Ontario Wine Regions

South Georgian Bay



Located north of Toronto on Lake Huron's east side you will find Georgian Bay. Often referred to as the sixth Great Lake, Georgian Bay features more than 30,000 islands and 2,000 kilometres of shoreline. The area includes Collingwood, Blue Mountain, Beaver Valley & Wasaga Beach. Three wineries are emerging from this new region, Coffin Ridge, halfway between Meaford and Owen Sound, has been selling wine for a few years now. Carrick Wines, further to the west on Highway 9 between Walkerton and Mildmay, is located on the rolling hills inland from Lake Huron and has been selling wine since 2010. Georgian Hills Vineyards, a few kilometres south of Thornbury, opened its doors to ... the public in summer, 2011

This is a true cold climate wine region with long warm summers but cold winters requiring hardy grape varietals such as L'Acadie Blanc, Geisenheim 318, Frontenac Gris, La Crescent, Prairie Star, and Auxerrois for white and Marquette, Baco Noir, Marechal Foch, Leon Millot Frontenac, and Pinot Noir the reds



Four Wheels Farm and Winery



2nd Streetlight Estate Winery

36594 Huron Road
Clinton, Ontario N0M 1L0


Sahadev and Shannon Banerjee from Manitoba had a dream to open a winery. When opportunity present itself they moved from Winnipeg, to London in June of 2008 for complete medical residency at Western University. 

Falling in love with the Huron County they searched and found property to start their winery. After three years of trying to find the right property, the perfect location presented itself: 45 acres with 3 buildings that could work as a home, storage and retail. The property was in desperate need of being cleared, as it had been left fallow for the past 30 years. Weeds, Sumac and large trees had taken over. After spending the first two summers fighting back nature, it was ready for planting. In 2016, 5 different variety of vines: Cabernet Franc, Baco Noir, Vidal, Chardonnay and Riesling were planted. In 2017 they started construction of the winery.

Winemaker:


Coffin Ridge Winery

590070 2nd Concession North RR#1
Annan, ON N0H 1BO


Situated north of Toronto near Lake Huron; close to Owen Sound

The boutique winery overlooks the crystal blue water of Georgian Bay. In the shadow of the Niagara Escarpment sits Grey County's first winery, Coffin Ridge. They small batch wine made primarily from grapes grown from hand planted, hand picked Grey County grapes. Coffin Ridge's three signature wines: Into The Light White, Back From The Dead Red and Resurrection Rose express the Grey County terroir exquisitely. The winery is owned by Neil Lamont

 The modern tasting room opens to an elevated deck overlooking Georgian Bay and the picturesque vineyard. 

Winemaker: Steve Byfield



Four Wheels Farm

Creemore Hills


Located midway between Creemore Hill and Collingwood overlooking Georgia Bay. Featuring a hertige farm with a 125 year old barn were the Boutique winery is located. The winery is built in the lower level of a 125 year old barn over looking the vineyard. The owner is Chuck Magnot.

They produce icewine

They have planted 5.5 acres.

 

Winemaker:


Georgian Hills Vineyards

496350 Grey Road 2 PO Box 491
Blue Mountains,


The vineyards are located on Ravenna Bench over looking Georgian Bay (east shores of Lake Heron). The winery is owned by John Ardiel, Murray Puddicombe and Robert Ketchin. Their vision is to establish a grape growing region in the Georgia Bay area.

Testing for this area began in 1998, in 2004 they planted a 5 acre commercial vineyard on the west side of Beaver Valley.
In 2007 the Victoria Corners Estate Vineyard consisting of 12 acres was planted. The winery will specialize in cool climate grapes such as Alsace, Loire, Chablis and Northern Burgundy

Signature wines – Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Gamay Noir, Marechal Foch and Vidal Icewine.

Winemaker: Lindsay Puddicombe
Philosophy: Looking for a local terroir style, minimalist approach, low yields focusing on cool climate grape varieties


Gleason Brook Winery

130466 Gleason Lake Rd
Wiarton, Ontario

 


Located near Wiarton a community in Bruce County, Ontario, at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula. The community is part of the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Ontario. Georgian is part of Lake Huron in its south east corner.

Gleason Brook Winery is a small, family owned operation, producing wines from locally sourced grapes and the Niagara region. The vineyard is located on the “Dolomite Cap” of the Niagara Escarpment. Our wines are made in the natural style, containing only grapes and yeast for fermentation, with no added sulphates, clarifying agents, or chemical additives.

Winemaker:


Hoity Toity Cellars

1723 Highway 9
Mildmay, ON

 

Located in Bruce County , south of Lake Huron and northwest of Toronto. That precious region effected by Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Lake Huron. They produce both grape wines and cider.

Won Gold twice for their 66 Pick Up Dry cider

There's nothing fancy about us. We are just hard working farmers making artisan wines and craft ciders. We feel the wine/cider experience should be 'fun' for everyone.

Cider master:


Muskoka Lakes Winery

Box 24 1074 Cranberry Rd
Bala, ON K0L 2J0

Tel: 705-762-3203


Located two hours north of Toronto on Lake Muskoka. Bala is home to the only two producing commercial cranberry farms in the province. In 1952, Orville Johnston began planting cranberries. Over fifty years later, Johnston's Cranberry Marsh is one of the oldest cranberry farms in Canada and is owned and operated by Orville's son, Murray Johnston and Murray's wife, Wendy Hogarth.

In the fall of 2001, the Johnstons decided to begin a new venture, Muskoka Lakes Winery. While grapes don't grow in the region, cranberries sure do, and MLW specializes in wines made with Muskoka's native berry. With Jim Warren, a well-known winemaker in the Niagara region, as a consultant the Johnstons began making wine.

As a teenager, Orville Johnston worked summers on George Mollard’s cranberry farm in MacTier. It was Ontario’s first commercial cranberry farm, and it inspired Orv. He enrolled at McGill University to study agriculture. At university, he met wife-to-be, June, who was studying home economics. In 1950, the summer before graduation, Orv bought land in Bala and began building Ontario’s second cranberry farm. By the mid 1950’s, it was Ontario’s only cranberry farm and stayed that way until the 1970’s. Together, Orv and June pioneered an industry, growing cranberries, raising a family of four and making products from the fruit they grew.

Their son Murray and his wife Wendy Murray and Wendy expanded the farm to include Muskoka Lakes Winery.

Signature wines : Cranberry, Cranberry Blueberry, White Cranberry, Wild Blueberry, Oak Aged Wild Blueberry and Red Maple (a fortified dessert wine made with cranberries and maple syrup). Recently they added cider to their list of products

Numerous family events are planned throughout the entire year.

Winemaker: North Johnston
Philosophy: To create quality wines that express Muskoka. We farm to have the least amount of impact possible on the environment. We want to preserve what we love about this area for our children and protect it for future generations. Responsible growing practices ensure a sustainable future.


Thee Creemore Hills Winery

Nottawasaga, Ontario

 

 

Located in the Creemore Valley south of Georgian Bay.

 Only a decade or so ago, Catherine Morrissey was looking for land to plant a vineyard in Argentina. She had become interested in wine making and believed Argentina offered the best potential. Morrissey, who lives and works in Toronto, was familiar with Creemore, but it never struck her as a wine-producing region. Then she found this 49-acre farm property with a landscape that reminded her of Tuscany and thought, “maybe this land will work.”

Catherine and her partner, Stephen Loewy, contacted a professor of viticulture from Brock University who examined the property and suggested they could grow a hybrid grape recently developed through the University of Minnesota, which can tolerate winter temperatures well below zero. 

 

 

The Roost at Red Wing

415763 10th Line, RR1
The Blue Mountains, ON
N0H 1J0


Located on a picturesque hilltop in the heart of the Blue Mountains,near Ravenna, Ontario with stunning views of Georgian Bay and only 20 minutes from Collingwood and Thornbury. The winery is the fulfillment of a dream for husband-and-wife team Michael and Jessica Maish. Together the pair do everything from tending the vines to making the wine.

Jessica and Mike studied Enology and Viticulture, respectively, at Washington State University. 

The tasting room is located in a 19th century barn. Read More

Winemaker: Michael and Jessica Maish
Philosophy


Thornbury Village Cidery

90 King St E
Thornbury

 

Owned by Provincial Beverage Company. The cidery is located in the mist of a 7,500 acre apple orchard. Thornbury Cider is their flagship product. The cidery is a state-of-the-art production facility that runs along the golden shores of Georgian Bay

They have won medals at the World Beer Championships for their cider.

Cider master: Doug Johnson


Wineries of Canada

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