Reif Estate Winery

Reif Estate Winery opened in 1982 with a commitment to combine time-honoured tradition with modern technology. Wines produced at Reif are truly estate bottled. With 135 acres of vineyards, use only our own grapes to produce premium quality wines. A winery know internationally for its Icewines . There wines are aged in authentic oak casks in underground barrel cellars When a winery puts that much emphasis in the vineyard, it requires a great deal of skill and expertise. Klaus W. Reif, President of Reif Estate Winery has a degree in viticulture as well as oenology and is sincere in his belief that fine wines can only be made from excellent ingredients.

At the 7th International Wine Competition in Verona, Italy, Reif Estate Winery won the prestigious Vinitaly 1999 Special Award for the highest scoring winery of Canada. This award can only be received providing that at least 3 of the wineries wine entries have reached the minimum score of 80 out of 100 and that its country of origin has contributed at least 20 contestants to the competition.

Winemaker: Roberto D. DiDomenico
Philosophy: Klaus Reif's philosophy that 'Great wines start in the vineyard' is the corner stone of the quality and integrity of Reif Wines. This belief partnered with a commitment to produce predominantly estate bottled wines from our 125 acre vineyard has provided our winemaker Roberto DiDomenico with the tools to produce world renowned wines.

Klaus and Roberto also believe that over time a vineyard will express its 'Terroir', loosely translated as 'a sense of place'. Many agree that as a vineyard matures it's personality or characteristics of climate and soils will be expressed in the wines over time. We believe Reif's terroir is best expressed by the wines produced in the First Growth Collection which are produced from our oldest vineyard blocks.

Ridgepoint Wines

Set high on the escarpment at the top of Cherry Avenue just west of Vineland owner Mauro Scarsellonehas a passion for Icewine and Premium Reds. He purchased his first vineyard, eight hectares, in 1995 and produced his first vintage in 2001. His first red was Nebbiolo and his icewine Vidal

Ridgepoint Wines is also responsible for the first commercial bottling of Nebbiolo

Scarsellones at Ridgepoint  dining room is now open featuring light and casual dining

Winemaker: Mauro Scarsellone
Philosophy: Our Nebbiolo is unique among the wines of Ontario. We also produce premium and ultrapremium VQA Ontario wines from estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot grapes.

Riverview Estate Winery

A family owned ( Sam & Lina Pillitteri ) winery located on the Niagara Parkway in Niagara-on-the-LAke. The fountain logo symbolizes life and purity of spring water. Specializing in premium VQA wines and Icewine, producing high quality Vidal Icewine. Their wine shop also doubles as a country market featuring lo

Winemakers: Fred DiProfio
Philosophy: Tradition represents the hallmark of our gape growing and wine making philosophy. Try to bring out the natural characteristics in the wine and accentuate them, not to mask them with other odors and tastes.

Rockway Glen Golf Course and Winery

 

In "Le musèe du vin", winemaking is brought to life. On location at Rockway Glen Golf Course and Estate Winery resides Canada's only wine museum*. It has been designed as an authentic cav a vin housing antiques from the vineyards of France. The wine cellar and museum display accoutrements hail from the wine making regions of Alsace, Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux. Tours of the museum can be arranged by contacting our office and include wine tastings to complement your journey "from the vineyard to the cellar".

Winemakers:Jeff Innes

Rosewood Estate Winery and Meadery

 

Renata and Eugene Roman purchased 40 acres of land in 2000 on the the Beamsville Bench. Their goal was to start a small-batch artisanal winery and meadery. As they love Roses and we have wonderful woods on the property the winery was named Rosewood.

The main Renaceau Vineyard, on Mountainview Rd has been planted with vinefera grapes starting in the year 2003. These grapes are: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Semillon. Spring of 2008 will mark the first release of the 2006 wines to the public. A second vineyard wasacquired on the Jordan Bench.

Rosewood is Niagara 's first meadery and produce 3 styles of mead. Eugene is a lifelong beekeeper who produces the honey used in meadmaking. The Roman family has been beekeepers for 70 years.

signature wines: Reserve Merlot – produced using Natural Fermentation, Semillon Savignon Blanc and Grande Reserve Ambrosia - a honey wine.

 

Winemakers: Natalie Spytkowsky
Philosophy: We practice small batch cool fermentation for our white wines. We whole berry ferment reds and use a Euroselect destemmer to help make this happen.

Royal DeMaria Winery

Home to one of Canada's most unique wineries. 

In 1991 Hairdresser Joseph DeMaria first tried icewine from the Niagara Region. Taking a keen interest in an up and coming industry Joseph applied for and received the winery licence for Royal DeMaria Wines ‘Canada's Icewine Specialists' TM in 1994. In December 1996 Joseph purchased his 25 acre property which is nestled between the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario in scenic Vineland , Ontario .

In 1998 Joseph DeMaria, having no previous winemaking experience, made his first icewine from a 5000L surplus of Vidal icewine juice. Midway through the process Joseph made a major error in what he understood to be the process of making icewine . Without letting this error set him back Joseph continued working with the icewine and through his blind correction of the error fell upon a wine making technique. The 1998 Vidal Icewine had all the varietal characteristics of a fine wine, the traditional sweetness of an icewine yet did not have the rich, cloying texture within the finish. This first icewine went on to win 5 international awards and the ‘error' has become the wine making technique that Winemaker Joseph DeMaria has used successfully ever since.

Since the first vintage in 1998, winemaker Joseph DeMaria has left his mark internationally as creating the only winery to specialize exclusively in the production of icewine and has produced 24 different varietals of icewine both red and white including a world's first: Royal DeMaria 2002 Meritage Icewine and the world's most expensive icewine : Royal DeMaria 2000 Chardonnay Icewine .

Royal DeMaria icewines are so well known and highly valued that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth requested 6 bottles during her Jubilee Visit to Canada in 2002, and Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group visited the winery in September 2003.

 

Specializing exclusively in icewine, Royal DeMaria has received over 271 medals within 8 vintages and 81 golds from the worlds most prestigious wine international wine competitions including 8 world record setting wins, namely, 5 gold trophies from the coveted Citadelles du Vin, VinExpo, Bordeaux, France, and 5 gold medals from the world's largest wine competition Concours Mondial, Brussels, Belgium

Winemaker: Joseph DeMaria

SouthBrook Winery

581 Niagara Stone Road
Niagara-on-the-Lake

Passionate about good food and fine wine, Bill and Marilyn Redelmeier decided a winery would be a perfect addition to their successful market garden and farm. So they converted their 100 year old barn into a winery.
Together with winemaker Derek Barnett they developed wines to complete with the worlds best. Originally located in Maples north of Toronto, Southbrook began producing wine in 1992. Their Framboise wines have captured the world and can be found at Harrods in England Southbrook Chardonnay 1994 was served when Canada's Prime Minister hosted Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, June 28 1997.

Southbrook is currently building a new winery at Niagara-on-the-Lake. On this 74-acre property, Southbrook Winery plans to have a total of 61 acres of vineyard planted by the end of 2007.

Winemaker:Ann Sperling
Philosophy: "winemaking is an art, allowing the flavour inherent in the grapes to express themselves to the fullest"

Stonechurch Winery

Another success story in Canadian wines located at Niagara-on the-Lake.
The Hunse family began growing grapes in 1972, opening their winery in 1990.
Stonechurch Vineyards was born out of a belief that good wine and good friends make a perfect pairing.

A popular stop for bike tours. The winery is managed by Hank Hunse

The winery is open year round with self guided vineyard tours.
Their bottle design and labeling is extremely well done.

A few years back and some the community was building a Church of stone. Construction was halted due to lack of funds. The landowner at that time mortgaged his land to pay for the building of the Church. Thus the name Stonechurch.

Winemaker: Jamie Evans

Winemaking Philosophy:
We grow quality grapes and use modern technology to make superb wines which reflect their varietal character.

Stoney Ridge Estate Winery

3201 King St.
Vineland, Ontario
L0R 2C0

Telephone: (905) 562-1324

The winery was founded by Jim Warren in 1985, held the position of President and Winemaker until 1999 The original location of the winery was on Ridge Road in Stoney . Stoney Ridge moved to its present location in Vineland , Ontario in 1995.  The location was chosen based on its position on the Wine Route, the availability of land for planting Pinot Noir grapes (the McGrade Vineyard, named after the original owner of the property), and the general availability of the property. The current owner is Mr. Mark S. Bonham .

The winery began small producing only 500 cases four years later the winery was producing 4,000 cases and ha continued to grown. Producing award wining wines developing a reputation for having unique and exotic wines that all possessed the inimitable style that was a signature of winemaker Jim Warren.

The Stoney Ridge philosophy is that wine should not be considered as an accompaniment to a meal but rather an integral part of a fine meal

Chief Winemaker: Ray Cornell
Founding Winemaker: Jim Warren
Philosophy: Every winery is dependant on two key factors that contribute to its success. Firstly, the grapes used must be of the highest quality, produced from vineyards that have a terroir that reflects the unique character of the Niagara Peninsula , and thus provide a window through which to experience the soil and climate of the region. The next crucial element lies in the skills of the vintner, who through their experience, innovation and natural talent, can deliver the juice that becomes a wine which captures the essence of the region, while exhibiting the classic characteristics that have made the grape variety famous for centuries.

The Challenge International du Vin the biggest French international wines competition and one of the most famous wine event awarded a silver medal to Stoney Ridge for their igluu Late Harvest Vidal 99

Stratus Vineyards

Grand opening June 2005 . The Stratus vineyard is a mature fifty-three acre estate moderated by the effects of two bodies of water: the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. Benefiting from a unique mesoclimate, the vineyard ranks among the warmest sites in Niagara Their vineyard is planted partially with Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. . The vineyard main varities will be clones of Bordeau and Rhone.

Canada's Stratus Vineyards is the world's first winery to be given the coveted LEED green certification. The winery was also designed for making wine using the gravity-flow method.
To qualify for the LEED, Stratus set up features and practices such as composting all plant waste materials, herbicide-free vineyards, energy-efficient electrical and plumbing systems, and toxin-free waste-management systems. Stratus also uses a hybrid, gas-electric vehicle for winery deliveries.

The winery's main building is heated using a geothermal source more than 200 feet below ground. This added considerably to building costs but it is expected to produce significant savings over the coming years

Winemaker: J-L Groux

Philosophy: We believe that memorable wines are produced by paying scrupulous attention to the land, to the vineyard. There is minimal handling of both the grapes and the wine at every stage—minimal handling with maximum patience. The art of assemblage is the quintessence of winemaking. Assemblage refers to the crafting of several grape varieties to create layered wines of complexity, wines that are a true expression of the vineyard's terroir.

Strewn Estate Winery

Strewn has restored a 1930's former fruit cannery into a world renowned winery having won over 40 medals and awards in its short history. Winemaker Joe Wills hails from Alberta worked in the BC Okanagan learning his craft then studied at Australia's Roseworthy College. The winery offers a wide range of wines and numerous tourist events.

The scenic property is also home to the Wine Country Cooking School and, restaurant featuring wine country cuisine.

Winemaker: Joe Wills
Philosophy: We're committed to making premium VQA wines from grapes grown in the Niagara peninsula.

Tawse Winery

3955 Cherry Drive
Vineland, Ontario, L0R 2C0
Tel: (905) 562-9500
info@tawsewinery.ca

Located on the lower slopes of the Vineland Double Bench, Tawse Winery opened its doors in the spring of 2005. Blessed with a hillside terrain, our winery features a unique six-level, gravity-fed processing system. The winery is named after the owner Moray Tawse.

The first vintage was in 2001 when Deborah Paskus had the foresight to bring a sorting table to use on the fruit. Who knew at the time but it was the first year of the lady beetles and the sorting table not only eliminated the unripe and bad bunches but  it also eliminated the the ladybeetles

Winemaker: Deborah Paskus

Winemaking Philosophy: Using traditional artisanal techniques, combined with our state-of-the-art technology and natural geo-thermal energy, we carefully and skillfully process our fruit to bring out its individual characteristics. We take pride in the fact that our wines are handcrafted and limited in production .

Much of this fruit comes from old-growth, low-yield vines, giving the wines great depth, richness and character. The primary focus is Chardonnay, they also vinify small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Riesling.

The Ice House

P.O. Box 164
Queenston, Ontario
Canada L0S 1L0

E: Jamie@theicehouse.ca
T: 905.262.6161

Located on the Niagara Peninsula near Queenston. This winery specializes inc producing ice wine.
The Ice House Winery's 2005 Vidal Icewine, Northern Ice, was awarded the highest honour accorded wine – Grand Gold. at the 2007 Monde Selection in Brussels

Winemaker: Jamie MacFarlanne

Thirty Bench Winery

P.O. Box 1172
4281 Mountainview Road
Beamsville, Ontario, Canada L0R 1B0
Tel: (905) 563-1698
Fax: (905) 563-3921 wine@thirtybench.com

Located on the Niagara Peninsula near Thirty Mile Creek. This winery began as a partnership in the late 1970's to grow grapes. In 1980 it expanded to 39 acres. Under the direction of Tom Muckle and Deborah Paskas their first wine (an Icewine) was produced in 1992.

Philosophy:
We want to do our very best and we believe we can do it only if we have complete control of the entire winemaking process.

Thomas & Vaughan Estate Winery

4245 King Street
Beamsville, Ontario L0R 1B1
Tel: (905)-563-7737
Fax: (905)-563-4114

Thomas & Vaughan is located in Ontario's Niagara Peninsula, a unique grape-growing region producing quality wines with international recognition. Niagara vineyards lie at the centre of the world's northern wine-growing belt and conditions rank favorably with other wine regions of the world. Our unique soil, climate and temperature is reflected in the quality of the grapes that grow in the vineyard.

As wine growers we feel that it is important to cultivate and closely monitor the grapes that go into our award-winning wines. Careful management of our 38 acre vineyard enables us to produce quality fruit that best express the character and terroir of each variety and vintage. In addition, because we are an estate winery we grow, produce and bottle all of our own wines resulting in a handcrafted product made in discriminating and limited quantities.

The winery is owned by Niagara Cellars Inc

Winemaker: 

Philosophy
At Thomas & Vaughan we believe that great wines begin in the vineyard. In the winery our practice is of minimal interference with the natural characteristics of the grape variety. This combination of grape growing and precise winemaking techniques make for an exceptional product.

Vignoble Rancourt

Family owned cottage winery

 

Winemaker:
Philosophy:

Vineland Estate Winery

Located on the Niagara Peninsula Vineland is one of Ontario's most picturesque wineries

The winery features a AAA four diamond restaurant under the direction of Executive Chef Mark Picone There is also a B&B cottage so you can spend a night in the Vineyard. Transition and expansion is under way at the winery. All designed to improve the winemaking facilities and provide a better experience for the visitors while on tour.

First Canadian Winery to win the “Grand Vinitaly Top Winery Award” at Vinitaly International Wine Competition in Verona, Italy 2003

 

Winemaker: Brain Schmidt
Philosophy: Minimalist by Nature. Every vintage is a new experience.

Wayne Gretzky

Located on the in the heart of Beamsville/Vineland the winery is a partnership between
hockey legend Wayne Gretzky ( Ontario Born) and Peter Jensen of Creekside Estate Wines.

A new winery will be completed in 2009

signature wines? Unoaked Chardonnay, Merlot, Vidal Icewine

winemaker Rob Power
philosophy Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian icon who exemplifies the authenticity and quality that Canada represents. The wines reflect this quality at an affordable price

20 Bees Winery

1067 Niagara Stone Road
(HWY 55), Virgil, Ontario,
Canada, L0S 1T0

Ontario's first co-op winery using only Ontario grown grapes

the name 20 Bees was chosen as there are 19 growers and one chief winemaker who initially founded the company, Niagara Vintners Inc . They are all very hard working and busy as bees all through out the year to grow only the finest grapes so that we can bring you a great tasting wine.

The winery was founded in 2004, The facility and retail store was just recently completed in the fall of 2007 as a brand new state of the art wine production facility, which incorporates the “STARS” system of climate control through out the entire winemaking process.

The company plans to promote natural Onatrio wines through out Canada and internationally

Winemaker: Sue-Ann Staff
Philosophy: We nurture our vines, to produce only the finest grapes, to offer only the best tasting yet unpretentious wine, at an unpretentious price. All of our wines are proudly 100% Homegrown, and VQA.

Motto: “Its Time for the Growers Wine”