Niagara Peninsula

Situated on the south shore of Lake Ontario, Niagara has a diverse terroir of sheltered slopes, lakeside vineyards, mixed soils with a limestone base, and a world of character in its wines. The Niagara Escarpment – a limestone bluff that runs the length of the Peninsula – catches the on-shore moderating air from Lake Ontario and circulates it back down over the vineyards, enhancing the ripening of the grapes. Variations in the height of the escarpment and distance from the lake have resulted in the identification of 10 distinct sub-appellations with varying total heat units over the growing season, measured in degree days.

The classic cool climate varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Gamay Noir flourish here, and the region now boasts over 32 thriving varietals. The Niagara Peninsula continues to shape a rapidly expanding premium wine industry in Canada as the home to approximately 65% of Ontario’s VQA wineries.

Winery List

Closson Chase Vineyards

Closson Chase is a quality-driven producer that has helped spearhead the birth of the Prince Edward County wine industry. Since 1999, it has been committed to creating distinctive wines that rival the world’s finest. Set in Hillier, Ontario, the estate is over 30 acres of south facing limestone-rich soil under vine; planted high density ...

Flat Rock Cellars

Founded in 1999 on a spectacular piece of the Niagara Escarpment known as the Jordan Bench – Flat Rock Cellars is perched on a gently rolling slope studded with vines. The winery building is a quirky, glass-encased, hexagonal masterpiece that‘s distinctive and fun. From here you can enjoy their crowning glory, the breathtaking view ...

Lakeview Wine Co.

In 1986, The Gurinskas Vineyard was created from a 13 acre fruit farm on the Beamsville Bench as a retirement project by medal-winning amateur winemaker Eddy Gurinskas and his wife Lorraine. Back then they planted hybrid varieties like Baco Noir and Vidal. Three years later they planted vinifera varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, M ...

Leaning Post Winery

Leaning Post consistently ranks in the Top 10 Wineries in Ontario with critical scores from both domestic and international wine writers. Featured in top restaurants in Toronto, Montreal, London (UK), and Copenhagen, Leaning Post epitomizes small-scale, artisanal winemaking with minimal intervention, allowing the land to fully show itself in g ...

Rosewood Estates Winery

Rosewood is a multi-generational family winery and meadery committed to sustainability and excellence. In their relatively short history, they have already begun winning gold and silver medals nationally and at prestigious competitions like Decanter. The Story The Rosewood story begins over 80 years ago when R.W. Roman’s ...

Stratus Vineyards

Stratus Vineyards, established in 2000, is a sustainable, innovative winery located in the heart of Niagara wine country in the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Stratus is dedicated to growing and producing limited quantities of premium wine in the VQA Niagara Lakeshore appellation. The Stratus vineyard is a sixty-two acre estate moder ...

Tawse Winery

Situated on the lower slopes of the Niagara Escarpment, Tawse is a family-owned organic winery. A life-long lover of wine, Burgundy in particular, founder Moray Tawse purchased the Cherry Avenue property in 2001 after realizing the great potential of the Niagara Escarpment as a word-class cool-climate wine region. In 2005, he opened his state- ...

Westcott Vineyards

Westcott Vineyards was born from a bold decision to leave behind corporate life and build something lasting, rooted in land, family, and craft. In 2008, Carolyn Hurst and Grant Westcott traded their business suits for muddy boots, leaving Toronto with their young family to begin a new life in Niagara’s wine country. What started as a lea ...