There’s nothing quite like a Canadian ice wine to raise your spirits.
Tasting rooms, winery tours, and vineyard trails abound within Canada’s diverse wine regions. It’s enough to make anyone’s mouth water, whether they consider themselves an amateur sommelier or just someone who enjoys treating their senses to a glass or two.
Here’s how to sip, taste, and tour our favourite Canadian wine regions for an impeccable blend of appetite and adventure.
1. Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
You might already have a favourite Inniskillen or Jackson-Triggs, but Canada’s largest wine region has so many more layers to sniff out!
Try a guided tour of local vineyards, great and small. Like (speaking of small) the quirky Small Talk Vineyards with its baby goat yoga classes, watercolour & wine nights, and wine and cider tastings. Or (speaking of great) Wayne Gretzky Estates and its VIP wine, whisky, and beer tastings. If you visit during the winter, wine not give the on-site skating rink a whirl?
From short and sweet day trips to longer getaway packages, our Expert Travellers can help you make the most of your Niagara wine trip.
2. Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Okanagan vintners are no strangers to the world’s accolades. For award-winning wines, unmatched scenery, and diversity in soil and climate, it’s hard to imagine anywhere better in Canada than the Okanagan.
Fill your trip with private wine tastings, scenic al fresco dining, and maybe even a recording session (at the innovative part-winery-part-studio, Frequency Winery)! BC’s famed wine region offers more than you expect, from eclectic cult-favourites like The Hatch to stunning must-visits like Mission Hill Family Estate.
Get an Expert on your side and book your BC wine country trip with confidence. (Ask us about how you can sample the best of the West Kelowna Wine Trail).
3. Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Vancouver Island has colourful roots in the fruit wine biz (Moira Rose’s gut-busting monologue comes to mind), and we can’t wait to see how the up-and-coming wine region continues to blossom.
Cowichan Valley, and its neighbours in Nanaimo, Saanich Peninsula, and Victoria, makes for a beautiful day trip with a lot of zip. Pair your island road trip with visits to local establishments like Zanatta Winery (the region’s first!), Blue Grouse Estate Winery, and Tugwell Creek Honey Farm & Meadery.
4. Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
This cool-climate bayside wine region is small, but mighty! A huddle of boutique wineries overlook the rhythmic Bay of Fundy, boasting small batch wines that only Nova Scotia could produce. Come for an introduction to truly local wines like L’Acadie Blancs, Scotia Whites, and of course, Tidal Bays (not to mention the region’s quirkier offerings like blueberry ice wine and maple wine).
On your visit to Annapolis Valley’s mostly family-run wineries, you can expect a friendly welcome, a deep pride in the local terroir, and picture-perfect surroundings. Visitors could realistically squeeze in a stop at all of the region’s artisanal wineries over a weekend, but you can always start with Sainte-Famille Wines, L’Acadie Vineyards, and Planter’s Ridge.
5. Montérégie, Québec
Montérégie is to Ottawa and Montreal what Niagara Falls is to Toronto – it’s remarkable what you can do with a day trip!
Imagine harvesting your own fruit at the brand spanking new Domaine Vinēterra. Or dropping in on an outdoor concert – complete with local food truck fare – on a warm Friday night at Vignoble Coteau des Artisan. Or how about sampling your first straw wine at Le Chat Botté?
Quebec’s wine region is full of surprises. Just remember to leave room in your glass (and suitcase) for the tried and true ice wines that the world loves so much.
Looking for more inspiration for your next foodie trip? You’re in the right place.