Our 3 favorite Niagara Falls wineries

Before we visited, when we thought about Niagara, we thought pretty exclusively of waterfalls that used to be a really popular honeymoon destination. But once we arrived, we realized this area has so much more to offer! Sure, the falls are impressive, but we discovered that the Niagara region’s microclimate puts it on par with wine-producing regions like Napa Valley, and it sits on a similar latitude as the Bordeaux region in France. When we drove the scenic Niagara Parkway from Niagara Falls up to Niagara-on-the-Lake, we discovered several iconic Niagara wineries willing to educate us in their delicious offerings – and boy, was it worth it. We ended up with 4 favorite Niagara Falls wineries, which we’re excited to share here.

One of the other things that makes the Niagara wine region so unique is that it experiences hard freezes each year, unlike most other wine regions in the world. This makes it an ideal producer of icewine, a dessert wine for people who don’t love dessert wines (like us).

Inniskillin Wines

You have to stop at Inniskillin. It’s a requirement. The winery will likely be crowded with tourists, tasters, and shoppers, but Inniskillin Wines put Canadian wine and North American icewine on the map in the 1990s when it became the first Canadian winery to win a major French wine award. Its fame and quality have made it a staple winery in the area, and it’s conveniently located right off the Niagara Parkway.

Boyfriend Perspective: When you pull into the main parking lot, you’re completely surrounded by vineyards. I say this as a warning to people with partners who like to take lots of pictures. Meagan had just gotten a phone with portrait mode and I had to almost literally drag her out of the grape vines.

We stopped in on a Sunday afternoon in September and were frankly shocked at the crowd in the big, lodge-like tasting room. Personally, crowds give me anxiety, and being shut into a giant building with one isn’t my thing. But, hey, good news: there was WINE. We tried a few conventional wines at the tasting counter – which were all delicious – and then headed over to the icewine counter for a tasting. What we found, thanks to our skilled sommelier, is that icewine is a dessert wine, but because the grapes are frozen when used, there’s no need to add any additional sugars to the wine. This means that any sweetness you taste is completely natural to the grapes, so it doesn’t come across as cloying or sweet enough to make your teeth hurt. Instead, sipping icewine is like sipping a rich, flavor-packed, thin-textured syrup. Beware, however, that price tag at Inniskillin reflects its notoriety. We finished our tasting, took a few photos, and moved on to our next stop.

Practical information about Inniskillin

• Our favorite wines:
• Address: 1499 Line 3, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
• Free parking onsite
• Hours: 10am-6pm (daily, May-October), 10am-5pm (daily, November-April)
• Tasting fees: $10 CAD for 4 samples; $15 CAD for flight of icewine samples; additional table wine samples, $3 CAD/ea; Icewine samples, $5 CAD/ea
• Accessibility: accessible
• Website: https://www.inniskillin.com/

Two Sisters Vineyards

Our Inniskillin sommelier recommended that we stop by Two Sisters in our exploration of Niagara-on-the-Lake, since it’s so well-regarded in the area. If Inniskillin is a must-do for its fame and notoriety, Two Sisters is a must-do for its luxe ambiance and delicious offerings. We walked into the Tuscan-style estate, marvelling at the elegant, high-end finishes and plush carpets. This is NOT what wineries look like in Virginia! When you enter, your first right will take you to the tasting room. The second right will take you into what we discovered is Two Sisters’ stunning Italian restaurant, Kitchen 76.

Boyfriend Perspective: When you walk into an Italian-looking winery and immediately smell delicious Italian food, it really gives your stomach something to think about. As in: do I really want to taste wine? Or do I just want a bottle to go with that brick-fired pizza they’re serving?

We took the first turn, and stopped at the register to purchase our tastings. Then we headed over to the marble tasting counter, where our sommelier waited. She guided us expertly through the tasting menu based on our likes and dislikes. And while we processed our samples, she gave us restaurant and activity recommendations for the area, based on her experience as a local. We had planned to try Kitchen 76 because the smell coming from the kitchen was pretty incredible, but their dining room was booked solid for the night. So, pro tip: it’s a local favorite, so make your reservations early if you’d like to eat here!

Practical information about Two Sisters

• Address: 1 Queenston St, Queenston, ON L0S 1L0
• Free parking onsite
• Tasting room hours: 11am-6pm (M-Th), 11am-8pm (F), 10:30am-8pm (Sa), 10:30am-6pm (Su) – tour hours vary
• Tasting fees: $10 CAD for 3 samples
• Accessibility: accessible
• Website: https://www.twosistersvineyards.com/

Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery

One aspect of the Niagara and Finger Lakes regions that we love is the farm-to-table culture that has re-developed over the last several decades. Nowhere is that more apparent than at Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, recommended to us for dinner and drinks by our sommelier at Two Sisters. Where Inniskillin and Two Sisters both have vibes running more towards the modern and opulent, respectively, Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery’s ground look elegant but homey. When you pull into the front drive, you’ll notice that the buildings look loved, and that the front entrance is decorated with a great, rusty old pickup truck covered in flowers.

We decided to try a wine tasting first, and followed the signs into the two story house on the left. Our sommelier introduced us to a whole slew of Ravine’s delicious Niagara wines, and gave us a history of the vineyard, the family, and all the awards the winery has won. The tasting room, itself, has kept much of the vibe of the original house. The walls are hung with old farm photos and local art, and the middle of the room is occupied by giant wine racks ready for happy tasters.

From the tasting, we walked over to the restaurant next store. While Ravine is an estate winery, the restaurant is also largely supplied by ingredients either grown on site or locally. So, when we ordered the chef’s special of the evening – and ASTOUNDINGLY delicious, moist pork chop – we actually ordered produce from the farm we were dining at. While I may be a bit of a prude about some meats, making the circle of life that small makes it much easier to enjoy what I order.

Boyfriend Perspective: I don’t remember the last time I had pork THAT good. Seriously. Flavor, moisture, perfectly cooked. It was amazing. Plus, I ordered a prix fixe meal, and got a complimentary bottle of wine to take home and a dessert to split with Meagan. We left there so, so fat. Driving home was honestly a little miserable as a result.

Practical information about Ravine

• Address: 1366 York Rd, St. Davids, ON L0S 1P0
• Free parking onsite
• Tasting room hours: 11am-8:30pm (daily)
• Tasting fees: $8 CAD for 4 samples (waived with 2 bottle purchase)
• Accessibility: accessible
• Website: https://ravinevineyard.com/

Honorable mention: Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery

If we hadn’t visited a few other wineries in the area and been completely, totally, and in all other ways spoiled, we probably would have loved Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery. But if the other wineries we tried were all solid A’s or A+’s, Jackson-Triggs probably ranks as a B. Situated pretty close to the Niagara Parkway, this Inniskillin sister winery has plenty of parking and surrounds you with grapes and vineyards on first sight. As you walk up to the building that holds their light restaurant and tasting room, you can also see the region’s farm-to-table culture spread out in front of you, as the winery has a large garden, complete with tomatoes, greens, peppers, and several more rows of fruits and veggies.

Once inside, you’ll find yourself in a spacious entryway-slash-hall that elegantly blends the modern and the traditional – on the one hand, you’re surrounded by concrete, stone, and glass; but on the other hand, you can also enjoy the warmth of a giant, medieval-style fireplace. After walking inside, we hung a left and headed into the cellar-like tasting room. Our sommelier was such a character that she almost distracted from the wine, but she gave us a full, deep tour of Jackson-Triggs’ plentiful offerings and awards.

All wine tastings have a strong element of subjectivity to them, and our purely subjective opinion was that our taste buds had already been spoiled by wine we liked better. But Jackson-Triggs is absolutely worth a visit as you explore the Niagara Peninsula’s viniferous offerings and growing wine culture.

Practical information for Jackson-Triggs

• Address: 2145 Niagara Stone Rd, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, 
• Free parking onsite
• Tasting room hours:
  • May – September: 10:00 am – 6:30 pm daily
  • October – April: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm daily
• Tasting fees: $10 CAD for 4 samples; icewine samples $5 CAD each
• Accessibility: accessible
• Website: https://www.jacksontriggswinery.com/Vineyards/Niagara-Estate/Visit

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