Our mission – to explore the 38 wineries of the Niagara-on-the-Lake area. Time frame: 4 days. Of course we accepted the challenge and so, over the next 4 blogs, I will highlight my favorite wineries and cideries from each day of our trip.
Colaneri Estate Winery
Talk about starting things off with a bang! Colaneri Estate is one of those wineries that takes your breath away the minute it comes into view. From its Romanesque, C-shaped structure to its vast acreage of vineyards, Colaneri Estate is Instagram gold. Reservations are required for tastings, which we didn’t have, so instead we savored a flight out among the beautiful flower gardens on the Piazza Colaneri.
We started with the 2019 Allegria, a dry white that was enjoyably smooth. The 2021 Pinot Grigio was a complex semi-dry with nice pear and apple notes but my overall favorite was the 2020 Riesling, bright, light and a joy to drink.
While Colaneri Estate Winery was the perfect introduction to the Wine Trail, it also set the bar very high indeed. Nevertheless, it was time to move on and as it turned out, our next stop was a mere two minutes down the road…
Queenston Mile Vineyard
By now, it was lunchtime and Queenston Mile not only met but exceeded all expectations. You know you’ve made a wise decision when even the side salad is delectable – crisp and fresh with just the right amount of dressing. The Muffaletta sandwich was also divine. I opted for the fruity delights of the White Peach Sangria while Mark relished the 2019 Viognier, a buttery dry white aged in French Oak.
Queenston Mile Vineyard has an unpretentious, family and dog friendly atmosphere where you can kick back and enjoy everything from dry wines to sangrias to mimosas to slushies. Even better, you can either sit outside near the wildflowers and vineyards or enjoy the comforts of their climate-controlled tasting room.
Alas, we soon discovered that this was not the case for the next several wineries we visited. Due to budget and time constraints, we did not make any reservations for tastings or tours and thus were relegated to outside seating. As the day wore on and the temperatures rose, sitting outside on hot patios became tiresome, so we decided to try our luck with the cideries.
Shiny Apple Cider
With its pastel color scheme and fruit-infused hard ciders, Shiny Apple has a fun, colorful vibe. I enjoyed their original, slightly tart Apple Cider, the sweet and juicy Peach Cider, and the lightly carbonated and fruity Pineapple Mango Cider. Their friendly staff, super comfy couches, and much-needed AC were indeed enticing but we had one more stop to make so we bid a reluctant adieu and moved on…
Ironwood Cider House
Ah, air conditioning, great hard cider, a gorgeous tasting room with an upstairs art gallery, and an engaging server – what more could we ask for? Ironwood’s OG was a crisp, standard apple cider that could easily hold its own alongside Angry Orchard or Bold Rock’s. The Ciderita was exactly as its name implied – a sweet, margarita-flavored cider. But the cider that won my heart was a unique citrusy blend called Yuja that has to be tasted to be believed. We had a blast – sipping cider and enjoying lively conversations with both the staff as well as the other patrons. Thus we ended our first day on a very high note – stay tuned for more adventures from the Niagara Region Wine Trails.
Comments