Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery
Harald Thiel ran a successful audio/visual business with his brother before cashing out in 2003 to focus on a lifelong passion. Settling on prime land in the Beamsville Bench district, he aimed for the stars. Fine restaurants soon flocked to his door begging for the superpremium rieslings and Burgundian-styled pinot noirs and chardonnays. The two best offerings, though, are based on the Bordeaux model, a superb $40 white called Nuit Blanche blended from sauvignon blanc and semillon and an $85 red called La Brunante, made from merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and cabernet franc. 905-563-8700, www.hiddenbench.com.
Megalomaniac
The amiable “megalomaniac” John Howard laughs at the irony of his unusual tasting counter, a kitschy, nine-meter-long wooden bar surrounded by fermenting vats and hoses. The former owner of nearby Vineland Estates Winery, which he sold for a tidy profit in 2004, had spent $1.5-million erecting a flashy retail and tasting space for that property. “This tasting bar I bought out of an old saloon in St. Catharines for fifteen hundred bucks,” he says. “It’s right in the middle of the tank room, and people love it.” Irreverence notwithstanding, Mr. Howard’s consulting winemaker, Sue-Ann Staff produces some of the best – and best-value – big reds in Ontario. 1-888-634-2561, www.megalomaniacwine.com.
Tawse Winery
Since opening in 2005, Tawse set a new standard for consistent quality in Niagara. Moray Tawse brought his passion for top French Burgundy to bear on 144 prime acres in the Beamsville Bench area. The graceful wines tend to be pure expressions of their respective grape varieties and span the gamut from light riesling to full-bodied cabernet, all crafted by Niagara College graduate Paul Pender with the help of Burgundy-based consultant and Montreal native Pascal Marchand. 905-562-9500, www.tawsewinery.ca.
13th Street Winery
Careful with your GPS setting; this place is on Fourth Avenue. The name dates to a previous location, a farm owned by co-founder and local sparkling-wine pioneer Gunther Funk. It’s now owned by the Whitty and Mann families, with histories in fruit farming and auto dealerships, respectively. They moved it eastward and figuratively upward. French-native Jean-Pierre Colas, previously a star in Chablis, makes nuanced wines. Everything here is good, but sparkling wine and gamay are the signatures. An elaborately renovated old farmhouse, brimming with contemporary art, serves cheeses and charcuterie on the wraparound porch Wednesday to Saturday. 905-984-8463, www.13thstreetwinery.com.
Malivoire Wine
Martin Malivoire, a movie special-effects entrepreneur, and Moira Saganski, launched this Beamsville estate in 1995, becoming early adopters of organic, sustainable farming. The lower-end wines tend to represent good value and the gewürztraminer ($24.95) and superpremium Moira Chardonnay ($39.95) are excellent. Mr. Malivoire recently raised eyebrows, though, with a pinot noir called Cat on the Bench, priced at – wait for it – $100.20.1-866-644-2244, www.malivoire.com.
Peller Estates
This large winery merits a visit just for Jason Parsons’s splendid cooking in the upscale restaurant, which was the recent setting for Top Chef Canada’s season finale. Another draw is the Reserve Boutique, a clubby, invitation-only back room where you can taste at a leisurely pace and engage in geeky winespeak with a sommelier away from the madding crowd. (Insider tip: Your ticket in is to show keen interest in the offerings at the regular tasting counter or retail shop.) The Ice Cuvee bubbly and Signature Series Sauvignon Blanc are wonderful.1-888-673-5537, www.peller.com.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Cave Spring Cellars (for the old-vines CSV riesling); Henry of Pelham (for the broad range of well-priced offerings); Southbrook Vineyards (for the sun-lit, eco-friendly building); and Stratus (for the petit verdot and flagship red blend).
