GREENLANE ESTATE
"People can stock up for their naughty weekend in Niagara, with some nibbles to enjoy in their fallsview room," jokes Robert Paul, president of GreenLane Estate Winery, as he describes the operation's convenient Beamsville location just off the QEW. His fridge full of artisanal cheese and shelves of local preserves complement any number of wines.
Former sommelier at the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville, Paul found himself drawn to Niagara by the legendary winemakers-Ziraldo and Bosc-whose wines he poured. Dating back to the 1990s, the winery changed hands several times before Paul transformed it into the small but stylish blend of antique (an old farm table in the tasting room) and modern (a chandelier modelled on a Saks Fifth Avenue fixture).
As he greets visitors, Paul shows them the magical combination of "sun, soil and situation" that leads to great wines. "Hold up your hand and feel the air; there's always a breeze," says Paul.
Winemaker Diane Smith, who comes to GreenLane from Southbrook, is busy in the production room where she's just bottled a couple of Rieslings. "The hand-harvested Old Vines Riesling is complex, with a big nose and is expected to age well," she says. Smith is working to make the vineyard as green as possible. "Slowly weaning it off drugs," says the jovial Paul as he pours a sample of the '07 cabernet-merlot. www.greenlanewinery.com
COLANERI ESTATE
After the small and intimate world of GreenLane, Colaneri Estate Winery's grand scale-some 31,000 square feet-seems a wee bit intimidating. Shaped like a massive C for Colaneri, the winery will be completed next year, with a tasting area featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking some 25 acres of vineyards. In the temporary tasting area, bistro tables overlook the production tanks; dark wood shelves add a stately feel.
Betty Colaneri, co-owner with her sister and their husbands, quickly puts us at ease as she pours wines made in the ancient Italian appassimento process-slightly drying the grapes before pressing to concentrate flavours and intensify colour. It's the style that makes Italian Amarone so appealing. Here, the method is applied to a variety of grapes, from Gewurztraminer to Cabernet. The Profundo, made with dried Pinot Grigio, makes a deliciously light alternative to icewine.
PONDVIEW ESTATE
It has long been said that great wines are made in the vineyard so it is not surprising that successful grape growers have opened their own wineries. At Pondview Estate Winery, Adriana Puglisi explains how her husband, who grew grapes for Château des Charmes, Strewn and Vincor, was crowned Grape King by his peers in 2008. The couple enjoyed a celebratory trip to British Columbia where they were inspired, seeing how grape growers like themselves were selling wine basically out of their kitchens. Now the winery, which opened last summer, shows its west-coast inspiration in the contemporary stonework of its tasting bar and its sloping pine ceilings.
The awards soon followed. Particularly impressive is the 2009 cabernet franc, a big full-bodied red. Visitors also come for the cheese and antipasto platters, big enough for two to share in the shade of the wrap-around verandah. www.pondviewwinery.com
RAVINE VINEYARD
It seems that no sooner is something built, than it becomes so popular it needs to expand. At Ravine Vineyard in St. David's, they opened a casual deli-restaurant last summer expecting to serve lunch to 50 people a day. When 350 starting turning up, it was time to expand. Bread is baked in a wood-burning oven and simple but outstanding lunches-burgers, salads-are made by chefs who have trained with the best: Daniel Boulud in New York and Michael Stadtlander in Ontario.
This summer will see the opening of a fine dining facility with spectacular vineyard views plus a casual outdoor space for Friday night pizza and freshly shucked oysters. Deli fans needn't worry. The original space with its wooden kitchen tables, mis-matched chairs and affordable lunch menu will remain. www.ravinevineyard.com
LOT 30/REIMER VINEYARDS
Some wineries are so new, they're still not quite sure about their name. At Lot 30 in Niagara-on-the-Lake they are changing the name to Reimer Vineyards. "I'm just waiting for it to get warm enough to change the sign outside," says Sue Reimer.
It's a fitting change since the entire Reimer family is involved in the business. Sue's husband Art is a grape grower who honed his skills as an amateur winemaker before building this small winery.
"The whole family does all the bottling; my mother and I seal the top of each bottle with melted soy wax," she says. "That's the kind of intensive labour that you can only put in with family in a small winery."
Working towards official organic certification, the winery uses natural methods such as pheromones and hot pepper oil to control pests. And if you are looking for an affordable opportunity to stay at a winery, this is it. The fully furnished three-bedroom bungalow adjoining the winery rents for $260 a night.
BETWEEN THE LINES
At a winery as small as Between the Lines, you are almost certain to stumble upon the winemaker or one of his family. Greg Wertsch pours samples of the '09 rosé he made while his brother Yannick, the official winemaker, was studying in Germany. Greg, who teaches wine production and viticulture at Niagara College, is proud of the wine's deep colour and maschino-tinged flavour.
"We use the cool climate to make aromatic whites and reds. You have to work clean and ferment at cooler temperatures to get the aromas," he says. A do-it-all kind of guy, Greg has just finished panelling the tasting room, perhaps with a view to making it a little more comfortable on some of the nights he sleeps in the renovated 1920s barn during production time. www.betweenthelineswinery.com
HINTERBROOK ESTATE
Energy- and eco-friendly Hinterbrook Estate Winery is so new they were still grading the driveway when I arrived last week. The winery reception centre is also under construction, but a temporary room complete with eco-conscious bamboo bar has been installed in the main winery to receive visitors this summer.
Proprietor Phil Nickel enthuses over the soon-to-be released 2010 vintages, including a "wow" pinot noir, as he shows off the property. A massive 10-kilowatt solar panel generates enough power to meet the winery's needs. "That area," he says, gesturing to a gravel bed topped with a dump truck, "is where the events lawn will be. Below it is a geo-thermal bed with 5,000 feet of piping," he adds.
Not only gentle on the environment, the winery aims to be gentle with the wines, using gravity feeds, to avoid harshness. Just watching him run his hand over a stainless steel tank, you can see the passion. "These are made in Germany, so carefully welded there are no pits in the seams to harbour bacteria." It's the level of detail one expects from a hands-on owner.
In Niagara, Vintage Hotels offer luxurious accommodations conveniently located for exploring wine country.