Wineries near Niagara Falls in Canada | Tastings, Tours & Shops

If you’re a wine lover, consider setting aside at least one day to explore Ontario’s Niagara wine region. In addition to the magnificent Niagara Falls, you’ll find top-rated Niagara winery tours from Toronto are under a two-hour drive away.

Niagara-on-the-Lake and its surrounding terroir are home to vineyards serving award-winning wines and fine dining, making a stop (or several) a must en route to or from Niagara Falls.

Whether you hop from tasting at one winery to the next or focus on a winery tour and dinner at just one of these Niagara gems, be sure to save room in your luggage for a bottle or two for the most delicious souvenirs of your visit.

Top wineries to visit near Niagara Falls

Pearl Morissette Winery

Founded in 2007, the primarily organic Pearl Morissette Winery is led by Quebec-born winemaker Francois Morissette. He studied winemaking in France and then furthered his sommelier training in Canada.

At this Lincoln, Ontario, winery the grapes are picked by hand in small 15-kg (33-lb) batches, with careful consideration of ripeness. Pearl Morisette Winery has won numerous awards for its wines, which are mostly bottled without fining or filtering.

The winery doesn’t shy away from unconventional thinking either: when a 2010 Riesling was deemed atypical by the Vintners Quality Alliance, Pearl Morissette called it “Black Ball Riesling” and it promptly sold out.

The winery’s stunning Restaurant Pearl Morissette is just as celebrated as its namesake, with both a MICHELIN Star and a MICHELIN Green Star. It’s often named one of Canada’s top restaurants, and scoring a reservation for its prix-fixe dining can be as tough as getting Taylor Swift tickets.

Taste this: Cuvee Mon Unique, a gamay that Restaurant Pearl Morissette chef Daniel Hadida once named as his favourite.

Book it: wine tasting and one-hour discussion, $50

Where to find it in Toronto: enjoy Pearl Morissette wine at Evangeline or pick up a bottle at Grape Witches if you can—it consistently sells out.

Stratus Vineyards

This Niagara-on-the-Lake pioneer was the first winery in the world to be LEED-certified. On the 25-hectare (62-acre) vineyard, with limestone-rich soil and Lake Ontario nearby, they use eco-friendly practices and grow 16 varieties of grapes (10 red and six white) for Stratus Vineyard’s renowned blended wines.

Stratus Vineyards is also one of the few wineries in the world that have a complete gravity flow, meaning that it is pump-free in its wine production.

Another unique, sustainable method they use here is biochar, which involves repurposing vineyard waste, such as vine cuttings and trunks, by heating the waste in an oxygen-limited environment. This creates fine, porous charcoal that they use as an amendment to the vineyard’s soil.

This spring, they launched a new wine (2021 Stratus PVMT) in reused bottles, making them the first North American winery to reuse its own glass bottles.

Taste this: the winery’s flagship Red—the 2020 release is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec—has notes of black raspberry.

Book it: wine flight tasting, $25

Where to find it in Toronto: many Toronto restaurants have Stratus wines on their menu, including 360 Restaurant at the CN Tower, the Chef’s House and Scaramouche.

Cave Spring Vineyard

One of the oldest vineyards in the Niagara Peninsula, Cave Spring Vineyard is renowned for its elegant, cool-climate wines.

Its chic, bright and airy tasting room is set on the vineyard’s beautiful sprawling estate in Beamsville on the Niagara Escarpment, where you can enjoy sweeping views of Lake Ontario.

Plan to take a tour of its cellar—the oldest underground cellar in the province (the historic winery building dates back to 1871). The vintners at Cave Spring embrace the classic grape varieties of Europe (known as Vitis vinifera), pairing them with a deep understanding of the Beamsville Bench’s cool climate to showcase the region’s terroir.

Taste this: Cave Spring is especially known for its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Riesling (which you’ll find on many must-try buying guides).

Book it: wine flight tasting, $20.

Where to find in Toronto: at South American restaurant Baro and Bridgette Bar at The Well.

Southbrook Organic Vineyards

A pioneer in sustainable winemaking, Southbrook Organic Vineyards was the first winery in Canada to be certified both Organic by Ecocert and Biodynamic by Demeter.

The winery uses these eco-friendly principles to develop its age-worthy wines at its 60-hectare (150-acre) vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Its sleek, ultra-modern hospitality pavilion is a striking architectural element set against the Niagara landscape, with natural light flooding into the spacious contemporary tasting room. In the warmer months, enjoy a glass of Southbrook wine and a fresh slice of pizza on their patio.

Taste this: while all of Southbrook’s vegan-friendly wines are worthy, its Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Bordeaux blends and Chardonnay are standouts.

Book it: wine flight tasting, $20.

Where to find in Toronto: enjoy one of Southbrook’s orange wines at Danny’s Pizza Tavern.

Hidden Bench Estate Winery

This boutique winery (producing only 120,000 bottles annually) exclusively uses grapes from its three estate vineyards, all located in the bucolic Beamsville Bench, to produce primarily Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

A lineup of mineral-driven wines has consistently landed Hidden Bench on the top of Canadian wine awards lists every year since it opened in 2007.

Surrounded by peach trees, this charming Niagara winery, with its picturesque stone and wood building, has a slight off-the-beaten-track vibe. Stop by and you’ll feel like you’ve discovered a delicious little secret!

Taste this: their limited-quantity white and red Meritages (Nuit Blanche and Terroir Cache) are hot commodities best accessed through their wine club and wine subscription service.

Book it: curated 45-minute wine-tasting experience, $35.

Where to find in Toronto: in the downtown core at Richmond Station, which also has one of the top tasting menus in the city.

Private Toronto to Niagara wine tours

Looking for a private Toronto to Niagara wine-tasting tour? Book a full- or half-day winery tour with transportation through operators like Niagara Vintage Wine Tours, New World Wine Tours, Winery Guys Tours or Grape Escape Wine Tours.