A Perfect Day in Niagara

Instead of whipping past the smaller towns of Beamsville, Vineland and Jordan en route to the larger, better known (read: busier) tourist destinations of Niagara Falls and Niagara–on–the–Lake, we suggest spending a day – or two – in the quieter regions of Ontario’s wine country. You’ll be rewarded with historic towns, scenic hiking trails, small–batch wineries and fresh–from–the–farm fruit stands.  

Morning

Thanks to rich soil and air temperatures moderated year–round by Lake Ontario, the Niagara Peninsula is the largest viticultural area in Canada and produces an array of classic cool–climate varieties, including riesling, pinot noir and cabernet franc. Thus, after a mandatory stop at Beamsville Bakery and Patisserie for a homemade doughnut or some Suikerbrood (sugar bread), it’s time to hit the wine route. (Don’t worry, in this neck of the woods it’s perfectly acceptable to try a sip of chardonnay before noon – most wineries open their doors between 10:30 and 11 a.m.)

If the entire gang is along for the ride, you’ll be glad to know that many of Niagara’s wineries are family friendly and some even serve grape juice to toddlers in their own plastic stemware. Others simply offer interesting diversions for all ages. At Rosewood Estates Winery in Beamsville you’ll find an onsite apiary in addition to sustainable winemaking, while at eco– and dog–friendly Featherstone Estate Winery in Vineland you can meet the sheep labourers that help keep the vines tidy and maybe even catch a glimpse of Amadeus, the Harris hawk trained to keep other birds from gobbling up the grapes.
 

 
For those who prefer a pint, stop by Beamsville’s Bench Brewing Company, which incorporates winemaking tradition into its farmhouse approach to brewing, on your way to some of the region’s finest fruit stands. Just off the QEW on Victoria Avenue in Vineland you’ll find a family–run stand stocked with homemade jams, butter tarts and the freshest produce of the season. In August, it’s worth heading a few minutes up the road to Peach Country for fruit hand–picked and packed on the Kowalik family’s 32–acre farm.

To work up an appetite before lunch, a short drive up and over the Niagara Escarpment will take you to Ball’s Falls Conservation Area where you can check out interactive nature displays, explore an early 19th century hamlet with an operating flour mill and wander along Twenty Mile Creek for scenic views above and below the falls.
 

Evening

At Stoney Ridge, one of Ontario’s oldest wineries, take a seat on one of several intimate patios dotted throughout the impeccably landscaped gardens and enjoy a sampling of local cheeses accompanied by a glass of Tragically Hip Grand Reserve. You’re in luck if you happen by on a Friday (or Saturday) for the winery’s famed firepit Fridays, featuring s’mores and wood–fired pizza and wings courtesy of Avella’s Wood Fired Oven.

The rest of the week, Inn On the Twenty Restaurant’s sophisticated dining room is the place to be, with its wall of west–facing windows making it the perfect spot to watch the sun set over Twenty Valley.