With more than 180 wineries in Ontario that produce a majority of Canadian wine, Niagara-On-The-Lake is definitely the most popular wine region and therefore you can’t miss a wine country getaway here. The Niagara Peninsula region is home to some of the most biggest vineyards and is the largest wine-producing region in Canada, followed by Prince Edward County, and Lake Erie. Niagara-On-The-Lake is situated in a prime wine-producing geographic centre. What’s different with the Niagara region vineyards is that depending on the area, the soil varies significantly as there are many slopes and elevations which enable them to produce different types of wines quite well. The cool climate by the water also helps with growing the perfect grapes.
Aside from the very large and well-known vineyards that have people visiting from all over the world, the are many smaller craft wineries and vineyards that offer a more personal experience and even more attention (providing it isn’t too busy). Niagara is known for its Chardonnay, Reisling, Pinot Noir, and Carbernet Franc. But don’t forget Icewines – they’re made through grapes still frozen on the vine and Canada is the perfect location for this. For a more well-rounded experience, if you visit in January, there’s a Niagara Icewine Festival and in September, there’s a Niagara Grape and Wine Festival.
You can enjoy wine tasting, wine tours to see the facilities and vineyards, dining services, and more at most of the wineries here. Sounds enticing? If you’re ready to start booking you’re wine country getaway in Niagara-On-The-Lake, here’s your 1 night, 2 day itinerary.
Do You Need To Stay Overnight In Niagara-On-The-Lake?
For Canadians (or Americans) who live within a 2 hour radius, it’s normal for us to take a day trip to this wine region and head back home the same day. But if you want to take your time, visit as many wineries as you can and really enjoy a wine country getaway, then staying at least 1 night is a must. Niagara-On-The-Lake area also offers shopping, an amazing culinary experience to go with your wine, entertainment, and more. Also, don’t forget the amazing water views in this area and if you take a 25 minute drive, you can visit the famous Niagara Falls and Clifton Hills for more adventure.
Disclaimer – The wineries can get very busy, especially the more popular ones so if you don’t want to just go and browse their stores and take a look at their vineyards, it’s best to book a wine tasting or experience at least a few days before your arrival to ensure you can get in.
First Day In Niagara-On-The-Lake
If you’re traveling west from Toronto for your 1 night wine country getaway in Niagara-On-The-Lake, this will be the perfect route for you to take. Just a note to keep in mind, you can spend between half an hour to just over an hour at each winery if you have a tour so it makes sense to hit about 4 to 5 wineries each day. . Take into consideration any wait times, and have some backup wineries in case it gets too busy. Don’t forget to have a designated driver!
1 – Outlet Collection at Niagara
Time Spent: Depending on how much you like to take your time or if you know exactly which stores you want to visit, you can spend at a minimum 1 to 2 hours at this this outlet mall.
Interesting Facts: The Outlet Collection at Niagara is Canada’s largest open-air outlet mall with more than 100 stores as well as restaurants. This is definitely one of the better outlet malls that we have in Ontario and you can find plenty of good deals here. Also, you can actually start your wine country getaway in Niagara-On-The-Lake here! At the Food Pavilion is the Wine County Vintners and you can have your first wine tasting while you shop.
2 – Niagara College Teaching Winery
Time Spent: You can spend at least 30 minutes to 1 hour here, especially if you have an experience booked. There are 5 types of wine experiences here and they range from $20-$40. You can try different beers and wines and you can also purchase spirits, ciders, food, and merchandise as well.
Interesting Facts: Niagara College is known for teaching their students hands-on skills and this Teaching Winery allows for students to be in a working environment and learn the practical training required for the future growth of Canadian wines successfully. With a variety of wine-related programs, they are also able to learn about distilleries and breweries. This is also the first Teaching Winery in Canada. If you’re interested in a culinary experience, nearby is the Niagara College restaurant called Benchmark, which offers food, beer, and wine that’s created, prepared, and presented by their students. I’ve eaten here years ago and the food was quite good.
3 – Château des Charmes
Time Spent: If you want to do wine tastings, they last for 45 minutes. You can spend up to 2 hours here if you have an experience booked. Overall, I would spend at least an hour or 1.5 hours here if you want to take your time.
Interesting Facts: Château des Charmes is the first commercial vineyard in Canada and was created in 1978 by a 5th generation French winegrower. They’ve also created over 40 vintages in their vineyards so far.
4 – Trius Winery & Restaurant
Time Spent: This depends on if you want to just take a look at their store, walk around and browse their vineyards, or have a wine tasting and tour to see their facilities, or enjoy their 4-diamond farm-to-table dining experience (which I did for my birthday 1 year and food was delicious!) This is definitely a restaurant you should be visiting for your 1 night wine country getaway in Niagara-On-The-Lake and you can get a great view of the vineyards while you’re at it.
Interesting Facts: Trius Winery creates their wines to reflect the unique terrain of Canada’s vineyards. It is also home to Canada’s largest underground sparkling wine cellar where you your tour will be conducted (last time I went anyway and I was such an experience). Trius is also Niagara’s Icewine pioneer that has brought home medals across the world.
5 – Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery & Distillery
Time Spent: You can spend anywhere from 30 minute at the shop to at least 2 hours if you decide to stop and dine at the Whisky Bar or the Beer Garden where you can play a game of pool, ping pong, bocce or even ice skate in the winter.
Interesting Facts: If you don’t already know, Wayne Gretzky was a professional Canadian hockey player and head coach and played in 20 seasons for the NHL. His winery and distillery started based on the tradition of watching his grandfather pick and press his own grapes, and bottled his own wine. I also worked at a Belgian chocolate company (in marketing) who actually created custom whiskey chocolates for Wayne Gretzky Estates using their No.99 Cask Whiskey that you can find in their stores. We actually had a few bottles of these used for chocolate production, I’m surprised people didn’t take a shot when no one was looking!
6 – Joseph’s Estate Wines
Time Spent: If you’re doing a quick tasting, you can spend about 30 minutes here. If you want the full tour, give it at least 1 hour. You can tour the vineyards and wine cellars as well as have a chance to taste their award-winning wines. There are wine tastings and tours available and you can choose from having a private tour to a group of up to 55 people. Since it is a smaller winery, they have the ability to give you a more personal experience and tour packages and prices can vary according to your group and preferences. The time spent also depends on what kind of tour package you request.
Interesting Facts: Dr. Joseph Pohorly is one of the first winery owners in Niagara and is family-owned and run. He is a farmer’s son and is very familiar with growing crops and has even made the first Icewine for Hillebrand and became one of Canada’s Icewine pioneers.
7 – Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate
Time Spent: There are a variety of tasting and experiences to choose from here, and is one of the larger vineyard estates. Jackson-Triggs also has an outdoor Amphitheatre where concerts and other live performances take place each summer. So depending on what you want to do, you can spend at minimum 30 minutes here or a few hours but Jackson-Triggs should be a must-visit for your 1 night wine country getaway in Niagara-On-The-Lake.
Interesting Facts: Jackson-Triggs is one of Canada’s most awarded wineries and is known for their range of red, whites, and Icewines. There’s also a Jackson-Triggs vineyard in Okanagan Valley, British Columbia as well. They also won the gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition or the best Shiraz.
Where To Stay For A 1 Night Wine Country Getaway In Niagara-On-The-Lake
There are many smaller inns and bed and breakfasts around the area that are very quaint and really give a cottage country vibe, but if you like to be closer to a small town and easier access to shops and restaurants, then staying in Downtown, Niagara-On-The Lake will be your best choice. The most popular place to stay may be Riverbend Inn and Vineyard, but you can find great deals that suit your preferences for overnight stays here.
Second Day In Niagara-On-The-Lake
1 – Two Sisters Vineyard
Time Spent: After your 1 night wine country in Niagara-On-The-Lake, there is still much to do on your second day! At Two Sisters Vineyard, There are a few different tastings you can try, and like a lot of vineyards, the boutique tastings don’t require a reservation so you can try a few glasses of wine as you see fit. That can be as quick as 30 minutes or more than an hour depending on which tasting or tour you choose. You can learn about the art of wine-making, tour the grounds, and even have lunch or dinner at their Italian-inspired restaurant called Kitchen76.
Interesting Facts: Two Sisters is fixed on creating ultra-premium Niagara wines that are recognized around the world. Their first vineyard was just planted in 2007 and is one of Canada’s top growing companies.
2 – Peller Estates Winery & Restaurant
Time Spent: You can spend as little as 35 minutes at Peller Estates browsing their boutique store and as much as a couple hours if you decide to have an experience or a full tour and dine at The Winery Restaurant. The Barrel House Grill is also a great farm-to-table experience to savour fresh, local ingredients along with their fine wines. Some of these experiences or tours can be private or in a group with others, but I do find that they are very worth it and is a luxurious experience to enjoy for a wine country getaway in Niagara-On-The-Lake and you do not want to miss this stop. During the summers, they occasionally bring in food trucks in the back patio area for a fun, outdoor experience to go with their wines.
Interesting Facts: Andrew Peller, first arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia from Hungary and realized his dream in Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. It is now a 4th generation-owned Canadian family business with vineyards in British Columbia and Ontario. The most experiential and intriguing part of this winery is that you can visit the 10 Below Icewine Lounge, which is an igloo-like structure built from 13,607 kilograms of ice. If you don’t have a jacket for the this experience, don’t worry, they have jackets available for you to wear at no charge. Their award-winning and premiums include Trius Winery, Thirty Bench, Sandhill, Hillebrand, Copper Moon, Red Rooster, and Calona Vineyards. Like at Wayne Gretzky, Peller Estates was one of the wineries the chocolate company I worked at made chocolates for with their wine and you can find them in their shop.
3 – Fort George National Historic Site
Time Spent: You’ll need about 1 to 1.5 hours to spend touring through this National Historic Site. If you love history and war, this will be an interesting place to visit. You can see the fees here, but you can purchase admission tickets on-site.
Interesting Facts: Fort George is an 18th century military fort in Niagara-On-The-Lake and was used by the British Army and the US Armed Forces. The fort was mostly destroyed during the War of 1812 and features have been reconstructed since. Fort George was built as a secondary fort to Fort Niagara and assist as a defence in case there was an attack, but it was also used as a supply depot. You can also have a great view of the Lake and our US neighbors.
4 – Downtown Niagara-On-The-Lake
Time Spent: If you want to see everything along Downtown, including have a few wine tastings or dine at a restaurant, you can spend around 3 to 4 hours here if you really wanted to. Normally I spend under 3 hours here walking around, maybe enjoy some ice cream, browse a few shops, and grab a bite to eat.
Interesting Facts: Niagara-On-The-Lake was originally called Butlersburg when it was founded in 1781. The historic town of Niagara-On-The-Lake can be found bustling on the Queen Street area and there are many 19th century buildings. Some of the most haunted hotels can be found in Niagara-On-The-Lake: Brockamour Manor, Olde Angel Inn, and the Prince of Wales Hotel. There are also Ghost Walk Tours available if you’re brave (which I’m not).
5 – Queen’s Royal Park
Time Spent: You can spend up to 45 minutes walking around this park. The waters are beautifully blue when the sun is shining and offers great views of the historic Fort Niagara.
Interesting Facts: The famous gazebo at this park was created for the movie “The Dead Zone” with Christopher Walken and was donated to the town upon completion of filming. Also, the Queen’s Royal Hotel was originally in this location but a decline in tourism in the 1930s let to its demolition. The town then purchased this property and turned it into a park.
6 – Stratus Vineyards
Time Spent: You can sample their wines and taste by flight or by glass through their self-guided tastings in their Stratus Tasting Room or Teknion Tasting Studio. Guided tastings are also available and you can spend around 45 minutes to an hour here.
Interesting Facts: With their LEEDS-certified (Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design) facility, they work towards sustainability in what they do. They also have 1 of the few pump-free wineries in the world and wine is only transported through tanks or barrels. With a great environment and outstanding quality with their wines, you can have a truly unique wine experience here.
7 – Konzelmann Estate Winery
Time Spent: There are public, private, and workshop experiences available at Konzelmann Estates. You can spend a minimum of 35 minutes here or even up to 3 hours.
Interesting Facts: Konzelmann Estate Winery is the only lakefront winery in Niagara-On-The-Lake. Originally, this winery was founded in Germany and land was getting more expensive. When Konzelmann took a trip to British Columbia and realized the Canadian land had so much potential and was perfect for grape-growing, he moved his wine operations overseas. The first vintage was offered to the public in 1893.
Wine Country Touring Getaway Deals
Who doesn’t love a good deal? My Wine Country is a great website to also help plan out your itinerary with pre-booking your wine touring and dining experiences at better prices.
Other Niagara-On-The-Lake Wineries
For those of you who want to enjoy more of Niagara-On-The-Lake and their wineries, here are 28 other wineries that I did not mention in the itinerary above that you may want to visit during your stay:
Between The Lines Winery
Big Head Wines
Byland Estate Winery
Caroline Cellars
Colaneri Estate Winery
De Simone Vineyards
Ferox By Fabian Reis
Frogpond Farm Organic Winery
Hare Wine Co
Icellars Estate Winery
Inniskillin Wines
Lailey Winery
Lakeview Wine Co
Marynissen Estates
NOMAD At Hinterbrook Winery
Palatine Hills Estate Winery
Pillitteri Estates Winery
PondView Estate Winery
Queenston Mile Vineyard
Reif Estate Winery
Riverview Cellars Estate Winery
Small Talk Vineyards & Shiny Apple Cider
Southbrook Organic Vineyards
Strewn Winery
For more destination inspiration, check out my other travel blog posts!