. Instead I purchased their delicious mustard! It was a chardonnay mustard with horseradish and tasted amazing. I really liked that there were sheep roaming in fenced area by the patio and that you were surrounded by nature at this location.

Konzelmann Estate Winery

We were picked up from our hotel by the Winery Guys Tours Niagara that took us to 3 wineries and 1 brewery (full review coming in another post!).

Atmosphere
The first stop on this organized tour was at Konzelmann Estate Winery. This family owned and operated winery is the only lake-front winery in the Niagara region. We did a full winery tour here to learn about the origins of the winery, family history of the owners, growing details, and we got to see behind the scenes in their bottling area. It was exceptionally busy that afternoon – with numerous tours and visitors at the winery.

Wine Tasting
I was happy that we had a private tasting out of the main wine area because it was so busy. We sampled four wines and also had a small charcuterie & cheese plate to try with our tasting. Konzelmann winery also produces a unique peach wine that was very tasty. It was rather sweet and a nice option for a dessert wine or to use in spritzers or sangria in the summer. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the wines and the food pairings which was a nice touch.

Overall Experience
I really enjoyed the tour and learning more about the winery production and history. The wines here were very tasty and I didn’t feel rushed being on an organized tour. I did find that it was extremely busy in comparison to some of the other wineries we had visited that day, and didn’t like how hectic or crowded it felt. It was too overwhelming to even get into the wine shop so we didn’t purchase wine here – but thoroughly enjoyed our tasting and tour experience.

Hinterbrook Winery

Atmosphere
Our visit to Hinterbrook Winery also included a tour of the property and production area. The owners of this winery have an interesting background – one with science training and one with an interest in art – that they combine to make a unique winery experience. There are artistic touches throughout the property and you will taste the “science” behind the wine. The grounds were quite picturesque and and I liked the artistic touches to the property.

Wine Tasting
Our wine tasting began immediately when we arrived to the winery. Our first glass of wine was poured at the main building and then we were able to tour with the wine as we learned about the property and winemaking. It was a shorter tour than at the previous winery, but included tastings along the way. This wine was my least favourite wine, though it may be right up your alley if you prefer more “experimental” wine flavours.

Overall Experience
I enjoyed the tour and thought this winery was quite beautiful. However, the wine wasn’t to my taste – at least not this season!

The Hare Wine Co.

Atmosphere
The final winery stop on our organized tour was at The Hare Wine Co. This winery was simply beautiful! There was a lovely outdoor patio and large courtyard area. Unfortunately (for us) there was a wedding taking place so that limited our ability to look around the property or enjoy the courtyard area. The store sold fancy chocolates, merchandise and popcorn in addition to wine. There was also a fridge where you could buy picnic supplies – cheese and meats – to enjoy with your wine.

Wine Tasting
Our wine tasting was included in our tour price, but for those visiting on your own this winery had one of the lowest flight prices at $5 for three table wine samples. Dessert wine flights cost $15, but that’s in line with the price of the actual wine. I really enjoyed the wine here and thought that the tasting area was spacious so we didn’t feel crowded. Our wine tasting associate was knowledgeable about the wine and was actually the first person on our tour to tell us how we should be tasting, swirling and smelling the wines as we sampled.

Overall Experience
This was one of my favourite wineries that we visited from an atmosphere standpoint. I enjoyed the wine as well, but as the last winery stop I didn’t feel like we had enough time here. I would definitely like to come back here and spend some time on the patio and sample their charcuterie board!

Chateau des Charmes Wines

Atmosphere
The Chateau des Charmes is basically a palace… when you drive up to this winery, it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer size and beauty of the building and grounds. The large fountain in front definitely helps! Inside you are welcomed at the door and directed into the tasting area or wine shop. It was busy, but it didn’t feel crowded or overwhelming like some of the other wineries. The interior decor is also beautiful and had a lot of natural light. This location would be fantastic for private events.

Wine Tasting
This wine tasting was a little different than the others we had done. You can purchase a flight, or you can taste individual wines for nominal fees ($1, $2, and dessert wines were slightly more). We sampled “a la carte” and had an extremely knowledgeable wine associate helping us. I think this was my favourite wine tasting from the entire weekend, and our wine associate really made the difference.

Overall Experience
Our experience here was probably one of my favourites. The grounds were beautiful and there was a large tent set up with tables and chairs to accommodate outdoor experiences. They also had a few tables and chairs in the open. Chateau des Charmes has a Sunday event each weekend in the summer with live music, food and wine. I need to go back to experience this one day in the future!

Featherstone Estate Winery

Atmosphere
The Featherstone Estate Winery is a relatively young winery, celebrating it’s 20th year in business as of 2019. They are located in a picturesque setting and the winery is farmed naturally without the use of any insecticides. This winery had a true farm feel compared to the others we visited. They also have a dog-friendly policy which is another fantastic reason to visit if you love pets!

Wine Tasting
The wine tasting area and shop was quite small at this vineyard, so if you have a large group you might want to visit when the outdoor area is open. We were a group four but it was still a little crowded for us. I really liked the wine at this winery and found the pricing reasonable for our flight. Like other wineries, this fee was waived with purchase of wine.

Overall Experience
This winery was pretty, dog-friendly and reasonably priced. I liked the outdoor areas and wish we had some more time here to enjoy the space. The wine was also reasonably priced and quite tasty, so this winery will be on my list for future wine weekends!

Reif Estate Winery

Atmosphere
The Reif Estate Winery was set close to the vineyards – actually, the parking lot seemed like it was right in the vineyards. The building was a beautiful and had a lovely fountain and outdoor seating in front. Again, this location was quite busy as there were numerous tours on site at the same time.

Wine Tasting
Since we weren’t tasting as part of a tour, it took a few minutes to get a spot at the bar and begin our tasting. There were different options here that could be booked in advance. Some of their tastings were paired with winery tours and foods as well. Our wine associate was very knowledgeable here as well and recommended some of their more popular vintages. I came for the red as it was highly recommended, but actually left with white wine which was a pleasant surprise.

Overall Experience
I enjoyed the white wines here, but didn’t find myself fond of the red varieties. It could have been due to the weather last year as our wine associate kept mentioning how the weather affected certain grapes and the production. Overall, I think I would come back to see if next year’s reds were more in line with my tastes.

Kew Vineyards Estate Winery

Atmosphere
We were recommended to visit Kew Vineyards Estate Winery earlier in the day and decided to stop in before heading home. The building is so charming, both inside and out. The decor is very farmhouse inspired and of all the wineries we visited, this is hands down my favourite for interior decor. The outdoor space was all taken when we arrived, so we sat inside but next time I’d love to enjoy the afternoon on their patio.

Wine Tasting
We ordered our flights to try a sampling of their wines. No one in our group had tasted Kew wines before, and this trip didn’t disappoint. Their website says “please don’t just tatste our wines. Rather, enjoy them. Explore them. Take time to experience the wine country lifestyle with us here at Kew.” The flights include three,1oz . samples and you can mix and match whites, reds and sparkling. If you prefer a full sparkling flight you can also get that for an additional cost.

Overall Experience
This winery ranks in the top 3 best wineries of my 2-day winery itinerary. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the wine and the decor of the estate. I learned that they only offer a small cheese board, but that they encourage bringing your own picnics to enjoy on their property with their wine. Next time I’ll come prepared to take advantage of this beautiful winery.

Overall 2-Day Winery Itinerary

This was my first Canadian winery experience and I am glad that I got to try so many wineries in just one weekend. It was definitely an action-packed 2-day winery itinerary, but we got to experience a diverse assortment of wines and atmospheres. Before you plan your trip, research the area to see if there are specific wines or wineries you’d like to try and then look at how you can plan efficiently. Niagara is a large area, so driving from one winery to the next can be a big task. Also – don’t drink and drive! Have a designated driver or take a planned tour so you can enjoy responsibly. There is definitely a wide variety of tastes and atmospheres to be found in Niagara, so I hope this 2-day winery itinerary can be helpful in planning your own Niagara weekend.