New Kids on the Vineyard Block

Wineries to visit: Coyote’s Run, Palatine Hills Estate Winery, Niagara College Teaching Winery, Cattail Creek Family Estate Winery

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a hotbed of young winery stars. This tour will take you on a discovery of the hot, young wineries that have been making waves and it will give you the opportunity to rub shoulders with future winemaking talents. It’s well worth seeking out the latest and greatest wineries, because their small batch creations are often unavailable in the LCBO or the wines sell out in a snap. Not only is it a chance to taste rare wines, but also to engage the people behind the scenes and witness dreams turning into reality.

The vibe at Coyote’s Run Estate Winery is picnics and backyard barbecues. But don’t let the casual atmosphere fool you—these folks are serious about wine. Owners, Jeff and Patti Aubry, indulged their youthful enthusiasm when a little winery touring inspired them to start up their own operation. With industry veteran, David Sheppard, at the winemaking helm (he cut his chops at Inniskillin), it came as no surprise when their first vintage was a hit right out of the gate. Only very small quantities of wine are ever produced from this 58-acre estate, with its distinct red clay and black clay vineyards imparting different flavours to the wines. Especially known for their gift with Pinot Noir, the winery also produces celebrity Canadian outdoorsman, Bob Izumi’s signature wines.

John and Barbara Neufeld of Palatine Hills Estate Winery know a lot about grapes. Their century-old vineyards supplied area wineries for decades before they decided to produce a batch of their own Icewine after a banner harvest. And when Palatine Hills scooped up the 2003 Ontario Wine of the Year award with their 1998 Vidal Icewine, it was clearly time to open up a winery of their own. The immense attention that this Icewine received prompted John and Barbara to move quickly. So quickly that within six weeks, a winery was born. The casual style of this winery belies its large facility and operation. Yet, one just needs to step into the unassuming boutique to find that Palatine Hills really does mean personal service.

You never know who you might meet at Niagara College Teaching Winery. A future star winemaker. An up-and-coming sommelier. Or even the next innovator to turn the wine world on its ears. Niagara College is where the next generation of winery and viticulture masters go to learn hands-on, the ins and outs of the wine industry. Under the tutelage of Professor and winemaker, Terence Van Rooyen, Niagara College is putting out some of the hottest graduates and wines. Niagara College also makes for a great research and resource for the local wine industry.Get more out of your visit with a Wine 101 mini seminar or check out the Campus Greenhouse, Dining Room, or the Wetlands Ridge Trail, which connects to the famous Bruce Trail.

If there ever was something called “New Winery Smell”, then Cattail Creek Family Estate Winery, definitely exudes it. This is the newest winery on this tour, having just opened their doors in fall of 2007. They’ve certainly been turning heads with wines from their first vintage and some are already sold out. So if you taste something you like, be sure to get it while you can. Owned by parents, Ken and Renate Dyck, along with their kids Roselyn and Warren, Cattail Creek is a family winery where visitors can really feel like one of the family.

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a magnet for new chefs and restaurants, including Restaurant Tony de Luca (one of Toronto Life’s Best New Restaurants of 2007). Or try de Luca’s even newer venture, the Old Winery Restaurant. Ryan Crawford of Stone Road Grille’s chef leapt on to the local scene in 2004 and hasn’t looked back. And of course, the Niagara Culinary Institute at Niagara College is churning out culinary talent to go with their winery peers.


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