Stephanie's Wine Tour in Niagara County

Stephanie and her group could not have picked a better day for a wine tour. It was warm and sunny with a pleasant breeze.

After picking up the group of 17 in Buffalo, we headed for the Niagara Wine trail, which has really become popular as of late. I believe this is for 2 reasons; 1-the trail has successfully marketed itself to the Buffalo region and 2-the proximity to Buffalo is close , plus there's no need to deal with the border.

Our first stop was the Honeymoon Trail Winery on Ridge Road in Lockport. This is a pleasant winery with a very homey atmosphere in the main tasting room. Our group purchased more than a case of wine here. We also posed for an outdoor picture, as seen in the slide show above. Next we headed North to Marjim Manor in Appleton. Although the Bittner family does not actually make wine at this location, their wines and juices are made from local fruit. If you're looking for some unique vintages, try the wines made from apricots, cherries or apples--you won't be disappointed. Another differentiator of Marjim Manor is the resident ghosts. On this tour Margo Bittner entertained us with specters that are thought to frequent the manor (do spirits enjoy spirits?). The house and grounds have a storied past, which is well worth a visit.

We stayed the longest at the Freedom Run Winery, and for good reason. Their tasting facility boasts a set of luxurious leather couches that envelope you. The interior design of the winery is by far the best on the Niagara Trail, providing a spacious, contemporary venue for tasting. Our extremely friendly guide for today was Kurt. Kurt had the knowledge of a professor and the demeanor of a laid back grad student. His colorful vocabulary helped bring out the subtleties and nuances of each wine. He was engaging enough to captivate everyone of our 17 guests, which is no small feat. The winery is also a showplace for art by Sean Manning, which you have to see to appreciate.

Our last stop for the tour was the Niagara Landing Winery. The atmosphere here is much more 'country' when compared to our previous stop. When I've visited here before, several small airplanes were parked around the perimeter of the parking lot. Unfortunately, there were no planes available on this day. The wines here are uniformly good, with the fruity Boxer Blush receiving an exceptionally warm reception from our group. It is also wonderful to see this winery's brand of Ice Wine which proves that we can do what the venerable wineries of Germany and Ontario can do.

All in all, a great day to be out with a great group of people. If you're interested in scheduling a winery tour, we can help. Head over to our main web site or call 716-835-4997 to schedule your winery trail tour.