Niagara-on-the-Lake Chateau des Charmes Wines Ltd. P.O. Box 280 - St. David's 1025 York Rd. Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON Tel: 905-262-4219 Fax: 905-262-5548 Website: http://www.chateaudescharmes.com/
	Chateau des Charmes	entrance sign

Hours: Daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Major intersection: -QEW and York Road (Exit 38B - Hwy 55, Niagara-on-the-Lake)

Tours: Public tours are held at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., seven days a week for $2/person and are approximately one hour in length. The barrel room are not accessible. Private tours may also be booked for groups of 15 people or more.

Parking: There are 75 parking spaces on a paved parking lot in addition to bus parking facilities. The front entrance may be used as an unloading/loading area for guests as the Chateau parking is about 100 yards from the building. Vehicles with side-loading ramps can usually find a spot at the end of a row.

The dictionary defines a chateau as a French castle or a stately mansion imitating a French castle. That is precisely the impression you get as you approach the Chateau des Charmes winery, which opened in May 1994. It is actually celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2003 as the original winery, located seven kilometres away, was founded in 1978. Towering majestically over beautifully manicured lawns and purple, yellow and red flower gardens, the stone mansion oversees 250 acres of vineyards. Another 100 acres are currently under development. A plaque on the grounds informs visitors The
Fairmont Royal York Hotel of Toronto and Chateau des Charmes have joined in a unique vineyard partnership. Portions of the St. David's Bench Vineyard, which surrounds the chateau, have been selected to be featured in wines that are exclusive to the famous Royal York Hotel. Annually, the Royal York staff will participate in the harvesting and production of their wines.

Ramp up to entrance	flowered ramp

Paved walkways and ramps flank both sides of the centre steps leading to the entrance and two sets of double automatic doors. The large, bright foyer is in the centre of the building with offices, a boutique and the different production areas branching out.

Toilet with bars	sink with lever handles

Just down the hall to the right is an accessible washroom. This truly accessible family style washroom has a 34" wide doorway with a lever handle and inside dimensions of 82" x 114". The toilet is 17" high with a grab bar above the tank at the back and an upside down V grab bar to the left of the toilet. The sink is open below, has lever
handles on the faucet and a tilted mirror above. The soap dispenser is low and to the right of the sink.

The wine boutique is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and this is where people register for the tours. Along with a vast selection of wines, the boutique features glassware, t-shirts, icewine chocolate truffles, and assorted wine accessories. Of special interest we noticed a magnum of icewine on display. We learned it was a one-of-a-kind 1998 vidal icewine, the magnum is actually 1.5 litres and sells for $300.

Off to the left of the foyer and through double French doors are the fermentation and crush rooms, the first steps in winemaking. Rebecca, our guide, explained how the grapes go into the destemmer and crusher, which, as the name implies, destems the grapes, removes the leaves and crushes the fruit. The grape pulp goes directly into the tanks for red wine whereas for white wine the fruit goes into the presses and only the juice goes into the tanks. Yeast is added during the fermentation process in the tanks. The yeast will consume the sugar to make alcohol. After two or three weeks' fermentation, the juice flows downstairs where it stays for six months to a year - whites in stainless steel, except for chardonnay which goes into oak, and reds go into barrels.

Part of bottling section	Doing specialty labels	Bottling section

We then visited the inspection process and bottling line. This is located down the hall past the accessible washroom. Here we were fortunate to see workers labelling bottles of icewine by hand with special tiny labels that could not be applied by machine. In this production room the various machinery washes bottles, fills them with wine, corks them, attaches the VQA capsule and
labels them. The only part of the tour not accessible is the underground barrel cellars.

Tent at rear for dinners, conferences, etc.	view from tent	vineyards at rear

Another set of double doors leads to the outdoor Vineyard Courtyard patio at the rear of the chateau. This lovely marquis-covered courtyard overlooking St. David's Bench Vineyard seats 200 at linen-dressed tables and is surrounded by beautiful rose gardens. Also, each row of grape vines has a rose bush planted at the end of it. Why? Roses are succeptible to the same kinds of mold and blight that can affect grapes. When the rose bushes show a problem, it forewarns the vineyard caretaker that there could be trouble.

Rose garden and vineyards	Roses at end of each vine row	Petunias at entrance

The chateau hosts a number of special events throughout the year including winemaker's dinners, special tastings, wine seminars, art exhibits, and concerts. It's always a good idea to call ahead to confirm dates.
On the other side of York Road and directly opposite the chateau is the Bosc family homestead, owners of the winery, and the Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard. The Bosc family is now into the sixth generation of winegrowing expertise.

Windmill in vineyard

When approaching the chateau you might wonder what those big posts are that you see rising 12-15 metres high and interspersed throughout the vineyards. They are, in fact, big wind machines that circulates the warm and cold layers of air above the vines, raising temperatures to prevent freezing and damage to vines and grapes. Chateau des Charmes is the first winery in Canada to use the big fans, which are quite common in U.S. vineyards. We're told these machines can raise the vineyard's temperature an average of 5 degrees Celsius to keep the air above the -20 degrees Celsius danger point. The Bosc family also sells these wind machines.
There is no restaurant on the premises.

Hillebrand Estates Winery
1249 Niagara Stone Rd.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Tel: 905-468-7123
Fax: 905-468-4789
Website: http://www.hillebrand.com/
Major intersection: York Road and Hwy. 55
Hours of operation: Fall/Winter/Spring Hours - 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday - Thursday &10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday & Saturday; Summer Hours - 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
The winery has two parking spots designated for people with disabilities.
There is a flat surface entrance to the retail shop/gift boutique and a ramp entrance into the restaurant. The public restroom is wheelchair accessible as is the restaurant washroom. The restaurant serves lunch from 12 - 3 p.m.
and dinner seatings are from 5 - 8 p.m.
Winery tours with a modified route have been designed for people in wheelchairs. Visitors do not have to wait long for a tour of the premises as tours are held every hour on the hour between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. during
fall/winter/spring and every hour on the hour between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. during the summer months. Tours are also held at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday during the summer.

Tours: Inniskillin offers a variety of tours for visitors.
Self-guided tour: If time is not a factor, you may choose to take the self-guided tour and learn all about wine making at your leisure. This tour is easy to follow, as you will visit a series of 20 stations situated around the winery, all clearly numbered. Each station features a plaque that clearly outlines a process in wine making. Reservations are not required and there is no charge. You may tour any time between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the summer months and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the winter.
Pubic tour: This is a guided tour for 15 or fewer persons. From May to October tours are offered at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. seven days a week. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes. From November to April tours are at the same times but only on weekends. There is no charge. Persons with disabilities can see 90% of the tour, the exception being the underground vintage wine library.
Pre-arranged tour: A variety of guided tours are offered for groups of 15 or more persons and reservations are needed. Charges will apply depending on the tour and tasting options. Duration will vary according to which tour package is selected. If a person with special needs will be attending it is recommended you inform the winery when booking. There is no restaurant at the winery.

Parking: There is a huge paved parking lot with two designated spaces although somewhat on the small side.

Historic and rustic best describes this winery, which was incorporated on July 31, 1975. With a link to a wee bit of Scotland, the Inniskillin vineyard is called The Brae Burn Estate, and the winery boutique and tour centre are ensconced in the beautifully restored Brae Burn Barn, originally constructed in the mid-1920s as a horse barn. Translated from the Gaelic for 'hill' and 'stream' Brae Burn refers to the Niagara Escarpment and Niagara River. And if you detect a little bit of Irish in the name Inniskillin, that's because the name comes from an Irish regiment - the Inniskilling Fusiliers - whose Colonel Cooper served in North America in the War of 1812.
The colonel was granted Crown land for his service, which he renamed the Inniskillin Farm. If that isn't enough history for you, it is thought that the barn was designed or influenced by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright because of its similarity to his design of the Larkin Building in Buffalo, New York.

After reversing into a parking spot to better accommodate the side-loading ramp, we followed the signs for the main entrance to the barn. Taken somewhat aback by the step leading into the barn - impossible for someone in a wheelchair or on a scooter - an employee directed us around the back of the building to a ramped entrance. We're told that expansion of the boutique is in the works so hopefully there will be access from the front. Until then, a sign directing wheelchair and scooter users would be helpful.

As we made our way along the side of the barn on a hot August morning, beautiful roses were in full bloom climbing up the side of the building, and picnic tables on the back lawn offered a quiet resting place. We were told that from this vantage point at the rear of the barn the winery is located between Youngstown and Lewiston in New York State.

Along with a huge stock of wines and wine accessories, the boutique features an assortment of books on wine, wine glasses designed by Riedel Crystal of Austria, wine jellies, jams and vinegars, such as the taste-tempting raspberry champagne jam at $6 for 250 mL. Of special interest was the computer station where a visitor can take an Internet tour of the winery.
The tasting bar in the boutique is open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The first nine stations of the self-guided tour are in a separate small barn across the courtyard, which is partly covered with trellises and masses of wisteria. You will notice signage in a number of languages. Besides the required English and French, there is Japanese, Italian and German.

This area, which borders the parking lot and can be entered from the front or the back, also houses an accessible washroom. The outer door to the washroom opens toward you. The narrowest part of the washroom is 36". The door to the accessible stall opens inward and has a low coat or purse hook.
The toilet is 17 ½" high with grab bars. The stall is roomy with dimensions of 113" x 64". There are three sinks with the accessible sink open below.
However, the soap on the back wall would be difficult to reach for wheelchair users but reachable for persons on scooters. Similarly, the paper towel holder is too high for persons in wheelchairs.

After proceeding through stations 10 to 15 which included pressing, fermentation, red wine production and white wine production, we encountered steps leading down and then up to the next stations. At this junction our guide pointed out that anyone unable to manage steps could backtrack and take an alternative route, not missing out on any of the stations16 to 20.
Of special interest were the doors to the above ground barrel-aging cellars, which had beautifully ornate door pulls. These cellars contained more than 1,000 225-litre barrels. We learned that a wine barrel maker will check the wine from his barrels to make sure it is up to scratch for his barrels; he will then sign off on the barrels. It should be noted that self-guided tours are not allowed in here but guided tours are.

Inniskillin produces 160,000 cases of wine each year from 425 acres of vineyards. The winery owns approximately 30% of that acreage with the remainder long-term contracted to key growers. The wine is available across North America, Asia and Europe and has won numerous awards, notably for its icewine. Most recently it won the Best Sweet Wine award at the prestigious Vinexpo in Bordeaux, France in June 2003. At that same wine event in 1991 an international panel of judges voted Inniskillin 1989 Icewine the fair's highest award, Le Grand Prix d'Honneur. Also in 2003 Inniskillin was awarded the Gran Medaglia D'Oro (Great Gold Medal) for its 2001 Riesling Icewine VQA Niagara Peninsula at Vinitaly in Verona, Italy.

If you would like to be among the 300,000 visitors who annually tour Inniskillin Winery, it is located just off the Niagara Parkway on Line 3 (Service Road 66) 10 kilometres north of Niagara Falls and is 1 1/2 hrs from
Toronto.

Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery 2145 Regional Road 55 Niagara-on-the-Lake ON Tel: 905-468-4637 Toll free: 1-866-589-4637 Web site: http://www.jacksontriggswinery.com/
	Exciting modern building	view from above

Major intersection: Regional Road 55 and East and West Line; easy to find just out of Niagara-on-the-Lake on Niagara Stone Road.

Tours: Tours are held seven days a week. They begin at 10:30 a.m. and go every half hour until 5:30 p.m. The cost of the tour is $5.00 per person and you are given a $5 voucher which can be redeemed at the end of the tour towards your purchase of a bottle of wine. The tour consists of a 30-minute walking through the production facility where the tour guide explains the winemaking process. Then there is a 15-minute structured tasting of three wines at the end. The whole tour lasts about 45 minutes and is 100 per cent accessible.
Private guided tours are available by appointment.

Good signage	water trough at entrance	flowers everywhere

Parking: There are multiple paved parking lots at this winery with two designated parking spots up close to the facility. These spots are easily found by just following the signs for designated parking. The parking spaces are large enough to accommodate side-loading vehicles.

Architecturally unique, Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery is a multiple award-winning state-of-the-art facility constructed in 2001. It is situated at the end of a curving drive through demonstration vineyards. A long water trough and gardens of landscaping foliage in shades of green and burgundy flank the wide courtyard leading up to the Great Hall.

Great Hall	Patio	Patio overlooking vineyards

The Great Hall, perhaps thought of as the reception area, is at the centre of the building, is wide open and runs from front to back, separating the public and production areas. This space is equipped with huge, floor to ceiling, barn-like, sliding glass doors at both ends that are left open during warm weather. Here, tourists can visit the concierge desk and sign the visitors' book which is located on a lowered section of the desk and easily accessible. Guests can also relax in an armchair in front of the two-sided, wood-burning fireplace, which also opens into the Gallery and VIP Lounge. The far end of the hall opens to an outdoor patio with retractable awning, and the vineyard. Once outside, as you start the tour, you can't help but notice an amphitheatre bordering the vineyard on the left, but more
on that later.

Cement trough for washing hands	Toilet area with grab bars

An accessible washroom is located near the concierge desk in the Great Hall. There is a large accessible stall with the door opening inward and a low coat hook on the door and also on the wall. There is no tank on the back of the toilet but there are grab bars. A baby change table is also located in the stall. The levered faucets, which spray the water rather than stream, are contained in a long water trough open underneath for legroom. During our visit, a garbage pail blocked access to the paper towels.

Ramp	detail of ramp	view over ramp

The winery is built parallel to the Niagara Escarpment and at the start of the tour visitors ascend a wide paved ramp, which actually mimics the escarpment with its many undulations. This ramp leads to the observation deck. From this vantage point, you get a fabulous view of the escarpment, vineyards and the crush pad below. The crush pad is where the grapes are first deposited from the trucks into a giant hopper. They then go into the destemmer, crusher and presser, all of which are outdoors. Being outdoors is especially good for ice wine so the grapes don't have a chance to thaw.

Catwalk in winery	Tank	Walkway between tanks

From the observation deck we proceeded through doors to the enormous fermentation area where equipment included the ultra modern roto-fermenters, which came from France. The largest tank here will hold an incredible 22,000 litres of wine. We couldn't help but notice the wood trusses supporting the roof, and our guide explained that the reverse truss system puts the weight on the outside of the building and allows for maximum space inside. The fermentation area, along with the rest of the winery has been constructed with energy and water conservation top of mind.

Fireplace from catwalk	Catwalk from below	Architectural detail

The next stop on the tour is the barrel cellar, and while able-bodied visitors take the stairs down, a guide will escort mobility-impaired tourists to the elevator. To reach the elevator we crossed the Great Hall on an overhead catwalk that links the second floor winemakers' offices and laboratory with the administrative offices, meetings rooms, and Estate Lounge. Wall to wall glass windows and doors open to an outdoor terrace that runs the length of the building and overlooks the vineyard.

Barrels in cellar	Tasting bar	Chairs in tasting bar

The elevator is roomy, well lighted and has Braille on the buttons. Meeting up with the rest of the tour we learned that the storage cellars were built underground where natural moisture and cooler temperatures provide ideal conditions for barrel aging. These barrel cellars run the entire length of the building and can hold 1600 barrels. Wine production capacity is 100,000 cases per year. The tour then proceeded back up the stairs or elevator to the gift boutique and tasting gallery on the ground floor, which featured wall to wall screened windows and doors leading to an outdoor terrace and the vineyard.

Winery from back	Amphitheatre	Plenty of space for wheelcairs

Jackson-Triggs Winery also offers a first-class performing arts program entitled Twilight In The Vineyard staged in its stunning, open air Greek style amphitheatre, which seats 500 and is set amidst the vineyards.
Although it is not accessible down into the bowl of the theatre, there is a great view from up top at ground level. The program, in just its second year, has grown to include 14 performances from July 4 to August 31, 2003: a wonderful way to spend a summer evening under the stars. Many of the artists who have performed here have CDs for sale in the gift boutique. Throughout the Niagara Wine Festival in September 2003, the winery offers a variety of taste-tempting events including the Vintage Inns-Fine Wine Tasting; Savour The Sights, where you can enjoy an epicurean experience including five courses of fine food and wine served at different locations throughout the winery, even in the cellars; Harvest Sampling BBQ; and The Silent Picture Show, which will take you back to the 1920s, the era when liquor was forbidden and everyone loved the movies. For more information, schedule and ticket prices you may call the amphitheatre box office at 1-866-589-4637 or 905-468-4637 locally.
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Architectural detail	Juice tank detail	Architectural detail

Since Jackson-Triggs Vintners' inception in 1993, its Okanagan Valley and Niagara Peninsula wines have received more than 670 awards including more than 450 in international competition.

Joseph's Estate Wines
1811 Niagara Stone Rd. (Hwy 55)
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Tel: 905-468-1259
Fax: 905-468-9242,
Website: http://www.josephestatewines.com/

Konzelmann Estate Winery R. R. #3, 1096 Lakeshore Rd. Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON Tel: 905-935-2866 Fax: 905-935-2864, Website: http://www.konzelmannwines.com/ e-mail: wines@konzelmannwines.com
	Konzelman on Lakeshore Road	Front of building -wheelchair access is at side - call ahead

Summer hours: May-October: Mon. to Sat. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sun, 12 noon to 6
p.m. Winter hours: November-April: Mon. to Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun. 12
noon to 5 p.m.

Major intersection: Lakeshore Road & Four Mile Creek Road

The winery is fully accessible and has one parking spot designated for people with disabilities. A ramp at the side ramp provides access to the building.
One of the first things you notice about Konzelmann Estate Winery is the incredible view. The lakefront winery is situated on the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario with vineyards stretching to the water’s edge. On a bright day you can see clear across the lake to the Toronto skyline. The drive along Lakeshore Road to the winery is also an enjoyable experience.

Konzelmann Estate Winery was born in 1893 near Stuttgart, Germany when Friedrich Konzelmann could no longer keep up with the demand for his homemade wines, which he served in his restaurants. The winery moved into its fourth generation of winemakers when great-grandson Herbert Konzelmann took over management in 1958, building the business to a capacity of 380,000 litres of wine. But as grapes became harder to get and with winemakers’ sons not continuing the family businesses, land was being converted to residential and becoming very expensive to buy. All of these obstacles led Herbert Konzelmann to move the winery to Canada in 1984. It currently owns 83 acres of vineyards with 40 acres on-site and produces more than 450,000 bottles of wine each year.

Tours: Public tours are held from May to September at 2 p.m. daily at a cost of $2 per person. No reservations are needed for this tour. However, more elaborate tours are also offered such as the VIP Tour, the Premium Gold Tour, Connoisseur Tour and the top-of-the-line Winemakers’ Tour, all of which offer various wine tastings and some with appetizers. The latter is a private one-hour tour conducted by winemakers Herbert Konzelmann or Matthias Boss and features an extensive wine tasting seminar, four Winemaster’s Collection Wines, and a Konzelmann Estate Winery logo glass offered as a souvenir. Reservations are needed for these tours and costs vary according to what is offered.

Hospitality room	French oak barrels	square tanks from Germany

The tour begins in the hospitality room where guests learn the history of the winery and then proceed outdoors to view the vineyards and fermenting tanks. Inside the winery, state-of-the-art equipmentimported from Europe is used to produce premium quality wines. Stainless steel tanks as well as French oak barrels are used for the fermentation and aging process. Of special interest were the original square stainless steel tanks brought over from Germany. In this production area, where you are allowed to view up close and touch the tanks, you will occasionally encounter hoses lying across the floor, which may pose a problem for visitors in wheelchairs or on scooters, so it may be advisable to call ahead if you are contemplating a
public tour.

bottling and labelling	inside storage tanks	outside storage

Once the wine has completed fermentation and aging it is sent to the on-site bottling and labelling department. Visitors are allowed to view this machinery as long as it is not currently in use. This department can process 2,000 bottles an hour. Konzelmann Estate Winery now offers more than 30 different VQA selections of wine, a production of 40,000 cases, and has a storage capacity of 600,000 litres. The tour concludes in the hospitality room with a brief wine tasting seminar and tastings.

The Konzelmann gift boutique/retail outlet is wheelchair accessible and offers a fine selection of wines, pottery and wine memorabilia, all of which is locally handcrafted. Numerous trophies and awards are displayed above the wine showcases. Among the winery’s gold medal achievements for its icewine
are the Grand Medaille d’Or (Great Gold Medal), the most prestigious award of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Belgium, a competition that draws more than 2,000 international entrants from over 27 countries; the Grand Gold at Vinitaly in Italy and the coveted Civart Trophy at Vinexpo in France. Herbert Konzelmann was also honoured with Winemaker of the Year in 1996 at the Air Ontario Competition in Toronto.

There is a large accessible washroom between the hospitality room and the boutique with grab bars on the back and sides of the toilet, and the sink is open beneath for legroom.

The winery hosts a number of special events throughout the year including Harvestfest 2003, an authentic German Oktoberfest barbecue in September. More information is available on their Web site. Although there is no restaurant on the premises, you might like to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy it in the outdoor picnic area. In this area you will also find an information kiosk where we learned about a special tribute to winemaker Matthias Konzelmann who died of leukemia in 1998: a limited edition 1998 Riesling Icewine, bearing the ‘Angel Label’, is dedicated to Matthias, with proceeds going to the McMaster University Health Sciences Leukemia Research Fund along with all wine tasting monies during the month of May.

Lailey Vineyard Winery 15940 Niagara Parkway Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0 Tel: 905-468-0503 Fax: 905-468-8012 Web site: http://www.laileyvineyard.com/
	Sheltered lane into winery	cases of wine

Summer hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tours: The winery does not offer public tours. All tours are private and require reservations. Bookings are for groups of six or more.

Wine shop	plenty of parking	back of winery - interesting design

Parking: There is a small, hard-packed gravel parking lot and vehicles with ramps are welcome to park in the back if necessary or alongside the pressing facility.
Lailey Vineyard is located on the scenic Niagara Parkway just minutes south of the Old Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and our visit couldn’t have been timed better, weatherwise, as it was a perfect late summer day. The 20-acre vineyard is relatively new with the owners, David and Donna Lailey purchasing the land from David’s parents, William and Nora Lailey in 1970. Although the elder Laileys had planted some of Canada’s first winemaking grapes, they cultivated the land in fruit, mainly pears, sweet cherries and peaches. Donna and David transformed the farm into a vineyard and began selling the juice.
Continuing to do much of the work themselves, the Laileys learned that canopy management – the thinning of the crop in the spring, summer and fall -- was the answer to achieving ripeness. Kristen, our guide, explained that by thinning the crop the vines are exposed to more heat and result in less mould and mildew. All the grapes are hand-harvested and reach the press just minutes from the vineyard. The Laileys also supply grapes to Southbrook Winery.

Roses	and grapes	everywhere

Donna and David formed Lailey Vineyard Wines Inc. in the summer of 2000 along with their daughter, Tonya and her husband Yves Starreveld, winemaker Derek Barnett (formerly winemaker at Southbrook Winery and Ontario Winemaker of the Year in 2000) and his wife, Judith. They produced the first vintage that fall. The following summer, Donna’s brother and Toronto architect Barry Isenor designed and led construction of the small and modern winery on what used to be the tennis courts. It was ready for occupancy in January 2002.

Handy washroom

There is a nice flat entrance from the parking lot into the winery and through to the production area and vineyard. We were told that planned expansion to the facility will be accessible. There is also a family style washroom in the winery with grab bars on the back and side of toilet and a sink that is open below and has a lever faucet. The door to the washroom has a push lock lever handle. The only drawback to the washroom is that scooter users would have to drive in and back out, as there is no turning room.
Although there is no restaurant on the premises, Lailey wines are available at a growing selection of Ontario dining establishments.
In 1991 Donna Lailey was crowned the first ever Grape Queen of Niagara Grape and Wine Festival, a title which usually goes to the Grape King. She was also the only female founding member of the Vintner’s Quality Alliance (VQA).

Maleta Estate Winery
R.R. #4, 450 Queenston Rd.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Tel: 905- 685-8486
Fax: 905-685-7998,
Website: http://vyntnr@vaxxine.com/

Although the winery does not have any designated parking spots there is easy access to the building. Group tours are held by appointment only and are
wheelchair accessible.
The winery does feature an accessible wine shop/gift boutique and also has an accessible public washroom. There is no restaurant on the premises.

Palatine Hills Estate Winery 911 Lakeshore Rd. Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0 Tel: 905-646-9617 Fax: 905-646-5832 e-mail:palatinewines@sympatico.ca
	John Neufeld	Just roll right in

Your host: John Neufeld

Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Off-season hours are 12 noon to 5 p.m. 7 days a week.

Parking: There is a gravel driveway and small parking lot to this family-run boutique winery and a paved patio with picnic tables.

We visited Palatine Hills on an almost perfect summer day and received a brief and enjoyable history lesson from owner John Neufeld on the choice of its name, which was brought to historic Niagara-on-the-Lake by Empire Loyalists in the 1780s. Palatine Hills was found on a historic map of the area and located not far from the Neufeld farm.
The name can actually be traced back to Ancient Rome where Palatine Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome and where traces of houses from the 10th century BC have been found. And, if you want to believe in Roman mythology, the cave where Romulus and Remus were supposedly raised by the she-wolf is located on the hill’s western slope.
Palatine Hills is among Niagara’s newest wineries and at the time of our visit the small retail store was not accessible owing to a rather high lip at the entrance, something that John said would be taken care of as he is in the process of ramping the facility. However, the large garage-type door next to the store was opened for us and we entered into a large open area where tastings for large groups are held. John told us that this building was put up in 1985 as a farm building for equipment repair and storage. “We had no intention of getting into the wine industry,” he said. “We’re not large, just a working winery, a family-run organization.”

Look for the sign	and the lovely old home	Barrels of award winning wine

John bought the property in 1972 upon graduation from university. The farmhouse dates back to the late 1800s. He farmed tender fruit before turning to grapes in 1994.
In 1998 John and his wife, Barbara, hired a winemaker, bought the necessary tanks and other equipment and produced a small batch of ice wine. Then in 2001 “rather than just make ice wine we decided to grow other grapes.” They also started exporting their ice wine to the U.S. They currently grow 14 varieties of grapes in their 180-acre vineyard.
In the spring of 2003, the Neufelds entered their first wine competition and walked away with the Ontario Wine of the Year Award for their 1998 Vidal Ice Wine. “That’s when we decided to get a retail licence and open a small store,” John explained.
There is a large washroom on the premises that needs to be ramped for access and the addition of grab bars. John said he would personally take care of the necessary additions.
The winery is certainly making a name for itself as it is now accommodating bus tours with 36 buses currently scheduled.
“Food and beverage managers are also coming here to purchase wine for their own private functions,” John explained. “When that happens you know you have a good product.”

audited Aug. 2004

Contact: Sarah Ripley, Special Events & Public Relations Coordinator
sarah.ripley@estatewinegroup.com
Hours: Fall/Winter/Spring 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. through Thurs. and 10 a.m.-8
p.m. Friday & Saturday. Summer 10 a.m.-9 p.m. every day.
Major intersection: East & West Line and Hwy 55
A sister winery to Hillebrand Estates, Peller Estates is also fully accessible to persons with disabilities. There are four designated handicapped parking spots and a ramp entrance to the building. A wheelchair accessible washroom is also located on the premises.
Both the gift shop/retail outlet and the restaurant are wheelchair accessible. Restaurant hours are 12-3 p.m. for lunch 5-8 p.m. for dinner.
There is also a wheelchair accessible restroom in the dining room.
Tours are held every hour at 15 minutes past the hour from 10:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. with a modified tour route offered to persons in wheelchairs.

Peller Estates Winery is located in the quadrant between Niagara Stone Road (Hwy 55) and the Niagara Parkway and John Street East and the East & West Line. It is approximately 90 minutes driving time from Toronto and 60 minutes from Buffalo. The winery can be accessed from either East & West Line (rear vineyard entrance) or from the picturesque main entrance on John Street East.

Hours: Fall/Winter/Spring 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. through Thurs. and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday & Saturday. Summer 10 a.m.-9 p.m. every day. The restaurant is also open seven days a week, year round, for lunch and dinner. Lunch is served from 12 noon to 3 p.m.; dinner from 5-9 p.m. Last seating is at 9 p.m.

Tours: Complimentary tours are held on the half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and twilight tours are offered on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. during the summer.

It was a hot August day as we set out to visit Peller Estates Winery. After an enjoyable half-hour drive from St. Catharines through picturesque wine country, our approach to the winery up a long driveway with the elegant chateau-style building framed in a cloudless blue sky was indeed a sight to behold.

The two-year-old winery, referred to as a "cathedral of wine", has a spectacular view of the Niagara Escarpment and is within walking distance from Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake and the scenic Niagara Parkway. It is the culmination of three generations of winemaking, beginning with Andrew Peller's modest winery in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, which he started more than 40 years ago at the age of 58. His grandson, John, currently oversees the local operation. We learned that Andrew Peller originally applied for a wine licence in Niagara and was refused seven times "because we already had a winery in Niagara." This led to his relocating to British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.

Parking: There are three designated parking spaces in the huge, paved parking lot.
The accessible parking is up close to the building, which you may enter either through an automatic side door or wheel around to the main entrance, which is flat but does not have automatic doors. Once inside, you could almost imagine that you're in a lovely hotel lobby as there are sofas and armchairs placed in front of a fireplace and welcoming staff members.

There is an accessible washroom close to the automatic side door entrance. The door into the washroom is heavy but manageable and is just pushed open with a D-type handle on the back of the door for easy exit. The interior is huge, beautifully decorated and has a fresh, clean scent. The accessible stall features a slide lock on the door and has grab bars on the back and side of the 18" high toilet. There is an accessible sink in the centre of the marble and wrought iron vanity, open below for legroom. The sinks have crane neck faucets and lever handles. The soap dispenser is reachable as it is on the countertop. Paper towels are placed in baskets on the vanity but there are also two paper towel dispensers with good quality towels. There is also a well-lighted makeup area with a huge mirror and marble vanity. Of special interest are the light fixtures, which are fashioned like lilies, with a matching five-light chandelier in the washroom entranceway.

The main level also houses a six-person elevator and an accessible and spacious gift boutique featuring clothing, hand-painted pottery and glassware, collectors' books, wine picnic bags, boxed bar sets, gourmet
pastas and sauces, oils, jams, jellies and, of course, a wide variety of wines available only in the boutique.

From the lobby a wide, curved ramp takes you to the dining room, outdoor terrace and wine garden level, all overlooking the expanse of vineyards. The indoor dining room seats 75 while the outdoor terrace can accommodate approximately 50 seated at linen-dressed tables under huge umbrellas. There is also a private dining room for 25 guests. After registering at the reception desk outside the dining room, we chose to be seated outdoors, as did many other diners. Although the terrace cannot be accessed from inside the dining room because of steps, it is easily accessible through double doors near the registration desk and then through a very wide wrought iron gate onto the terrace dining area. On this level there is also the recently
added wine and cheese terrace that is open from Wednesday to Sunday 1 p.m. to dusk.

The exotic lunch menu from chef de cuisine Jason Rosso featured appetizers ranging from green salad with oregano vinaigrette for $9.50 to Pacific crab and honeydew melon with green apple chips and truffle frisée at $15. An array of entrees included cold poached salmon fillet with roasted summer vegetable salad and garlic aioli at $16.50; braised veal tart with wild mushroom and cherry tomato fricassée, yellow pepper coulis and field greens for $13.95; and pan seared white fish fillets, black beluga lentil salad, hand cut Yukon fries with white balsamic and pine nut oil aioli for $17. We chose the latter and were not disappointed. It was excellent. Dinner entrees range from $24 for vegetable pavé stuffed with walnut mascarpone, molasses,
braised onions, west coast mushroom fricassée and truffle infused crème anglaise, to $38 for chicken liver stuffed sterling silver tenderloin parma ham and honey mushroom fricassée, roasted pearl onion and confit garlic jus, potato wafer. Needless to say, the dessert menu is to die for. We chose the trio of crème brulée, which comprised rose jelly, mocha and vanilla rhubarb for $11.95. Also at $11.95 was the Valhrona dark chocolate and icewine mousse. A sampling platter of Peller's desserts for two is $23.95.

We returned to the lobby where we met up with our tour guide, Major, and the rest of the assembled visitors. A wide, paved walkway outside the main entrance took us around the building to the vineyards. There are 25 acres of vineyards surrounding the winery with another 125 acres off-site. An interesting fact we learned is that it takes 30 bunches of grapes to produce one 375mL of icewine. The grape pressing and fermentation take place at Peller's sister winery, Hillebrand Estates.

From the vineyard we proceeded through doors and down a wide ramp to the barrel-aging cellars. The centre aisle is flanked with white pillars and the area is well lighted with lights in the floor and pot-lights in the ceiling. The temperature is kept between 10 and 14 degrees centigrade with a constant 90 per cent humidity. Still in the cellar, our final stop on the tour was the wine library and wine bar where we were given instruction on how to truly appreciate a glass of wine, with two tastings: a cabernet sauvignon 2000, which sells for $40 a bottle, and a chardonnay 2001 at $18.95 a bottle.

Although we retreated up the ramp to the vineyard and retraced our steps, we could have taken the elevator up to the lobby. Similarly, we could have taken the elevator down to the barrel-aging cellars, but chose to stay with the rest of the tour.

It is certainly worth a visit to Peller Estates Winery. As John Peller says: "The view out towards the escarpment and the vast sea of vines inspire the winemaker and wine lover alike. When you are here, you know you are in a very special place."

Audited Aug. 2003

Pillitteri Estates Winery
R.R. #2, 1696 Highway 55
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Tel: 905-468-3147
Fax: 905-468-0389
Website: http://www.pillitteri.com/
e-mail: winery@pillitteri.com
Hours: May 15-Oct 16 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Oct 16-May 14 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tours: Noon and 2 p.m. daily
Major Intersections: Niagara Stone Road, (Highway 55) and East West Line.
There is designated parking for people with disabilities.
The winery, retail store and public washrooms are all wheelchair accessible.
While the winery tours are not wheelchair accessible, there is a hospitality area where patrons not on the tour can visit. It is required to book visits in advance.
The winery also features a wine boutique stocked with assorted wine-related items, and the seasonal fruit market is a hit with visitors. There is no restaurant on the premises.

Reif Estate Winery Inc. 15608 Niagara Parkway Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON Tel: 905-468-7738, Fax: 905-468-5878 Website: www.reifwinery.com e-mail: wine@reifwinery.com
	Reif Estate Winery	Just outside

Hours: April-October: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Tasting bar 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. no appointment necessary. November-March: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Tasting bar 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. no appointment necessary. Call ahead for holiday closings.

Tours: Public tours are held at 1:30 p.m. daily from May 1 to September 30 and are approximately 45 minutes long. No appointment necessary. Tours are $3 per person and include three table wine samples. Private tours for a minimum of 12 persons need 48 hours notice and 30 to 90-minute programs can be arranged. The winery also offers a variety of tours, some of which include lunch at Riverbend Inn.

Parking: There is plenty of parking here in the mostly paved parking lot so side-loading vehicles will not have a problem finding a spot.

Tasting area	Just off barrel storage	Bottle rack outside

We visited Reif Estate Winery, a medium size winery with 135 acres, on a very busy day, as the weather was perfect for a winery tour. There was even a bus tour on hand. We first stopped in the accessible winery boutique, which is housed in a beautifully restored coach house, and were surrounded by a lovely display of jams, mustards, pasta and pasta sauces, wine accessories, and even an assortment of Reif logo wear, including hats, T-shirts and jackets. The tasting room is located off the boutique but there are steps down. However, the tasting room is accessible by exiting the boutique and going through the production area. Because of the large crowds, tastings are also held in the boutique.

Klaus Reif, proprietor, is the 13th generation of winemakers, dating back to the Rhine region of Germany, and culminating in the fertile land along the Niagara River in 1977 when his uncle, Ewald Reif, planted a vinifera vineyard. Six years later the Reif family opened the doors to Reif Estate Winery, and in 1990 Klaus Reif who took over the reins from his uncle in 1987, was joined by Robert DiDomenico who graduated university with a specialized honors microbiology degree.

Storage vats	Huge barrels	Crushing and extracting

Our guide, Andrea Nelson, director of retail operations and promotions, said that the tours usually start in the gazebo if it is raining, or out in the vineyard, which is where we headed from the wine store. She explained that the vines are planted North-South for maximum sun exposure and tying the vines allows the greatest sun exposure to both sides of the vine. Pruning and thinning of the vines is done to reduce yield and produce a more flavourful fruit.

Although the barrel cellars are not accessible, we were able to proceed through the production area and ended our tour in the tasting room. The walls of the tasting room are lined with numerous awards, with shelves displaying beautiful ceramic giftware and hand-painted glassware.

There is a washroom just off the wine boutique but is not large enough to accommodate a scooter. Andrea suggested using the men’s washroom, which is roomier but there are no grab bars. She also explained that they are currently in the process of designing a new retail store, tasting room and washrooms, to open in the spring of 2005 and said they welcomed any suggestions for making the new facility fully accessible.

Large wishing well in parking lot

Reif Estate Winery also teams up with Frogpond Farm to offer package deals of organically certified wines. Frogpond Farm is the first certified organic winery in Ontario.

Audited Sept. 3/04

Riverview Cellars Estate Winery
15376 Niagara Parkway
Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0
Tel: 905-262-0636
Fax: 905-262-0462
e-mail: winery@riverviewcellars.com
Web site: http://www.riverviewcellars.com/

Hours: May to September 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. October to April 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Tours: Daily between 12 noon and 5 p.m. and are approximately half an hour in length. Tastings are complimentary.

Parking: The winery has a huge park anywhere parking lot that is partly paved.

Established as a farm in the early 1800s, the property was purchased by the Pillitteri family in 1975 who then expanded the fruit market that dated back to 1929. The family-owned and operated winery opened its doors in September 2000 and is somewhat unique in that it continues to feature a fruit market along with taste-tempting baked goods, jams, jellies, honey, syrup, soft drinks and snacks as well as peanuts, peanut brittle and fudge. It also features a very roomy and easy-to-get-around retail outlet and tasting bar that displays, among other things, icewine preserves, maple syrup, maple butter, sauces and dressings and wine-related products.

The winery encompasses 25 acres and also purchases grapes from other vineyards in the area. Mike Pillitteri manages the operation and accompanied us on an informative tour. In the vineyard he pointed out that the rows of vines must not be allowed to grow higher than the distance between them so that shadows will not hinder the grapes. We then visited the presser where the juice is extracted and pumped into tanks. Mike pointed out that they have recently purchased new equipment, which is forthcoming and they will be pouring a large cement pad outside the press room.

There is a large washroom on the premises with a sink that is open below and has lever faucets, but there are no grab bars around the toilet, a situation that Mike says will be rectified.

Audited September 3/ 2004

Hours: May-Oct, Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Winter: Daily until 5 p.m.
Tours: self guided, group tours by appointment
Major intersections: Lakeshore Road and Irvine Road, 3km east of the Welland Canal
The winery has designated parking and the building is wheelchair accessible as is the washroom. A full selection of Stonechurch wines may be purchased in the on-site retail store/gift shop.
Although there is no restaurant in the winery, the mouth-watering barbeques held each Saturday and Sunday from May to October have proved to be a popular feature with both out-of-town visitors and local residents. Please check their Web site for schedules.

Strewn Estate Winery 1339 Lakeshore Rd. RR #3 Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0 Tel: 905-468-1229 Fax: 905-468-8305 e-mail: info@strewnwinery.com Web site: http://www.strewnwinery.com/
	Welcome to Strewn Winery	located in an old cannery

Hours: Winery is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays during the winter.

Cooking School is open weekends from March to November but is open year round for corporate groups.

Tours: Free public tours take place daily at 1 p.m. from May to October and on weekends during the winter months. Private tours and conducted tastings of three wines for groups of 10 or more are also offered for a small fee. Strewn holds numerous special events throughout the year and for more information we suggest you check their Web site.

Strewn Winery is located in the midst of lush vineyards and orchards on the picturesque Lakeshore Road just minutes from the Old Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The spacious building, which is nestled against Four Mile Creek, was originally a fruit cannery in the 1930s, and was a focal point of the community at that time. Today, the original structure has been retained but with a whole new ambience, from the beauty of the manicured lawns, flower beds and rose gardens to the sparkling warm and contemporary interior. It also houses Canada’s first winery cooking school, which offers a unique hands-on culinary experience for recreational cooks each weekend from March until the end of November.

Plenty of parking	and roses galore	to the paved entrance

Parking: The paved parking lot is huge with all parking spots marked. There are two designated spots – one on either side of the main walkway up to the entrance – with both of them suitable for a side-loading vehicle. You would have to reverse into one of them.

The wine store and	into the bar and restaurant called	Terrior La Cachette

The entrance has a manual/automatic door that opens to reveal a bright spacious atrium with a ceramic floor and skylights in the very high ceiling. The cooking school is on the right with a large wine store on the left. The Terroir La Cachette dining room, bar and patio is straight ahead and a large tasting bar is to the left of the dining room entrance.

The entire facility is accessible including the spotless production area. To access the barrel cellars, however, you would have to go back outside, as there are steps down from indoors.

Wine bar	Restaurant	Patio

The Terroir La Cachette Restaurant and Wine Bar, overlooking Four Mile Creek, is just the place to enjoy a casual meal in the wine bar, relax on the patio or dine in the more formal dining room set with white linen-draped tables. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. The accessible outdoor patio is surrounded by rose gardens and features black cast iron furniture under large umbrellas. Strewn’s chef, Alain Levesque, combines French cooking with the best local produce and ingredients resulting in a truly regional dining experience. The lunch menu includes everything from fish soup at $6 to grilled Atlantic salmon with zesty cucumber salsa at $17. You may also choose chipotle chicken supreme with mustard lime vinaigrette at $16 or duck confit with Niagara sour cherry bigarade at $17. After auditing the winery for accessibility we enjoyed a lunch of Provencal tart with braised onion, roasted peppers and chevre with greens for $12. The dinner menu consists of such taste-tempting treats as spinach linguine with smoked shallot, sun dried tomato and roasted pine nuts in a basil infusion for $21; pork medallions with hazelnut crust, maple syrup and cognac vinegar glaze at $27 or rosemary and tomato crusted rack of lamb with roasted garlic and olive jus for $32. These, of course, are just a few of the dishes on the menu.

Kitchen in cooking school	Dining area for school	Classroom

Jane Langdon, the wife of winemaker Joe Will, runs the cooking school, which offers one-day hands-on classes, culinary weekends and five-day culinary vacations. The kitchen is to die for with all the latest equipment and gadgets. Two people per work station cook up a three course meal as set by Jane and then each course is paired with a wine. These recreational chefs get to enjoy the fruits of their labour and a sit-down meal in a small dining room just off the kitchen.

Perennials everywhere	accessible washroom	good toilet area

Strewn also has an accessible washroom just off the lobby. It has a wide single door into the washroom and a huge accessible stall that has a pull hook on the door, a raised toilet seat, and grab bars. There is plenty of room to exit and turn around. The sinks have lever handles and the paper towels are reachable.

The first Strewn vintage was produced in 1994 and it now offers more than 30 wines from four vintages. Strewn has won more than 50 awards for excellence in shows around the world.

Audited August/04

Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery 1425 Lakeshore Rd. RR #3 Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0 Tel: 905-468-1122 Fax: 905-468-1068 e-mail: sunnybrook@sunnybrookfarmwinery.com
	Entrance to Sunnybrook	Step - not big but could stop a chair

Hours: May-Oct., daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Nov., Dec., March, April, daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Jan. and Feb., Thursday to Monday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on most statutory holidays. The winery does not hold tours.
The tasting bar is open 11 a.m. to half hour before closing.

At the time of our visit this winery, located in the heart of the Niagara fruit belt, was not accessible as there is a rather steep lip up into the main entrance to the wine and gift shop. However, we had a nice chat with owner Gerald Goertz who welcomed our recommendations for making it accessible and gave us a brief history of the winery.

Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery is the first winery in Canada to specialize in making wine from tree fruit and berries, most of which is grown on their own local farm. Gerald Goertz has been involved in fruit growing and processing all of his life, a family tradition handed down from his father, John J. Goertz, who came to Niagara from Saskatchewan in 1940 and worked at the Niagara Canning Company. By 1957 John owned the business, which became the Lakeshore Canning Company with 800 to 1,000 employees. That’s where Gerald spent his days in the ‘60s.

In 1992 Gerald decided to diversify the farming operation and, using his orchard fruit, turned his winemaking hobby into a business and established the winery. His fruit wines have been winning awards of excellence over the last several years.

Aug. 2004