Page 54 - 2025-2026 Travel Guide to Canada

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ADVERTISING FEATURE
Discover Niagara Wine Country
An Exciting Evolution on a Next-Level Food & Wine Escape
With over 100 Vintner’s Quality
Alliance (VQA) wineries and an
equally outstanding collection of
restaurants, spontaneously
finding your way to a fabulous wine tasting
or meal in Niagara is always easy. But so
much is happening in Niagara’s wine and
culinary scene right now that just a little
pre-trip planning can generate some very
tasty rewards. From MICHELIN-starred
meals to sustainable sipping and fresh new
ways to taste and tour at area wineries, here
are some delicious ways to experience
Niagara wine country’s exciting evolution
on your next trip.
TASTE WHAT THE CRITICS
ARE BUZZING ABOUT
Niagara’s wineries have long been on the
radar of the world’s wine critics, but today,
the region’s restaurants are also feeling the
love. Fat Rabbit, a restaurant and whole-
animal butchery in St. Catharines, and
Trius Winery Restaurant in Niagara-on-the-
Lake both garnered highly coveted
recommendations from MICHELIN Guide
critics who descended on the region for the
very first time in 2024. Niagara Benchlands’
Restaurant Pearl Morissette was recognized
as a “power-house” by the MICHELIN
Guide, becoming the region’s first restau-
rant to earn a MICHELIN star. MICHELIN
Guide Inspectors also lauded Restaurant
Pearl Morissette with a Green Star for its
robust sustainability efforts, which include
a two-acre regenerative garden, local
foraging, and educational workshops.
SIP SOMETHING SENSATIONAL
AND SUSTAINABLE
Niagara’s 70 producers of certified
sustainable wines love to pour visitors a
taste of the wines they craft using
environmentally responsible practices,
but they don’t stop there. Recognizing the
growing interest in sustainability, many
wineries now offer beyond-the-glass
experiences showcasing their commit-
ment to the planet. Tawse Winery offers
a popular Vineyard Tour and Tasting
experience showcasing the winery’s
organic farming practices
and non-interventionist approach.
Southbrook Winery’s Green Map helps
guests spot the property’s 23 different
earth-conscious initiatives.
VISIT MARQUEES & NEWBIES
A quick scroll through the dozens of
different Niagara wineries recognized with
2024 Decanter World Wine Awards reveals
an interesting aspect of Niagara wine
country’s evolution. While well-established
wineries like Pillitteri Estates Winery, Two
Sisters Vineyards, Hidden Bench Estate
Winery, and Vineland Estates continue to
earn coveted spots on the annual who’s
who list, a number of smaller, boutique-
style wineries and up-and-coming entities,
including Domaine Queylus, Westcott
Vineyards, Leaning Post Wines, 180 Estate
Winery, Big Head Wines, Ravine Vineyard
Estate Winery, Bella Terra Vineyards, and
Lakeview Wine Co., are also claiming seats
at the table.