More Wine Clubs from Niagara’s Wineries
Niagara is the country’s largest wine-growing area, and one of its best. Last month, we looked at three Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries; here are three wineries with wine clubs from the greater Niagara region that showcase Ontario wine.
Vineland Estates Winery Ltd.
3620 Moyer Road, Vineland, ON
What better place to run a winery than Vineland, Ontario? This place was made for grapes, and Vineland Estates takes full advantage of that, producing premium Rieslings as well as some of the best Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc in the province. Conveniently, their products are available at a wide variety of prices, from a $13.95 Classic Series to a $25 Elevation Series all the way up to (in limited supply) $75 bottles of Red Meritage Reserve. A bottle for any occasion.
To go with what’s in your glass, why not visit their restaurant? It’s open seven days a week in a Mennonite homestead that dates back to 1845. You can take in the beautiful forest view, enjoy a meal from Executive Chef George Ward, and start planning your next visit.
When you’re not at the winery, enjoy Vineland’s wide-ranging Wine Club – with no signup fee and cancellation any time, you can enjoy great wine for a month, a year or even longer. Their packages come with the obvious (hand-picked bottle selections from Winemaker Brian Schmidt) and the subtle (pairing suggestions, tasting notes, recipes, a gift that changes every month). It’s a great way to expand your palate and access wines you can’t get any other way.
Malivoire
4260 King Street East, Beamsville, ON
You’ve probably seen Martin Malivoire’s work already – his first career was in movie special effects, creating them for classics like A Christmas Story, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Hairspray. So, when he decided to turn those talents on winemaking, the effects were just that: special.
Twenty-four thousand cases roll out of Malivoire each year, so keeping every one to the peak of quality takes skill and a lot of good grapes. Four separate vineyards, comprising 40 hectares of vines, have their produce placed into a gentle, gravity-fed fermentation process and emerge on the other end ready for you and your friends.
One of the best ways to experience what Malivoire puts out is to join their Wine Club – every two months you’ll enjoy a selection of reds, white or a mix, plucked at the peak of production by Malivoire’s winemaking team, and sent off to you with detailed notes, advice on cellaring potential, and invitations to upcoming winery events. Over time, you’ll get to know the entire crew as part of your wine-loving life.
13th Street Winery
1776 Fourth Avenue, St. Catharines, ON
At 13th Street Winery, they embrace the full spectrum of experiences wine can bring – not only do they produce superb wines, but they do it in an environment that celebrates art, food and community. You can sip a vintage that’s been perfected over years of winemaking, while pairing it with something delicious from their bakery, and then take a stroll through their Sculpture Garden afterwards. Truly a full day.
We’re here to talk about wines, and what wines they are! Winemaker Jean Pierre Colas has a rather simple production philosophy of good grapes, treated well, accented with the best techniques of yesterday and today. One interesting result is their Burger Blend; Chef Josh Berry loves a good cheeseburger, so they set themselves the task of producing something that perfectly complements the flavours of smoky meat, sweet ketchup, tangy mustard and relish. A truly unique product.
If you can’t make it to the winery in person, the next best thing is their Wine Club – four times a year, Jean Pierre will send you his best, every shipment carrying the truest expression of the vines of that season. There’s no time commitment and shipping rates are very reasonable.
As you can see, there’s no shortage of winemaking talent anywhere in Ontario, sometimes you just have to step outside conventional boundaries to see it. Hopefully, you can use these talented purveyors to add a few special bottles to your cellar.
Excited for Canadian wine clubs?
Read the other articles in this series for more: