What’s the best way to explore Canada’s Niagara wine region? For the active wine lover, it’s from the seat of a bicycle.
Niagara Wine Tours International, based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, offers a number of cycling tours throughout this bucolic countryside dotted with world-class wineries. Here are some options:
Private Vineyard Lunch and Cycle Wine Tour
Suitable for all levels of ability, this guided tour takes riders along beautiful country lanes and one of the finest bicycle trails to the Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries.
These may include Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery for a full tour revealing the latest in modern winemaking technology and a tasting of their premium wines; Marynissen Estates Winery, a small family boutique winery with Canada’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines; Lailey Vineyard, for a tasting of the exclusively estate-grown premium wines, with the winemaker; Strewn, producer of award winning premium VQA wines with Canada’s only winery cooking school and superb restaurant; Inniskillin Wines, one of the industry’s original pioneers, and producer of some of the world’s finest wines; Caroline Cellars for an opportunity to taste handcrafted icewines ; Dom Vagner, Canada’s smallest winery; and Reif Winery, which has a winemaking history dating back 360 years.
The tour includes a country picnic lunch in a private vineyard.
A Taste of Niagara Culinary and Cycle Wine Tour
This leisurely guided cycle tour takes participants to some of the finest boutique wineries in the Niagara-on-The-Lake region. First stop is Stratus Winery, where a flight of three wines is followed by a three-course lunch of Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the Tuscan countryside at the Old Winery Restaurant. In the age-old tradition of the Italian trattoria with an open kitchen, the sight, sounds and aromas of wonderful Italian cuisine are recreated in this beautifully restored winery building. Guests continue on to other wineries that may include Lailey Vineyard, Caroline Cellars, Marynissen Estates Winery, Reif Winery, Inniskillin, and Peller Estates.
Good Morning Cycle Tour
This morning excursion takes cyclists on a tour through historic Niagara-on-The-Lake, past historic Fort George and on a cycle path beside the Niagara Parkway – called “one of the prettiest Sunday drives in the world” – and the beautiful Niagara River. The itinerary includes a stop at a local fruit market for refreshment plus visits to three award-winning boutique wineries for private tastings. These may include Riverview Cellars, Marynissen Estates, Frogpond Winery, Reif Winery, Inniskillin, or Lailey Vineyard.
Wheel and Wine Afternoon Tour
This leisurely afternoon cycle tour takes riders past some of the finest estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake to Niagara country vineyards and three award-wining wineries for tastings. The route winds on beautiful country roads past rolling vineyards and orchards and on the bicycle trail along the lovely Niagara River. Wineries many include Marynissen Estates Winery, Iniskillin Wines, Reif Estate Winery, Riverview Cellars Estate Winery, Lailey Vineyard and Frogpond Farm Organic Winery.
Tours begin and end at Niagara Wine Tours International located at 92 Picton Street in
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and run from May to the end of October. For reservations, pricing and more information visit www.niagaraworldwinetours.com
