Intimate wineries, long meals and relaxed schedule
WEEKEND or FULL DAY | YEAR-ROUND | SLOW PACE
Couples Retreat
TRIP PLANNER
Work hard, relax hard in wine country
Slow things down a bit with a romantic excursion to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Leave the kids with the grandparents and treat yourself.
MORNING KICKOFF
Lailey Winery
Vibe: Wild ferments and super educational staff
Staff Pick: Stonebridge Chardonnay
You don’t need all frills and entertainment when you make wines of this quality. There’s a lot of Chardonnay in Niagara but very few taste like these.
Lakeview Wine Co.
Vibe: Lots of variety in an elegant and cozy tasting room
Staff Pick: Twenty Bees Sparkling Methode Cuvee Close
A modern and sustainable winery working with family growers across Niagara. They have a newly opened shipping container kitchen out back for when hunger strikes. Lots of variety in the tasting room from Viognier to bourbon-barrel aged wines.
Bella Terra Vineyards
Vibe: Lookout over a 50-acre family farm
Staff Pick: Wild Ferment Riesling
Grassroots, low-intervention and set on land the Puglisi family has farmed since 1974. Build a charcuterie board and take it out onto the terrace to unplug for a while.
Where to eat in Niagara-on-the-Lake
“Grab a bite to eat and sit at the chef’s counter, watch them do all of their magic.”
Treadwell
114 Queen St — Old Town
A culinary fixture in NOTL Old Town. Seasonal menu, rewritten constantly and one of the best wine lists in town with plenty of Niagara representation.
Zees Wine Bar & Grill
92 Picton St — Old Town
Enjoy a pre-show lunch (reservations required!) or enjoy a leisurely steak dinner at Zees Grill at the edge of Old Town beside the Shaw Festival Theatre. Beautiful patio in the summer!
“Fantastic place to eat. If you call for reservations and you have a show to go to, they’ll give you a recommendation for the time to come and eat.”
HERE’S YOUR AFTERNOON
Riverview Cellars Estate Winery
Vibe: Small, family-run, and about ten steps from a river walk.
Staff Pick: Salvatore’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Basket Press
Twenty-six years in business, same family on the property since the '70s, everything grown and made on site. Enjoy a post-winery stroll down the river, stone’s throw from the winery’s patio.
Strewn Winery
Vibe: Elegant winery restaurant that offers cooking classes
Staff Pick: Terroir Riesling
Strewn pairs a working recreational cooking school with the tasting room and restaurant. Founder Jane Langley is food writer so the quality is superb at all three. The site is a former canning factory that’s been lovingly converted. Be sure to book a cooking class (reservation required) to make it a tasting and a fun activity.
Things to do in Niagara
Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club
143 Front St — Old Town
The oldest continuing golf club in North America. It’s a great course, but if you ask locals, its restaurant has one of the best patios. An incredibly view across Lake Ontario — on clear days you can see the Toronto skyline in the distance.
“They pride themselves on being kind of a jazz lounge, but any of their duets or triplets that end up playing on the stage are dynamite. Just immaculate vibes.”
Siris Tasting Room
39 James St — St. Catharines
Worth the twenty-minute drive. A jazz lounge run by a winemaker and his wife, with a tasting menu and live music most nights they're open.
How It Works:
No reservations required. Just show up and show your pass
Valid for one year from date of purchase
50% of proceeds from this pass go to local charities
What’s Included:
1 tasting per winery, available Monday through Friday
FREE visit to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Our recommended Tasting Pass for first-timers and wine lovers that want to explore Niagara-on-the-Lake at their own pace. This pass includes one tasting at each of our 25 member wineries.
Winemakers’ Tasting Pass
$59.62 / person (taxes + fees included)
Plan Your Trip to the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake
FUN, NOT FUSSY
FAMILY FRIENDLY
GIRLS DAY OUT
NOTL CLASSICS
COUPLES RETREAT
