As a travel professional specializing in wine tourism, I am sad that Niagara is often overlooked as an exceptional wine region. I lead wine tours to the best wine regions all over the world and yet some of my personal all-time favorite wines come from this region.
This Rosé Season take a long weekend and venture off the beaten path and visit some of the great small wineries and patios to discover in this region.
Niagara wineries offer a variety of experiences, tastes, and styles. From old antique wine cellars, state-of-the-art facilities, bike, Segway, or even horse drawn carriage rides. For foodies like me, you can enjoy vineyard picnics and delightful patios offering farm-to-table cuisine, and your weekend will be jam packed.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is an incredibly quaint town with delightful high-end shops and several historic boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts. Pillar and Post boasts the nicest spa in town, with hot springs and Babor skincare. Spend some time strolling through the downtown core and get undoubtedly the best Gelato this side of the Atlantic at Gelato Di Carlotta.
Get a bird’s-eye view with Niagara Helicopters
The most scenic and efficient way to see both Niagara Falls and wine country is chartering a flight with Niagara Helicopters. You can land directly at Peller Estates, and then you can be greeted with their sparkling rosé before being whisked away to try ice wine in an igloo lounge.
One of my favorite wines of all time is actually produced right here in Niagara. Henry Of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Sparkling Rose is a multi award winning and highly rated wine. I am not alone in my preference as critic Natalie MacClean states: “A gorgeous rose with lovely notes of field strawberries. Toasty, refreshing, crisp and dry. Ever so festive with its pale pink hue.”
Rosé Brut food pairings: salmon caviar with sour cream; Malpeque oysters with a hint of lemon.
Let’s eat, let’s drink!
While at Henry of Pelham and speaking of good food, you can enjoy the outstanding patio as they have teamed up with acclaimed Chef Erik Peacock during the summer with coach-house and patio dining. It has become a destination for foodies familiar with Chef Erik Peacock’s fine reputation and a happy discovery for wine adventurers taking the road less traveled. The Coach House Café offers ‘localicious’ lunches and wine-inspired sharing plates, served on a lovely patio.
Your weekend must include a theatre show at the famous Shaw Festival with many plays and musicals that will astound you.
Enjoy the wine, soak up the sights
It will be a tough choice to decide which of the almost 100 wineries to visit as they all offer something different. Do your research before you go so you can plan your day trip, or better still hire a company like Grape Escape who offer excellent full-day and half-day wine tours and bike tours. Of course taking an organized tour means you don’t have to worry about a designated driver, so all you need to do is sit back and enjoy the wine and the amazing sights the region has to offer.
Many of the wineries have good restaurants on-site, as well as events and festivals during summer months, so it’s a good idea to check schedules and buy tickets in advance as they sell out fast.
Tawse Winery is one of the most popular and award-winning wineries in the region. Situated on the Niagara Bench they offer many festivals and events during the summer. Their wines range from white to red to Rosé. Tawse is home to some award-winning blends and five vineyards in total.
After enjoying a few days in Niagara Wine region you may want to travel further afield and sample some different wine regions of the world. I organize wine and food travel adventures all over the world and would love to introduce you to some of those. Contact me today and I will set you on the right path! You will be richer for it – trust me!
