Between the cities of Hamilton and Niagara Falls, and along the South shores of Lake Ontario runs the Niagara Peninsula. A fertile micro-climate where the majority of Ontario vineyards can be found. To the East lies the majestic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. To the West the quaint town of Grimsby, and in the heart of the region lies Jordan Village. All three towns designed to delight the tourist as they explore the wineries of Ontario.
As new wineries open in different areas around Lake Ontario stretching the bounties of the Ontario "regions", Wineries now extend from Hamilton to Toronto and Eastward.
Cave Spring Cellars
3836 Main Street,
Jordan, Ontario.
(905)562-3581
Located on the Niagara Peninsula near the historical town of Jordan. They have vineyards on The Beamsville Bench, rated as one of the best micro-climates for the cultivation of Vinifera grapes. Cave Spring Cellars was founded in 1986 by grape grower Leonard Pennachetti and winemaker Angelo Pavan. "At Cave Springs we believe that our wines are unique because they capture what the French call 'Gout de Terroir'; or Taste of the Land from which they come; and no amount of Artifice-Ecological or otherwise could ever replicate the particular flavour profile they achieve. The uniqueness of our wines stems directly from their authenticity of origin" .
Almost half of their product is Riesling. They have a reputation for producing excellent Riesling Icewine
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY - As winemakers, we must remain true to the fruit of our vineyards. At Cave Spring our task is to capture and preserve the individuality of Niagara's Benchlands.
Inniskillin
S.R. #66, RR#1
Niagara Parkway
Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Ontario, Canada L0S 1J0
TEL: +905.468.2187
FAX: +905.468.5355
TOLLFREE: +888.466.4754 Inniskillin, co-founded by Donald J.P. Ziraldo and Karl J. Kaiser, is located in the town of Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada, on the Niagara Peninsula.
Inniskillin was granted the first estate winery license in Canada. The name Inniskillin is Irish and is derived from the famous Irish regiment, the Inniskilling Fusiliers. Colonel Cooper, a member of this regiment, served in North America in the War of 1812. On completion of his military service, he was granted Crown land which he named the Inniskillin Farm
The first Inniskillin winery was housed in an old packing shed at the family nursery, two kilometres (km) from its current location. As the popularity of thier wines grew it was necessary to enlarhe the winer 1978, Inniskillin relocated to our present site, The Brae Burn Estate
Winemaker Karl Kaiser is noted for his Icewine.
The greatest of international accolades for Canadian Icewine was bestowed on Inniskillin in 1989 at Vinexpo, and at Bordeaux, in June 1991. This wine, judged by an international panel, was accorded the fair's highest award, Le Grand Prix d'Honneur.
They also have a winery and vineyards in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY- Like all art forms, winemaking is an inspired mastery of technique and the harmonizing of complex elements.
Jackson-Triggs Vintners:
2145 Niagara-on-the-Lake
Ontario One of the more noted names in the Canadian wine industry with wineries in both Ontario and British Columbia. The Ontario vineyards are located in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region. Every bottle of Jackson-Triggs wines bears the signature of the proprietors Alan Jackson and Donald Triggs. They believe that wine making is a delicate balancing act between art, science and nature requiring equal parts knowledge and intuition.
Since Jackson-Triggs Vintners' inception in 1993, both its Okanagan and Niagara wines have been honoured with many prestigious and notable awards. The list soars above most Canadian wineries with over 675 awards won to date - including more than 450 and 225 in International and Canadian competitions respectively
The Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery was opened in July 2001 and is a state-of-the-art 47,000 square foot winemaking facility, set within a picturesque 26-acre vineyard. Annual production is approximately 100,000 cases. The winery also boasts an open-air amphitheatre that launched its first season in June 2002 and continues to attract mass audiences every summer.
The Jackson-Triggs product portfolio consists of VQA table wines, sparkling wines and Icewines that carry either the black Proprietors' Reserve label or the rarer gold Grand Reserve label. The Grand Reserve collection showcases limited edition, super-premium wines that are usually only available at the winery. Joining the Grand Reserve wines is an ultra specialty wine tier made exclusively from the fruit of the Delaine Vineyard, a unique, single vineyard located on the lakeshore along the Niagara Parkway .
The winemaking process under Rob Scapin, recently appointed Chief Winemaker for Jackson-Triggs, will utilize a gravity flow system thus minimizing harmful pumping of the young wine. Storage cellars are being built deep underground where natural ambient moisture and cooler temperatures will provide ideal conditions for barrel aging.
Their vision isto produce wines of exceptional quality and value that will put Canadian wines on the world stage. Every bottle of Jackson-Triggs wines bears the signature of its proprietors. They believe that wine making is a delicate balancing act between art, science and nature requiring equal parts knowledge and intuition.
VINCOR International, grew from pioneering origins in Chateau-Gai and Brights Wines to become the largest wine producer in Canada and fourth largest in North America. VINCOR is now better known by its individual "houses," Inniskillin Wines, Sawmill Creek, Braeburn Cellars, L'Ambiance, and most recently, Jackson-Triggs.
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY - We want our wines to clearly present the character of the grapes.
Joseph's Estate Wines:
1811 Niagara Stone Road (Hwy 55), RR#3
Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario
Canada L0S 1J0 E-Mail info@josephsestatewines.comJoseph Pohorly founder of Newark Wines has once again started a new winery on the Niagara Peninsula, with 20 acres of Vineyards and Orchards.
Joseph produces VQA Vidal Icewine, Iced Peach, QA Winter Harvest, Iced Apple, Iced Bosc Pear along with Icewine Truffles.
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY - To produce world class wines at an affordable price.
Malivoire Wine Company
4260 King Street East
P.O. Box 475
Beamsville, Ontario Canada
L0R 1B0
Phone: (905) 563-9253
Fax: (905) 563-9512
email: ladybug@malivoirewineco.com
Martin Malivoire located his winery theorizing that the Beamsville Bench of the Niagara Peninsula offers many features similar to the great vineyards of Alsace and Burgundy. Here aspect, soil, drainage, airflow and other meso-climactic factors combine to produce uniqueness in our wines – “le goût de terroir.” Currently totaling 50 acres, the estate has two vineyards approximately one kilometer apart on the Bench. The “Moira” Vineyard, acquired first, is now planted to Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. With the addition of the second vineyard, Gamay was added to the list.
Malivoire's location is also an exceptional site for our gravity winery. The hillside drop is ideal for our pump-free winemaking process. This gentle approach also extends to the stewardship of our vineyards. We do not use insecticides or herbicides in our vineyards. We use natural deterrents to repel threats to the vines and have used ladybugs as a natural predator of grapevine leafhoppers.
They chose a ladybug as their winery’s symbol to represent balance, the importance of the vineyards and their responsibility to steward their land with sensitivity to the environment. Their symbol, Hippodamia convergens, is the naturally-occurring ladybug in this area and is a desirable, beneficial insect in the vineyard. Balance, in nature as in everything, is critical.
Winemaker: Shiraz Mottiar
winemaking Philosophy:- Our quality is rooted in the vineyard."
We do not use insecticides or herbicides in our vineyards. We use deterrents to repel threats to the vines such as birds, ladybugs,and deer
Peller Estate Winery
290 John Street East
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
L0S 1J0
1-800-668-9463
More than twenty-five years ago, this European winemaker traveled to the Niagara Peninsula with the dream to create premium quality wines in Canada, wines that would proudly bear his family name. These would be wines that could proudly bear his family name and that could rival any wine grown in any region of North America. Andrew Peller's knowledge and experience as a maker of fine wines told him that the best wines invariably start with excellent grapes. He eventually settled into the Niagara Peninsula which provided the perfect location for growing these excellent wine grapes. As time passed, Andrew's son Joseph and grandson John continued to pursue his dream.
A new winery situated on a forty acre site is opened its doors in April 2001. An ideal location for corporate and incentive retreats in the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake's wine country. Their restaurant features country cuisine in a picturesque setting overlooking the vineyards.
Winemakers: Rob Summers & Jamie MacFarlane
The Founder's Series of wines reflects the proud heritage of Peller Estates and the Peller family. Three generations of winemaking expertise have culminated in this flagship brand.
Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery
5600 King Street West
Beamsville, Ontario
L0R 1B0
Phone: (905) 563-0900
FAX: (905) 563-0995
info@peninsularidge.com
Owned by Norman Beal
Winemaker: Jean-Pierre Colas
Peninsula Ridge Estates is a must-see destination, with a Queen Anne revival Victorian home that is now The Restaurant at Peninsula Ridge, with a panorama of Lake Ontario and the Toronto skyline. The Winery Retail Shop is located in a restored 1885 post-and-eam barn, where our knowledgeable staff lead visitors through a tasting of our premium VQA wines and a guided tour of our modern winery facilities and traditional underground barrel cellar.
Pillitteri Estates Winery
1696 Niagara Stone Road
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
L0S 1J0
Phone: (905) 468-3147
Fax: (905) 468-0389
E-mail: winery@pillitteri.com
The family vineyards were initially established in 1948 and through the years, the Pillitteri family has gradually been adding to their production with new varietals and Icewines. The grapes used by Pillitteri Estates Winery ( founded by Gary Pillitteri, in June 1993 ) are primarily harvested from the family’s 53 acres of farms, which include 40 acres of vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake, with production of 100 per cent Ontario vinifera and French hybrid grapes. Today, total annual winery production is about 140,000 litres – with room for additional capacity.
Currently the winery produces approximately 140,000 litres of wine annually. It is important to note that the growth of the winery will be carefully controlled to maintain the high standards set by Winemaster, Sue-Ann Staff. Our approach to winemaking is to produce quality wines that emphasize the fruit characteristics of our varieties and the climate of this growing region.
Join me at 7:40 am on December 1st, 2010 on Winnipeg's City TV where I talk about Canadian wines 7:40am
