While the Niagara wine region has plenty to offer, there was one area which we found lacking – live music. Most Niagara wineries focus on tastings, tours, and “experiences” and while we enjoy all of those things, we love listening to live music most of all. It was on our final day when we came upon one winery that truly embraces the live music experience…
Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate
Jackson-Triggs not only offers live music, they host a summer concert series in their gorgeous outside amphitheater. Don’t worry, they also have wine tastings, tours, and other experiences as well. Their elongated tasting room/production facility reminded me of a grandstand and unwittingly set the theme for the day. As it would turn out, all of the wineries that we visited on our last day had uniquely designed tasting rooms.
Jackson-Triggs has several options for one to chill out with a bottle of wine, whether it be in the picnic area next to the production facility, inside the Entourage room, or on the covered patio in front of the acres of vineyards. We opted for the patio and spent our time just soaking up the morning sun and sipping glasses of the 2023 Grand Reserve White Meritage. This semi-dry white wine with grapefruit notes was both bright and crisp – just like the morning itself.
Stratus Vineyards
Located just down the road from Jackson-Triggs, Stratus Vineyards has a bright, modern-styled tasting room which opens out to a dual-level patio surrounded by plush vineyards. It was here where we delved into Stratus’ wonderful world of wine blends. First up was the 2021 Stratus White, a Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend with a nice buttery flavor. Up next was the 2020 Stratus Red, a blend of 5 dry red grape varieties. Mark really enjoyed the oakiness of this one. We finished with the 2023 Stratus Icewine Red, a blend of 3 red grape varieties with cranberry notes. Yes, Stratus had great wines but what really set them apart was the service. Our table server actually took the time to guide us through the tasting without making us feel rushed or pressured to buy a bottle. We could have easily spent the remainder of our final day just unwinding there in front of the vineyards but there was one more stop to make…
Lakeview Wine Co.
As our final stop on our last day of the Niagara Wine Trail, Lakeview Wine Co. was tasked with meeting some serious expectations and guess what? They came through with flying colors! Lakeview is famous for its distinctive wedge-shaped tasting room, award-winning ice wines, and goat-friendly activities. The vibe inside the tasting room was similar to that of a beloved neighborhood bar – friendly atmosphere, smiling servers, and lively conversations. We had a great time just hanging out and comparing notes on the different wineries and our favorite books as we did our tasting. My favorites included the 2023 EastDell Pinot Grigio with its green apple notes, the citrusy and complex Pinot Noir Rose 2020, and the Vidal Icewine 2021 with its combination of honey and saltiness. The smoky, barrel-aged 2021 Fume Blanc hit all the right notes for Mark. And so, we ended our time on the Niagara wine trail on a high note and a promise to one day return so that we could do it all over again.
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