Step up to fashionable Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery and you’ll be presented with tour and tasting options just right for an impromptu visit. But girls who like to do a little pre-planning would do good to book one of a slew of wine sensory and culinary experiences or a summer concert featuring a top Canadian artist in the winery’s one-of-a-kind outdoor amphitheatre. The Tasting Gallery has a modern café feeling for those who want to take a little more time to take in the surrounding scenery and savour food and wine pairings.
What’s a girls’ getaway without a little bubbly on a vineyard patio? An exploration of Hillebrand Winery’s underground Trius Sparkling Wine Cellar and sipping the delightful results will really get the energy going. Hillebrand Winery has recently undergone a stylish makeover inspired by Niagara’s wine country landscape and the wine lifestyle. Take in one of the many original winery tours and tasting events, including Trius Art of Red where you can play at being a winemaker. The winery restaurant is a great spot for ladies who lunch with its Niagara-inspired menu prepared by Chef Frank Dodd. The winery also hosts the popular Hillebrand Jazz and Blues concerts in the summer.
Lailey Vineyard is home to Queen Donna. And don’t you forget it! When Donna Lailey won the first-ever Grape Queen crown of the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival, she insisted on being called “Queen” instead of the traditional title, “King”. Donna was also the only female founding member of the Vintner's Quality Alliance (VQA). She teamed up with husband, David, and Winemaker, Derek Barnett, to produce small batches of quality wines from their very own grapes. Small is fine by them, because their 100% herbicide-free vineyards are tended and harvested by hand. Visitors to Lailey might find themselves on a tour and tasting with none other than winemaker, Derek, himself.
The folks at Strewn Winery take wine and food very seriously. It’s their raison d’être—their soul. For girls who love to cook, drink AND eat, this winery is really a must-do. Book a one-day or two-day hands-on cooking class in the to-die-for kitchen of the Wine Country Cooking School (advance bookings only, please). Or Terroir La Cachette Restaurant is just the place to enjoy VQA wine and regionally inspired cuisine with friends (be sure to score a patio table when the weather permits). The winery is housed in a former canning factory and overlooks Four Mile Creek with tours, wine and culinary tasting options too.
For shopaholics, art studios and trendy boutiques are mainstays in the Old Town. And for the ultimate in pampering, look for a spa package at one of the many accommodations.
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