Location, location, location...
You have probably heard of the two famous Californian wine areas, Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley.
Well, here in Niagara, we
also have some geography to brag about, our
Niagara Peninsula, the largest viticultural or wine grape-growing area in both Ontario and Canada. It accounts for three-quarters of Canada's grape-growing volume, thanks to approximately 11,000 acres of wine grapes in hundreds of vineyards.
We are strategically situated at approximately
N43° latitude, the growing season's sunshine comparable to that of France's Languedoc-Roussillon, south of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Tuscany, Italy. The windfall element (literally) is that wines grown in such temperate climates produce superior fruit. They are packed with more complexity and
offer more intense flavours than those produced in warmer climates.
Gazing at a map, the Niagara Peninsula is bordered by Lake Ontario on the north and the Niagara River on the east and the Welland River and Hamilton to the south and west. Where the Niagara River flows over the Niagara Escarpment, the river is transformed into one of the seven great wonders of the world,
Niagara Falls.
The Niagara Escarpment is a 335 metre (575 ft.) high ridge that winds for 725 km (550 miles) and a well-know Bruce Trail from New York State through Queenston, Ontario (near Niagara Falls) to Tobermory in northern Ontario.
Passing through the Niagara Peninsula, the Escarpment acts as the major player in the process. Vineyards benefit from the lake's offshore breezes, which are reflected back to the lake when they reach
the escarpment, therefore maintaining constant and active airflow. This circulating activity prevents cold air from settling in lower-lying
areas during threatening periods of frost, and maximizes the moderating effect of the warm waters of the lake.
As a precaution, you will notice a proliferation of windmill-like devices stationed throughout the Peninsula at most vineyards, ready to kick in when needed.
Niagara's temperatures are influenced by Lake Ontario, which acts as a hot water bottle in winter -
raising winter temperatures on land from its summer-warmed waters. In spring, breezes from its winter-
cooled waters help to hold back the development of fruit buds until the danger of late spring frosts has
passed. Lake Ontario also cools the summer air so that grapes do not ripen too quickly, and then keeps the fall air comparatively warm so that the first frost is delayed, thus extending the growing season. Approximately 85 % of Ontario's VQA wineries are located in the Niagara Peninsula.
What's VQA? Vintner's Quality Assurance labeled wine meet the following standard:
• Wine must be made from 100% fresh
Ontario grown grapes - no concentrates are permitted - Grapes used must meet a quality
standard for each variety (measured by natural sugar content in the ripe grapes)
• No water can be added in the winemaking process
• Labels must be truthful and accurately represent the wine in the bottle
• All wines except for sparkling wines must be vintage dated and meet vintage requirements
• All wines must be packaged in glass bottles with cork, synthetic or approved screw-cap closures
• All finished wines are evaluated by an expert taste panel and a laboratory analysis and must meet minimum quality standards
before release
The bottom line: move over Sonoma and Napa. If you desire tasty, quality-controlled wine, the Niagara Peninsula and its many vineyards will satisfy your needs.
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