Introduction to Ontario Wineries and Their Wines
Ontario, Canada, like many new-world grape growing areas, has been making wine in some form since the beginning of the 19th century. However, the past 20 years or so have seen a major restructuring of the industry, with a new concentration on producing quality products and the emergence of numerous smaller wineries. In 1989, the Vintners' Quality Alliance (VQA) was created to control labelling and wine production standards in Ontario, similar to the appellation control systems of France, Germany and Italy.
Ontario forms the northern cradle of the Great Lakes, and Lakes Ontario and Erie, which temper the winter cold and summer heat, create its wine regions. The VQA currently recognizes three winegrowing areas in Ontario: Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore, and Pelee Island.
Southern Ontarians enjoy pointing out to their visitors that much of the province lies further south than the northern part of California. Ontario vineyards also lie in the same latitude as the great European wine regions of Provence in France, the Chianti Classico region in Italy, or Rioja in Spain.
The quality grape growing and winemaking of Ontario wineries have begun to gain well-earned recognition around the world. Total winery production is relatively small, so the better Ontario table wines will be quite hard to find outside of Canada. Icewines (sweet, intense wines made from grapes frozen on the vine) are a major Ontario winery export, and are considered by many to be the best in the world. Ontario Icewine has won numerous international awards.
Many wine references are still woefully out of date concerning Canadian and Ontario wines. This is starting to change, however, as Ontario wines attain ever higher levels of quality, consumer praise, and international visibility.
This category of the Curlie Directory will provide access to Ontario wineries. Interested Internauts can follow the development of the wines of Ontario through the on-line presentations of the wineries that make them.
Original article by Michael Dunn, with contributions from Tilman Hainle and Rowan Shirkie.
Created 99-11-27 by Wineward, last modified 02-04-05 by cbooth7575
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Subcategories 4
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Sites 53
Limited production winery producing red, white, and rosé wines on the Beamsville Bench. Includes product information, a winery overview, pictures, and event listings.
Provides information and history of the winery and farm along with description and prices of available wines. Stouffville, Ontario.
Located east of Toronto in apple country, producing fruit and apple wine and ciders. Product listings and awards, plus events, and recipes.
Fruit wine producers located in London, Ontario. Ordering, location and tour information.
Produces a range of red, white, rosé, and dessert wines in Picton. Also represents other small area wineries. Includes online ordering, product details, and awards lists.
Produces white, red, fruit and dessert wines in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Includes product and event information.
Makers of fashionable red and aromatic white wines in Jordan Village, Niagara West. Detailed descriptions of the vineyards and wines, and an events listing.
A family-owned producer of premium wines including icewine. Detailed product listings with awards, château tours and events, news, and recipes.
Producer of wines in the Italian style using local and imported grapes. Located in the Lake Erie North Shore wine region.
A family-operated winery specializing in hard ciders, located in Prince Edward County on the north eastern shores of Lake Ontario.
Estate winery, north of Guelph. Produces fruit, country, and grape wines. Offers tour and tasting events, plus location and ordering information.
Grower-turned-vintner working with some of Ontario's oldest vinifera vines in Beamsville, Niagara west. Offers a history, wine list, and directions.
Produces red, white, and rosé wines in Cape Vesey. Includes online ordering, pictures, and a company profile.
Family-operated producer of estate-grown wines. Contains a brief profile and information about upcoming events.
Showcasing the wineries of Essex County plus restaurant information, event listings and travel information.
Produces reds, whites, and icewines on the Beamsville Bench. Includes online ordering, product descriptions, and staff profiles.
The province's only certified organic winery produces Riesling and a Cabernet-Merlot blend. Includes product descriptions and a downloadable order form [PDF format].
Produces red, white, and rose wines in Hillier. Includes product descriptions, vineyard information, a company profile, and event listings. Hillier, Ontario.
Located in a unique physical setting on Jordan Harbour, Niagara west, offering a portfolio of red, white, and dessert wines. Includes winery and boutique information and photographs, tours and events, a wine list and a map.
Producer of reds and whites in Picton. Includes information about their winemaker, vineyards, and suggested food pairings.
St. Catharines estate with a selection of red, white, and icewines made exclusively from local grapes. Offers wine and award listings, vintage reports, history, along with tours, events, and distribution information.
Producer of a range of red, white, and fruit wines in a winery build around an historic barn in St. Catharines. Includes product descriptions and event information.
Estate winery offering varietal wines and icewines from Ontario and British Columbia. Includes product listings, news, visitor information, and some Japanese translations.
Family-run winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake offers a history, awards, and product list. Selection of reds, whites, icewine, and fruit wines.
A Niagara-area vineyard producing wine in small, quality batches, and a narrow set of varieties in quantities that can be produced mainly by hand. Sells winery direct and at fine dining restaurants.
Boutique estate winery and vineyard in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Producer of Canadian wines, ice wines, distilled spirits, liqueurs and ready to drink cocktails in Niagara west. Offers free tours and tastings.
Maker of Germanic white wines, and complex reds, including a signature riesling, late harvest wines and icewines. Located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, includes tours, events, wine listings, and a family history.
Lists the wines, a history, and map with directions. located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Large producer of wine, winemaking juice, and beer in various locations. Offers winery tours, investor information, price, awards, and events listings, plus a winery library.
Utilizes a unique "gravity-enhanced" winery built into the Niagara Escarpment, producing wines that include rosé and gewürztraminer. Outline of the vineyard approach, winery, and cork choices, along with news, a winelist, and directions.
Established in 1990, with emphasis on estate grown and bottled wines. Details of available brands, tasting notes, and company history.
Elgin County's newest fruit and grape winery near St. Thomas. Lists the wine selection, events, and tour information.
A guide to Ontario's wine regions and wine makers.
Southernmost winery in Canada, located in the Lake Erie North Shore region. Includes site with food and wine matching and events listing.
Produces Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot on the Beamsville Bench. Open for tours and tastings.
Produces reds, whites, and icewines in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Also makes the "i baci" brand. Includes online ordering, a company profile, event calendar, and awards list.
Historical working farm, with seasonal festivals and school programs. Winona, Ontario.
Estate winery offering fruit wines, sparkling cocktails, sparkling wines, icewines, maple wines, wine jellies, and traditional reds and whites. There are driving directions, event listings, and online ordering.
German born winemaker Klaus Reif operates this Niagara-on-the-Lake winery. Full product descriptions and awards list.
A winery specializing in icewines, with information about current offerings, awards, and news, plus company information and photographs of the vineyard.
Produces Kosher fruit and maple wines as well as mead. Includes product descriptions, ordering, and recipes. Located in Aylmer.
Canadian dessert wine from the Niagara, Ontario region. Wine details, and distributor and contact information.
Non-profit club focused on promoting knowledge about and access to South African wines in Canada. Includes event and membership information.
Wines vinted from Niagara-grown grapes: winemaker of the year, 1999. Website has news, events, winelists, directions (map). North of Toronto.
Produces red, white, blush, and icewine in West Harrow. Includes product descriptions, a company history, and pictures.
Three wine enterprises rolled into one, Stoney Ridge, Wines of Woodend, Cuesta Estates. Formerly small-batch premium red and novel white white producer. Vineland, Niagara west.
Joe Will and Jane Langdon offer specialized tours and wine country cooking classes at this attractive Niagara-on-the-Lake facility.
Beamsville, Niagara region producer of whites, reds, and icewines. Includes product and vineyard information.
A producer of VQA wines, with a broad tasting, tour, and events program. Offer fine dining at a co-located restaurant, and special events such as Vineyard Blues and Vineyard Jazz.
Located in Essex County on Lake Erie. Includes a list of grapes planted along with information about the company, the region, and the staff.
Exemplary facility in Vineland, Niagara region offers premium wines, lunches and dinners and accommodation.
Located in Woodbridge, selling in bulk and by the bottle. Includes a product list, awards, a company description, and information about private labelling.
Producer of reds and whites in Picton. Includes information about their winemaker, vineyards, and suggested food pairings.
Producer of Canadian wines, ice wines, distilled spirits, liqueurs and ready to drink cocktails in Niagara west. Offers free tours and tastings.
Produces a range of red, white, rosé, and dessert wines in Picton. Also represents other small area wineries. Includes online ordering, product details, and awards lists.
Produces red, white, and rose wines in Hillier. Includes product descriptions, vineyard information, a company profile, and event listings. Hillier, Ontario.
Southernmost winery in Canada, located in the Lake Erie North Shore region. Includes site with food and wine matching and events listing.
Boutique estate winery and vineyard in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Estate winery, north of Guelph. Produces fruit, country, and grape wines. Offers tour and tasting events, plus location and ordering information.
A family-owned producer of premium wines including icewine. Detailed product listings with awards, château tours and events, news, and recipes.
A guide to Ontario's wine regions and wine makers.
St. Catharines estate with a selection of red, white, and icewines made exclusively from local grapes. Offers wine and award listings, vintage reports, history, along with tours, events, and distribution information.
Located in Woodbridge, selling in bulk and by the bottle. Includes a product list, awards, a company description, and information about private labelling.
Showcasing the wineries of Essex County plus restaurant information, event listings and travel information.
Elgin County's newest fruit and grape winery near St. Thomas. Lists the wine selection, events, and tour information.
Lists the wines, a history, and map with directions. located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Established in 1990, with emphasis on estate grown and bottled wines. Details of available brands, tasting notes, and company history.
Historical working farm, with seasonal festivals and school programs. Winona, Ontario.
Provides information and history of the winery and farm along with description and prices of available wines. Stouffville, Ontario.
Makers of fashionable red and aromatic white wines in Jordan Village, Niagara West. Detailed descriptions of the vineyards and wines, and an events listing.
Utilizes a unique "gravity-enhanced" winery built into the Niagara Escarpment, producing wines that include rosé and gewürztraminer. Outline of the vineyard approach, winery, and cork choices, along with news, a winelist, and directions.
A producer of VQA wines, with a broad tasting, tour, and events program. Offer fine dining at a co-located restaurant, and special events such as Vineyard Blues and Vineyard Jazz.
Produces red, white, blush, and icewine in West Harrow. Includes product descriptions, a company history, and pictures.
Non-profit club focused on promoting knowledge about and access to South African wines in Canada. Includes event and membership information.
Producer of wines in the Italian style using local and imported grapes. Located in the Lake Erie North Shore wine region.
Produces red, white, and rosé wines in Cape Vesey. Includes online ordering, pictures, and a company profile.
Beamsville, Niagara region producer of whites, reds, and icewines. Includes product and vineyard information.
Produces reds, whites, and icewines in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Also makes the "i baci" brand. Includes online ordering, a company profile, event calendar, and awards list.
Produces reds, whites, and icewines on the Beamsville Bench. Includes online ordering, product descriptions, and staff profiles.
Producer of a range of red, white, and fruit wines in a winery build around an historic barn in St. Catharines. Includes product descriptions and event information.
Maker of Germanic white wines, and complex reds, including a signature riesling, late harvest wines and icewines. Located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, includes tours, events, wine listings, and a family history.
Produces white, red, fruit and dessert wines in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Includes product and event information.
Estate winery offering varietal wines and icewines from Ontario and British Columbia. Includes product listings, news, visitor information, and some Japanese translations.
A family-operated winery specializing in hard ciders, located in Prince Edward County on the north eastern shores of Lake Ontario.
Exemplary facility in Vineland, Niagara region offers premium wines, lunches and dinners and accommodation.
Fruit wine producers located in London, Ontario. Ordering, location and tour information.
Three wine enterprises rolled into one, Stoney Ridge, Wines of Woodend, Cuesta Estates. Formerly small-batch premium red and novel white white producer. Vineland, Niagara west.
Large producer of wine, winemaking juice, and beer in various locations. Offers winery tours, investor information, price, awards, and events listings, plus a winery library.
Located in Essex County on Lake Erie. Includes a list of grapes planted along with information about the company, the region, and the staff.
A winery specializing in icewines, with information about current offerings, awards, and news, plus company information and photographs of the vineyard.
Canadian dessert wine from the Niagara, Ontario region. Wine details, and distributor and contact information.
Family-operated producer of estate-grown wines. Contains a brief profile and information about upcoming events.
Limited production winery producing red, white, and rosé wines on the Beamsville Bench. Includes product information, a winery overview, pictures, and event listings.
German born winemaker Klaus Reif operates this Niagara-on-the-Lake winery. Full product descriptions and awards list.
The province's only certified organic winery produces Riesling and a Cabernet-Merlot blend. Includes product descriptions and a downloadable order form [PDF format].
Located in a unique physical setting on Jordan Harbour, Niagara west, offering a portfolio of red, white, and dessert wines. Includes winery and boutique information and photographs, tours and events, a wine list and a map.
Grower-turned-vintner working with some of Ontario's oldest vinifera vines in Beamsville, Niagara west. Offers a history, wine list, and directions.
Located east of Toronto in apple country, producing fruit and apple wine and ciders. Product listings and awards, plus events, and recipes.
Produces Kosher fruit and maple wines as well as mead. Includes product descriptions, ordering, and recipes. Located in Aylmer.
Produces Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot on the Beamsville Bench. Open for tours and tastings.
Estate winery offering fruit wines, sparkling cocktails, sparkling wines, icewines, maple wines, wine jellies, and traditional reds and whites. There are driving directions, event listings, and online ordering.
A Niagara-area vineyard producing wine in small, quality batches, and a narrow set of varieties in quantities that can be produced mainly by hand. Sells winery direct and at fine dining restaurants.
Joe Will and Jane Langdon offer specialized tours and wine country cooking classes at this attractive Niagara-on-the-Lake facility.
Wines vinted from Niagara-grown grapes: winemaker of the year, 1999. Website has news, events, winelists, directions (map). North of Toronto.
Family-run winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake offers a history, awards, and product list. Selection of reds, whites, icewine, and fruit wines.
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- Recently edited by shedragon
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