Stone Eagle Winery, a destination winery and restaurant, opened earlier this month.Stone Eagle Winery/Stone Eagle Winery
Boxes of artificial garlands and Christmas trees stand in the lobby of Niagara’s newest winery, in preparation of the most decorative time of the year, but the proprietors of Stone Eagle Winery wonder if it’s enough to fill this grand gathering space.
“Wine tastes better in a beautiful environment,” explains Melissa Marotta-Paolicelli before outlining a to-do list with sister and Stone Eagle co-owner Angela Marotta that includes adjusting lighting in the restaurant and tasting room to create the right ambiance.
With an estimated investment of $40-million, based on reports to Niagara-on-the-Lake town council, Stone Eagle represents a huge vote of confidence in continued growth of a luxury wine tourism in the region. After years of planning, the destination winery and restaurant opened earlier this month and its owners and staff are figuring out how to best inhabit the space.
The tasting room and restaurant are closed on this Monday, allowing for decorating and tinkering to occur unobstructed after a busy weekend hosting guests at the Marotta family’s latest development. Stone Eagle joins Two Sisters Vineyards, which opened in 2014, and 11th Post on Queen Restaurant, established in 2023. (Other Niagara-on-the-Lake projects are in the works, including a 129-room hotel and conference centre slated to open in 2027.)
“We’re creating an atmosphere of enjoyment,” Marotta-Paolicelli says.
The winery’s opening inventory has five wines.Stone Eagle Winery
Located across the road from Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate and Stratus Vineyard, Stone Eagle doesn’t disguise its over-the-top ambition. The 5,575-square-metre facility was built to be a step above Two Sisters Vineyards, which is widely celebrated for the quality of its extensive portfolio of enjoyable red, white, sweet and sparkling wines and on-site restaurant Kitchen76.
Stone Eagle’s opening inventory features five wines, the least expensive being a $58 bottle of rosé made in 2024 from cabernet franc grapes. The flagship is the Special Selection, a cabernet-merlot blend from 2020 that conjures up the succulence and concentration of Napa with a price to match ($195 a bottle). The site includes a lavish ballroom for weddings and large events, a fine-dining restaurant, tasting bar and a winemaking area and cellar. There’s even a helipad. Everything you’d expect to find at a winery, perhaps more – except for a wine boutique.
Cynics are bound to say that’s because bottles won’t sell at those prices. The prices are high, but so is the quality. Consumers can determine for themselves how much they are prepared to pay for a bottle.
Melissa Marotta-Paolicelli, left, and Angela Marotta.Stone Eagle Winery
A hyperfixation on delivering an impeccable food and wine experience mean there aren’t any books, candles, coasters, winery merchandise or glassware for sale. Guests can purchase wines to take home from the tasting bar, selecting bottles from shelves in the restaurant area. (The property operates with an age restriction, welcoming persons 16 years or older.)
“We didn’t plan to do another winery, with a restaurant, a ballroom and this level of risk, but the reception of the Stone Eagle wines pushed us in this direction,” says Melissa Marotta-Paolicelli. “There is no limit to what Niagara is capable of producing.”
The first Stone Eagle red blend was created from the 2012 vintage, when winemaker Adam Pearce blended what he believed to be the best expression of cabernet and merlot from an exceptional hot and dry vintage. The Niagara native continued to produce the top-tier, adding more wines to the collection when he found wine styles that reached the high standards of the inaugural release.
The popularity of Stone Eagle lineup inspired the family to acquire additional vineyards and work toward creating this classical Italian-style building to house some of the most expensive Canadian red wines released.
Stone Eagle Winery
“There’s no place like Niagara-on-the-Lake,” Marotta-Paolicelli explains. “We thought if we didn’t do something more premium, with the knowledge and following that we have, somebody else will.” (A similar sentiment is fuelling construction of the Clayfield, a luxury Hyatt hotel, down the road. The four-storey, 102-room building is expected to open next year.)
Wine tastings at Stone Eagle are sommelier-led experiences, starting with The Signature Experience ($90 a person) that includes small-bite food pairings for each of the five Stone Eagle wines. More streamlined tastings of three and four wines are also available for $50 and $65 a person respectively. The experiences aim to be informative and inviting rather than intimidating, according to Marotta.
“Our staff understand we are trying to create a welcoming feeling for people when they walk in the doors,” she says.
Clos du Soleil Syrah 2022 (Canada), $38.99
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Rating: 93
This fragrant and flavourful syrah (co-fermented with a small addition of viognier grapes) from vineyards in the Similkameen Valley offers intense dark fruit, floral and sage notes. It’s a delight expression of the grape and the place, balancing fruit intensity with savoury character for a complex and age-worthy red wine. This has 14.7 per cent ABV. Vegan. Drink now to 2032. Available in British Columbia, $39.90 direct, closdusoleil.ca.
Reif Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Canada), $34.95
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Rating: 91
From Reif’s estate vineyards alongside the Niagara River, this cabernet sauvignon shows classic cedary and plummy character. A richly textured mix of dark fruit, spice and savoury notes make for a red wine that’s best enjoyed with a meal. Decant for best enjoyment. This has 12.6 per cent ABV and 2 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2032. Available in Ontario.
Stone Eagle Eagle Eye 2022 (Canada), $90
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Rating: 95
First produced in 2019, Eagle Eye is a focused and perfumed barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc and semillon, which is the standout of the Stone Eagle range to my taste. It offers nice interplay between zesty and rich components as part of a complex and flavourful white with lanolin, vanilla and fennel on the lingering finish. Balance, intensity, depth of flavour and length, this checks all the boxes. This has 13.5 per cent ABV. Drink now to 2030. Available direct, stoneeaglewinery.com.