One of the reasons I wanted to visit Niagara Falls was to visit the wineries in Niagara on the Lake. I enjoy tasting and learning more about wines. A few years ago, I visited the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York and was impressed with the wines there.
Since Niagara is not too far from the Finger Lakes I figured it would be similar. Let me tell you about our Niagara wine tour and what we learned about the wines.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, please see disclosure for more information.
Anisa with more wine than she can drink!
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About the Niagara Escarpment Wine Region
While the nearby Finger Lakes region is known for its Rieslings (one of my favorite wines), the Niagara region has many different wines that they are known for. Their most popular wine is ice wine. I had tried it at a wine tasting in NYC once and I remember liking it, but I had no idea why it was called ice wine or how it was made. Ice Wine is a dessert wine, so it is pretty sweet.
Ice wine is different from other wines. You need at least two days of temperatures below freezing and then the grapes actually freeze while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine. Ice Wine is not cheap since it takes a lot more grapes to make ice wine than a regular wine.
I know you probably want to try ice wine too, but it is not easy to find in stores. Luckily, you can find ice wine for sale online (Check the availability and prices of ice wine at wine.com here).
If you are new to wine.com you can subscribe to the Wine.com email and receive a code for 1-cent shipping on your first order!!
You might be surprised to learn that the Niagara Peninsula is Canada’s largest wine growing region with around 100 wineries! It is blessed with a unique micro-climate created by the interaction of the Niagara Escarpment, a large ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep one on the other, and Lake Ontario. This keeps the climate moderate and makes it a good place for growing grapes and other fruit too.
If you want to visit wineries on the US side, check out the Niagara Wine Trail in New York State. We only visited wineries on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.
Niagara Ice Wine Festival
If you like Ice Wine, then the best time to visit Niagara on the Lake is mid to late January for their Ice Wine Festival. During this time, you can attend the glamourous Niagara Icewine Gala, try unique wine and food pairings at over 35 Niagara on the Lake wineries, and enjoy vibrant outdoor street festivals. You can buy a Discovery Pass which includes eight unique pairings at your choice of over 35 Niagara Escarpment wineries during the Ice Wine Festival in Niagara on the Lake.
If you decide to visit for the Ice Wine Festival, be sure to also check out these things to do in the winter in Niagara Falls.
Niagara On The Lake Wine Tours
While you can visit the Canadian wineries near Niagara Falls on your own, I didn’t want to worry about someone being a designated driver. Plus, I was not familiar with the top wineries in Niagara on the Lake. I thought it would be easier to just take one of the Niagara Falls wine tours.
Most Niagara on the Lake tours include a pickup from your Niagara Falls hotel. There are lots of different options for winery tours of Niagara from full day to half day or big groups to small groups. You can also find some Niagara wine tour packages which include seeing both Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake.
I also thought about doing a bicycle wine tour. Some people even bike from Toronto to Niagara on the Lake. While I enjoy biking, I don’t know how well I would do riding a bike after a couple of wine tastings. In the end, I booked a half day wine tour with dinner with Grape Escapes through Viator.
The wineries by Niagara Falls are located by the town Niagara on the Lake, which is about a 30 minutes drive from the hotels on the Canadian side of the falls. Our tour guide, Roger, picked us up at our hotel. We joined a mother and daughter from Regina in the van. It was their first time to go to the wineries in Niagara on the Lake too.
Jackson Triggs Wine Tour
Where the magic happens at Jackson Triggs Winery.
For our Niagara on the Lake wine country tour, we would visit three wineries in Niagara for tastings and then have dinner at another winery. At our first stop, the Jackson Triggs Winery, we did what I would call a walking tasting. We started with a sparkling wine and an introduction.
Then, as we were getting a tour of the facilities we got to taste different wines. I thought that was a great idea. Our tour guide took us to see the vines, where the wine was made, and where they aged the wine. We tried three wines and then ended the tour of Jackson Triggs Niagara on the Lake with a taste of ice wine. I wasn’t sure if Russell would like it because it is really sweet, but he loved it. We both did.
After our tour, we bought a bottle of the sparkling wine as a gift for my friend, Artee. She loves bubbles and I knew she would love this one.
Private Tasting at Reif Estate Winery
At our next stop, the Reif Estate Winery, we did our wine tasting in a private room. They catered the tasting to us, we got to choose from a selection of wines to try. This winery was owned and run by a German family who has been making wines for twelve generations.
The second stop on our half-day tour.
We also tasted the icewine at Reif Estate. In 1987 Reif’s Vidal Icewine was named by renowned Wine Critic, Robert Parker Jr., as one of the year’s Top Ten Wines. Since 1984 Reif’s Icewines have received over 100 Gold Awards. It was delicious, so we decided to buy a bottle of the best ice wine to save for a special occasion. (Update: We drank it to mark our first wedding anniversary.)
More Ice Wine Tasting in Niagara at Pillitteri
Our last Niagara on the Lake wine tasting was at Pillitteri Estates Winery, which opened back in 1993! After Gary Pillitteri won a gold medal for his Icewine in Niagara’s amateur wine competition, he knew he could create a successful winery. It truly is a family business. Now Gary’s grandchildren manage the growing export side of the Pillitteri Winery business.
They are the largest producers of icewine in the world, but they do also produce other wines. Here we tried our first red ice wine, which reminded me of strawberries. Again, I loved it. I wish ice wine was more readily available in other places. Maybe one day it will be?
Dinner at OLiV in Niagara on the Lake
Then it was time for dinner so we headed to OLiV Tasting Room & Restaurant which is located at the Strewn Winery. We got a table for just Russell and me, such a nice way to end our Niagara on the Lake wine tour! It was definitely romantic.
The tour price included the three-course meal and a glass of wine. Even though I had heard great things about the dining in Niagara on the Lake, the food exceeded my expectations. For my main course, I had gnocchi with bison and porcini mushrooms. It was delicious and smelled so good. The only problem was that the portion was huge and I could barely eat half of it.
I should also mention that they make their own olive oils and balsamic vinegar. They have so many different delicious flavors and you can try them before you buy them. I was tempted to buy the walnut balsamic vinegar. Unfortunately, they were all sold out except for the taster bottle!
Our first course was one of the prettiest salad’s I’ve ever eaten and it tasted delicious too.
Buying Wine in Niagara
You are going to be tempted to buy some wine when you visit the wineries in the Niagara region. One thing you need to keep in mind is the limit on how much alcohol you can bring back to the US. You are allowed to bring one bottle per person back into the US without paying a tax. Luckily the tax to bring more into the state of NY is only $.30 per bottle of wine. If you are traveling back to another country or state, please make sure you check the rules.
If you do plan on buying wine, consider bringing wine bags so that you can be assured the bottles are protected in transit. It would be heartbreaking to arrive home with broken wine bottles. For more tips on what to bring, check out my Niagara Falls packing list.
Grape Escape Wine Tour Review
We enjoyed our wine tasting tour with Grape Escape. It was nice to have such a small group and I liked the variety of wines that we got to try. We had just the right amount of wine too. I learned a lot about ice wine and we got to visit some of the best wineries in Niagara. Our dinner was a fabulous end to the half-day tour.
My only regret is that we didn’t get to see the town of Niagara on the Lake. I have heard it is a cute town, but we just didn’t have time. I would love to go back and explore the town, plus more of the best Niagara wineries.
Is a Niagara Wine Tour Worth It?
Yes. We had a fabulous time and learned a lot about the local wines. It was nice to have someone else do the driving and plan out the stops so we could just enjoy the wine. Overall, I felt like we got good value for the money we spent on our tour.
Have you been to Niagara on the Lake? Did you try ice wine? What did you think?
-Anisa
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Expert Tips for Visiting Wineries in Niagara on the Lake
- Make sure you try the ice wine while you are in the Niagara Wine Region.
- You can book the Niagara wine tasting tour we did here.
- If you don’t do a tour, make sure that you have a designated driver!
- Check import rules if you plan on buying wine.
- If you are also going to Niagara Falls, be sure to check out my post: Practical Tips for Visiting Niagara Falls.
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Last Updated on May 26, 2023
I love wineries and I love Niagara, but I’ve never been to any of those wineries! Every time I drive through there, I say I’m going to stop, but then life happens haha. It’s obvious I need to make it a priority next time. Great post!
Thank you! There really is alot to do in the area! The wineries are great though so I hope you make it on your next trip.
Wow! Had no idea they had so many wineries! That salad is seriously a work of art !
Susannah- Yeah I was pretty impressed!
It sounds like your tour gave you a great introduction to the wines of this region. I was introduced to them first on a 3 day tour of wineries in and nearby to Niagara-on-the-Lake, we visited a number of fabulous wineries and like you I was fascinated by how many different world styles of wine can be produced in this one little region, blessed by its special microclimate. I utterly adored the ice wine in particular – one of the most consistent in the world, and so very delicious. I went back a year later with my husband (as he’d not been on the first trip with me), mainly so I could introduce him to some of the wineries too!
Kavey – Oh wow. That’s nice you got to spend more time there. I would love to go back and explore the area more.
I loved Niagara on out trip but we missed the wineries. Something we need to visit next time we are in the area!
Eniko – Yes there is so much to see in the area so I can understand why! Hope you get a chance to go back.
Great post. I absolutely loved the Ice wine from this area. I hope we get to go back sometime as your post has given me sever wanderlust.
Lizzie – Thanks. Glad to hear you enjoyed the post. I really loved the ice wine too. Just wish it wasn’t so expensive!
I really don’t like sweet wine but the ice wine in the Niagara region was AMAZING! I wish I could have visited more wineries – Canadian wines are definitely worth a visit!
Jill – Yes I really loved it too and I agree the wineries there are great. Hope we both get to see more!
I didn’t know there were wineries in the area – sounds like a good trip!
Ellie – It really was! There is lots to do in the area but you should try to fit in some wineries.
I love tasting local alcohol (and food) when traveling, so this would be perfect for me! Too bad I did not have time for it when I visited last year. Thank you for sharing the experience!
Yes me too. I hope you get the chance to do it one day.
This sounds like such a fun experience! I’ll definitely have to try some wines from this region, including the ice wine. I had no idea this is Canada’s largest wine growing region! I’ll have to add this to my wine trips.
Kate – It was so much fun. I hope you get the chance to go.
Wow this is a beautiful place .. I’m Canadian but have never been ! Lovely post!
Val – Thanks. Well it is a big country so it’s understandable. I hope you get the chance to visit.
Well now you have gone and given me yet another reason to move Canada to the top of my bucket list! I am growing in my knowledge and love of wines and Reisling has become a new favorite. My post this week was written by a Canadian that I have met on Facebook several years ago. She and so many others are making my heart swell with a desire to visit my neighbor to the north. I’m just trying to figure out how to squeeze it in!
Amanda – Yes, you really need to go. And there is so much for the kids to do in Niagara too!
I didn’t know there were wineries near Niagara, good to have another reason to visit! I like the sound of the ice wine, I like sweet wine and Riesling is one of my favs too! #theweeklypostcard
Annabel – Yes there are so many wineries. I think you would definitely like the ice wine!
We love the Canadian wines too. It’s a shame you almost can’t by them in Europe (I think the Canadians drink them all by themselves)
Wendy – Me too. You can’t really find them in the US either!
OOh nice! I would definitely hit up these wineries the next time I go! I want to spend more time in this region that just the one day I have already been there! I also really love Rieslings! #TheWeeklyPostcard!
Lolo – Yes you need to go back, it’s a great area.
Now I have one more reason to visit Niagra– wine! Thanks for sharing your experience. Looks fabulous. And that salad!! Wow!
Melinda- Yes you really must go, there is just so much to see and do in the area. Glad you enjoyed the post.
I love a wine tour. I didn’t know there was wine made at there. Really want to try ice wine. #theweeklypostcard
Fi – Yes I love them too and try to do them whenever I can. I hope you get to try the ice wine, it’s so good.
Isn’t that area gorgeous? And you’re so right, the wines are so good. Jackson Triggs also has a concert series in the summer. You have to buy tickets for it in advance. It includes a strolling dinner/wine and an outdoor concert in the vineyard. It was the highlight of our trip.
Jennifer – Yes they did mention the concert series during our tour, and it did sound wonderful. Lucky that you got to attend one.
Hm, I didn’t know they have so good wineries in Niagara. The region doesn’t seem to be quite ideal for growing vine. I’d love to go back to this area and maybe try some wine tasting. #TheWeeklyPostcard
Anda – Actually the climate in that area is a microclimate that does work for wine. I hope you get to go and try for yourself!
My mom was just telling me about a wine region that sounds just like this, I’ll have to share with her. I love the idea of a wine tour – so much better than forcing someone to be DD!
#TheWeeklyPostcard
Leigh – Yes having to be designated driver on a wine tour would be the worst!
Niagara on the lake is one of my favourite places in Ontario! If you have the chance you should visit Prince Edward County it’s so much better and the wineries there are incredible. They also have a great brewery seen upcoming too.
Madi – Glad to hear you like the area. Where is Prince Edward County?