Niagara-on-the-Lake Winery Tours?

[Pedro Sanchez]

Thinking of touring a few wineries this summer. Any suggestions on which ones are the most interesting/worth it.

I would like to tour several and can kinda make up my own schedule, but some suggestions would help out. Anyone else been on the tours offered by private companies?, how did they turn out? Was it worth the money?

Am i better off going with a company or doing the tours myself?

Thanks
Pedsie

 

[Shades]

there is a good wine route map that you can pick up at tourism offices. they show the location of lots of wineries in the region. You will find a number that you can't get their product at the LCBO because they don't have the volume of a Pillier or Jackson Triggs.
One of my favourites is the Mary Neisson winery...great product, great people. There are lots more like that, small, boutique wineries with friendly knowlegdable staff...lots of free tasting and advice on putting the wine down for awhile.
don't forget to try the bench wines...i.e. don't leave the Jordan area off your tour...some of the bench wines (grown on the top of the escarpment as opposed to the lower valley wines grown around the town of Niagara on the Lake) are really quite good.
can't go wrong...get a wine map and have fun!

 

[to-guy69]

Don't miss Peller Estates.

I also recommend taking in a show at the Shaw festival followed by some casino action.

 

[Paul Waters]

If you decide to drive, don't drink too much.

I suggest the smaller, newer wineries. You will better attention and more time to talk.

But try to take in the first two to get licences: Inniskillen and Chateau des Charmes.

And a very nice restaurant is On The Twenty in Jordan which is connected to which is connected to Cave Spring Cellars

Inn On The Twenty

 

[peteeey]

I really don't think you need to take a tour. Just go there and drive around. They're all over the place.

Hillebrand puts on an interesting winery tour. The restaurant is excellent. One of the best meals I've had anywhere. And it should have been. Lunch for two cost $90 for two .. lol.

 

[blitz]

Cave Springs

It's in Jordan, you can stay there, eat there and spend there. Trust me, sample some of their reserves and drop the bucks to take some home.

 

[lustyhombre]

niagara winetours

As a fairly new resident of Niagara, I've felt compelled to explore it all over for the last 2 years.

My top picks are ( in order of restaurants, the wines are all pretty much interchangeable ) :

Vineland Estates , Jordan
Cave Springs/ Inn on the 20, Jordan
Peller Estates , NOTL
Heritage (???) , Grimsby
Hillebrand, NOTL

 

[whobee]

Vineyards too?

Do these winery tours include a visit to the vineyard or is that in a different place altogether? I would be interested in the grape growing side of things.

 

[to-guy69]

Do these winery tours include a visit to the vineyard or is that in a different place altogether? I would be interested in the grape growing side of things.

The process goes like this:

A visit outside in the vinyard, then a tour inside where they manufacture it topped off by some sample wine tasting at the end (burb).

 

[Uzo]

what does it cost and what will that include?

 

[to-guy69]

Most wine tours are free or at most $5-$10.

 

[Connie Lingus]

Don't forget Thirty Bench in Beamsville. I've had some excellent wines from there, especially the premium reds. I've got a bunch resting in the cellar also. There's not much of a tour, in fact I don't even recall one, but you can walk amongst the vines freely. On a clear day, you can see Toronto across the lake as well as you can from NOTL. Very picturesque.

The last time I was there, the hottie serving the tastings was even better than the wines.

Konzelmann over in NOTL used to have a reserve unfiltered Pinot Noir that rivalled many Burgs I've tasted. Doubt they keep much of that around.

I second the Chateau des Charmes.