With over 100 wineries and a calendar filled with wine-themed festivals and special events, it’s easy to make every trip to Niagara wine country feel like a brand-new adventure. Here are some of our favourite ways to incorporate a fun twist or two into every single trip.
Niagara’s wineries excel at taking a team approach to helping visitors taste and tour their way through the area’s unique wine-growing regions. Both the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival and the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake offer a variety of touring programs throughout the year that allow guests to enjoy themed wine and food pairings at a diverse range of wineries. Examples of touring programs include the Icewine Festival’s Discovery Pass program, February’s Chocolate and Cheese touring program, May’s Sip and Sizzle, and the list goes on! Check the Niagara Wine Festival, Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Benchlands websites before your next Niagara visit to see which passport touring programs will coincide with your trip. Plan to dedicate an entire day or weekend to touring, as these passports include anywhere from six to 21 tastings! Booking an overnight stay allows visitors to slow down and soak up the experience at a leisurely pace.
Niagara’s many seasonal wine events are another excellent option for those who want to try wines from multiple wineries without spending the day touring about to different locations. Each September, the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, Canada’s oldest and largest wine festival, takes over St. Catharines’ historic Montebello Park for a weekend showcasing Niagara wine, food, music, and fun. Other wine-focused events that visitors return to Niagara for again and again include the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration, Graze The Bench, Love The Bench, Niagara Benchlands’ Winter WineFest and the Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Village.
Getting schooled in something new is a memorable way to discover a different side of Niagara wine country. Guests can choose to level up their knowledge with a variety of hands-on experiences, including classes on how to pair wine with food, cooking classes, vineyard yoga classes, painting workshops, and floral arranging seminars.
Understanding that their biggest fans often have an unquenchable thirst for insider knowledge about their wines, vineyards, and winemaking techniques, Niagara’s wineries regularly introduce new touring experiences. Those who think they’ve checked the box on wine tours will be pleasantly surprised by the diversity of today’s touring options, which include everything from guided snowshoeing through a frosty vineyard to learning how to sabre a bottle of bubbly in Canada’s largest underground sparkling cellar, and guided vineyard tastings at sunset.
Attending an intimate dinner and spending time around the table with a winemaker is a delicious way to acquire some seriously next-level knowledge of Niagara wine country. Reserve your space as early as possible since these small events often get booked up quite quickly.
Canada’s top musical talent adores performing in Niagara wine country. Artists and bands who return repeatedly to wow the crowds at Niagara wineries include Chantal Kreviazuk, The Sheepdogs, Bahamas, Jim Cuddy, and Ron Sexsmith. As concerts are typically held at night, consider booking a hotel or bed and breakfast to avoid having to make a late-night trip home after the final encore!
Experiencing the excitement of a new vintage release for a much-anticipated sparkler, fresh-from-the-barrel rosé, or meticulously crafted blend is a must for any wine lover. Watch winery event calendars as special dinners, receptions, and guided tastings are often held to commemorate the launch of particularly noteworthy bottles!
The benefits of becoming a wine club member go far beyond the monthly shipment of bottles at your door! Becoming a wine club member at one (or a few) of your favourite Niagara wineries is a fantastic way to score incredible perks and member-exclusive access to a wide range of winery-hosted events. From complimentary tastings to barrel cellar dinners and invite-only seminars and classes, Niagara’s wineries treat their wine club members to a host of privileges that make every visit feel extra special. Some of Niagara’s wineries with larger wine clubs even dedicate entire weekends to their members and treat them to insider experiences like seminars, tours, and special meals.
Are you ready to plan a Niagara wine getaway filled with some new-to-you ways to experience Niagara’s world-class wineries and vineyards? You’re in the right place! Browse our Wineries page for inspiration, and be sure to follow @VisitNiagara on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to get up-to-the-minute news on what’s happening in Niagara wine country over the weeks and months ahead. Then, book a great place to stay and make a few dining reservations to round out your trip!
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