My partner and I decided to travel through Niagara On The Lake to experience the best wineries they had to offer! The options for wineries is nothing short of extraordinary; the options are endless. We did a lot of research going into this trip- looking at which wineries peaked our interest, who had the best offers for tastings & tours and so on. We did go during phase 3 of COVID-19, so we did have to pre-book every place we went to. We booked mostly tastings, some pairings and one wine tour. You could easily spend a full weekend hitting every single winery, but we only had one day. Continue reading for our experience!
Chateau Des Charmes
This was our first stop and I am so thankful it was. We arrived at 11:00 am, which was their opening time. The ride up the driveway makes you feel as if you're arriving to a castle- beautiful! This definitely gives you the traditional winery feel, it's also the second oldest winery in Niagara, giving it that authentic experience. They have a great selection of tasting that come along with food pairings; we opted for the Sweet & Salty; cheese and chocolate pairing- delicious. We received four wine samples, plus a free complementary wine tasting along with pretzels to awaken your taste palette. They seated us in the absolute most romantic setting, under a tree, across the vineyard, giving us seclusion to enjoy our time together without being around any people. I'd recommend getting their early just to request this spot- it was truly amazing. Our wine specialist for the day was very knowledgeable- we were trying ice wine for the first time here, and she explained the history of it as well as the proper way to drink. They also provide $5 off coupons for a bottle, we definitely used that. We had a 10/10 experience here!
Trius
Trius was our second place to hit for the day. We wanted the complete opposite from our first stop- Trius was a perfectly modern environment to hit after a traditional venue. It has multiple ideal Instagram spots throughout the winery that are very popular. We chose to sign up for a tasting, which included four samples of wine of your own choice from their provided menu. They had a great selection to chose from, there was definitely something for everybody. The standout was an almost too easy to drink Cabernet Sauvignon .The grounds have something for every occasion. They have a tasting venue, a brute bar so you can relax and drink at your own leisure and the most gorgeous dining area that overlooks their vineyards. I wish we got to spend more time here, as we only had 50 minutes until our next reservation. I would recommend giving yourself time after the tasting, if that's what you plan, so you can explore the grounds. Their wines, of course, did not disappoint.
Pondview
Pondview was a good underdog for us, we were so happy in the end we chose to go! It's a good in between of modern and traditional. It's probably the more casual of venues out of all the ones we went to. We sat out back in red Adirondack chairs overlooking the pond in our own secluded area- very relaxing. Again, we signed up for the wine tasting, which came with four wine options of your choice off of their provided menu. We both loved the ones we tried- the standout favorites on my end were the Skipping Stone White & Pink. We left with a couple bottles of wine that were very fairly priced. They also offered a complimentary glass of their first every sparkling rose, which was a thoughtful addition. Our server was very kind, he educated us on a few pointers for every glass we had. We also left with a complimentary sampler wine glass- so cute! We were enjoying ourselves so much we pushed back our reservations for our next spot.
Stratus
This was the fourth stop of the day, and probably our least favorite. This one is completely modern, the architecture of the building was gorgeous- inside and out. They had the smallest seating in the back, along with high top black metal tables and stools, alongside sleek grey couches and stone fireplaces. Very high end. The grounds surrounding the vineyards were sort of a let down to us! We opted out of the wine tasting here to slow our day down, but wine by the glass was not cheap, and the selection was not great. I got a rose, and my partner chose a sauvignon blanc. Both weren't bad, but the price was too much for us. After enjoying one glass together to slow down our day, we left after 45 minutes. I would recommend this spot, after covid slows down, for dinner partys and business meetings, but I would not recommend to put it in as one of your stops on a wine tour! The interior is gorgeous and they have great private rooms for hosting parties.
Peller Estates
Peller was the stop we were most excited for because we were actually able to book a tour- not many wineries offered tours at this time. Neither of us have ever taken a tour of a winery before, and we were not disappointed. Peller has a huge property, which has the perfect look of an updated modern facility- it was gorgeous! The drive up the driveway brings you up to what looks like an Italian castle, and the grounds behind the facility are so big- there's so much to see. They used the space well with outdoor seating for tastings, by the glass and restaurant locations. Our tour started in the middle of the grounds where we learned about their history, we moved under trees next to the vineyard to learn about how they develop their grapes and make their wine, followed by moving into the facility underground to learn about their barrels & their smoking effect, finally entering the ice wine experience and going into their 10 below room. Such an amazing experience. We got 4 glasses of wine as we went through the tour, all were amazing. This was a great place to end our day. I would totally recommend checking this one out!
All in all, we really enjoyed ourselves and would highly recommend taking the time to get out here one day. In terms of COVID precautions, all wineries made us feel very safe, clean and organized. Masks were mandatory inside, as is sanitizing.
We came home happy and with a few bottles of wine! 10/10 trip.
Thanks for coming along, see you next time,
-Loz
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