Seneca Lake Wine Tour: Fun in the Finger Lakes

We had a great time this past weekend taking 18 guests to visit Seneca Lake Wineries aboard our stretch hummer. Our weather was a reminder that Fall will soon be here--a little sun, some sprinkles and clouds. That did not dampen the enthusiasm of our group. We started in West Seneca and approached the wine trail from the north, passing through the quaint town of Geneva.

From there we stopped at Torrey Ridge Winery first. A one-man band serenaded us as we tasted the wines and enjoyed the airy ambiance of the winery. Glenora's exclusive 'Champagne Room' was our next stop. Glenora is a venerable favorite amongst day-trippers and the winery goes to great lengths to accommodate groups large and small. The restaurant there is fantastic as well, so you might want to make that part of your plans if you're making a trip. Traveling south, we visited the Arcadian Estates Winery, where the gracious Lauren filled our glasses. Everybody became immediately attached to Jake, the winery's top dog and official greeter.
All-in-all, a wonder wine tour indeed. If you are in the Buffalo metro area and are considering a Seneca Lake wine tour, make certain to budget 2 or 2 and a half hours travel time to/from the region. It would be a good idea to call ahead to the wineries and arrange for wine tasting reservations if your group is larger than 10.
Buffalo Limousine offers many luxury vehicles that are perfect for wine tours. For more information, click here. Our web site allows you to generate your own price estimate and has interior and exterior images of all our limousines and buses.

Kodak Ingram Micro Corporate Event

Kodak and Ingram Micro know how to make a corporate event picture perfect. First, choose a really cool, extremely creative location. Add a limo bus and mix with fine wine. The result was a heavenly evening at the Stratus Winery.

Kodak sponsored the evening to say thank you to Ingram Micro for promoting Kodak scanners. Kodak scanners are geared towards business and corporate markets. The scanners use the same lens technology that has made Kodak a world leader in imaging. Ingram Micro employees learned about the Kodak scanners and made excellent efforts to promote them. Their efforts were rewarded with the dinner and wine tasting at the Stratus Winery.

Stratus is uniquely beautiful among the many excellent wineries that populate the Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) region. Stratus is designed to produce fine wines in the 'greenest' manner possible. No expense has been spared in creating the most energy efficient winery imaginable. The winery's temperature is controlled by geo-thermal vents that extend from the building more than 200 feet into the earth. Architectural design maximizes sunlight and is LEED certified. Grapes are hand picked and no pesticides are used. Every process of wine making has been analyzed and optimized for energy efficiency and sustainability.

Stratus' Ben Nicks was our host for the evening. It was fascinating to learn of the innovative strategies the winery employs to reduce its carbon footprint. The winery uses no pumps in its process thanks to a production design that uses gravity to do most of that work. Ben's knowledge stretched from the French Oak used to make the aging barrels ($1,200 each!) to the subtle joys of the palate when wines are paired with the proper foods.

Words would be inadequate to describe the wine tastings and the dinner. You must experience for yourself by visiting Stratus. A big thank you to Kodak and Ingram Micro for choosing Buffalo Limousine and our limo bus to provide transport for the evening. The group left enriched with the best in food and drink, and I learned how Stratus puts 'green' into every bottle of white and red.

If you're planning a corporate event, give Buffalo Limousine a call. Our company features professional chauffeurs and vehicles of every size to meet your needs.

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.

Summer Solstice Birthday and Wine Tour in Niagara County

Although the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, our winery tour went by very quickly. Our group was a family who surprised their mom with a winery tour to celebrate her birthday. It was nice to see an extended family, sons, parents, grandparents, aunts--all together for this adventure aboard our 10 passenger stretch limousine.



We chose the Niagara County Wine Trail and were not disappointed. Our first stop was Eveningside Vineyards on Lower Mountain Road in Cambria. This is a wonderful winery that is in its infancy, but already produces excellent wines. The owner greeted us and provided a tour of the barrel room.
Our next stop is the Freedom Run Winery and Vineyards which features a spacious and beautiful salon for tastings. Freedom Run's motto is "We view wine as art." To that end they've constructed and decorated a truly stunning space in which you can relaz and appreciate their wines. In addition to the vintages, feast your eyes on the artwork that is available.
Our third winery is Arrowhead Spring Vineyards. This winery features on quality rather than quantity. The tasting area is rich with wood and overlooks the gorgeous vineyards. This is truly a family operation and the friendly owners will take the time to answer any questions you may have about their winery.
If you like a winery with personality, you'll like our 4th stop on the tour, Niagara Landing Wine Cellar. The first thing you'll notice are brightly colored single engine aircraft that are parked outside of the tasting room. Inside we found a very open and friendly staff that serves wines in an atmosphere of rustic warmth.
We decided to improvise a little as our tour came to a close. We went to Wilson, NY to catch a view of Lake Ontario. The day was warm and the sailboats were dotting the water all along the shore. It was a perfect end to a wonderful day along the Niagara County Wine Trail.
If this sounds like fun, down load the Buffalo Limousine Wine Tour Guide, or click here for more information on our wine tours.

Niagara Guides Now Available

Just in time for Spring, a new Niagara Visitor's Guide is available. The new publication will be given away at key gateway areas to Niagara, as well as through a US-Canadian distribution in newspapers. Here's more on the guide:

“Niagara Seasons” and “Les Saisons” guides highlight Niagara accommodations, Niagara-on-the-Lake wine tours, and so much more! Niagara Falls, ON – April 22, 2008 -Tourism Niagara, a division of Niagara Economic Development Corporation, is delighted to announce that the 2008/2009 edition of “Niagara Seasons” and the 2008/2009 “Les Saisons” are available for visitors looking to experience the best of Niagara Falls, Ontario. The attractive guide highlights Niagara as a destination with experiences that cater to many different interests. The guide has a special emphasis on popular Niagara Falls attractions and services such as the Niagara on the Lake Heritage District and Niagara hotels. The annual visitor guide features articles on topics such as Natural Outdoors with the Welland Canal and Niagara River; Food, Wine & Drink with Niagara-on-the-Lake wine tours; Niagara’s Culture and History; Fun with the Family; and Shopping & Antiquing such as at the Niagara falls outlet mall. This year the magazine’s Festivals and Events section has been expanded with more than 100 events from all of Niagara’s communities.

There are two ways in which you can order a copy of the guide. Call 1-800-263-2988 or contact Gateway Niagara via e-mail at gateway@tourismniagara.com . The publication is free. As always, consider using Buffalo Limousine to take you to all the exciting places and events in Niagara including our winery and scenic tours.

Hillary's Wine Tour

This winery tour was picture perfect, and we have the pictures to prove it. The group was celebrating Hillary's bachelorette party. Friends and family decided that a winery tour aboard a Buffalo Limousine Limo Bus was a great way to travel in style.
We could not have asked for a better day. The sun was out and there were no delays at the border. We targeted wineries along the Lakeshore in the Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) area and were able to visit four of them.

Our first stop was Stone Church Winery. We were able to have a tasting room set aside exclusively for our group. This was a relaxed environment in which we could taste and learn.
Our second stop was the venerable Konzelmann Winery. Hillary was treated to tasting the wine from a special crystal slipper. The staff here were loads of fun and kept our spirits high. The winery is quite picturesque and provides a viewing platform for better appreciation of Lake Ontario. We saw a four- masted schooner on the water, as well as an impressive lake freighter.
Not too far away, the Strewn Winery offers a connoisseur's delight. Strewn is a respected winery cooking school as well as a traditional winery. Strewn offers hands-on winery cooking classes in a beautiful contemporary facility. Our guide took us to the barrel cellar, treating us to a 'behind the scenes' tour of wine making.
The wonderful people at Palatine Hills Estate Winery greeted us at the last stop on our busy tour. For many years Palatine produced grapes, but did not make wine. Now they craft award winning wines and provide grape juice to home brewing enthusiasts.
Then it was back aboard the Limo Bus for the ride home. All the best of luck to Hillary and her sister Aubree in the upcoming months. thank you for choosing Buffalo Limousine for your bachelorette winery tour. I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Wine tasting Events in May

Looking for something unique to do in May? Buffalo Limousine suggests that you check out the Wine and Herb Festival going on at select Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries. We'd love to take you there in a sedan, limousine, or limo bus driven by one of our chauffeurs. See below for more information on the festival:

WINE AND HERB FESTIVAL
Four weekends in May
May 3/4, 10/11, 17/18 and 24/25, 2008
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Enjoy these Wine and Herb pairings (available only to pass holders):

Marynissen Estates Winery 2003 Cabernet and Oregano Niagara College Teaching Winery 2006 Gewürtraminer and Cilantro Palatine Hills Estate Winery 2007 Chardonnay and Parsley Peller Estates Winery Ice Cuvée and Chervil Pillitteri Estates Winery 2006 Pinot Grigio and Fennel Reif Estate Winery 2006 Gamay Rosé and Lavender Stonechurch Vineyards 2005 Shiraz and Garlic Chives Strewn 2006 Cabernet Rosé and Caraway Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery Strawberry Wine and Mint Cattail Creek Estate Winery 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and Savory Château des Charmes 2006 Aligoté, Estate Bottled and Thyme Coyote's Run Estate Winery 2007 Unoaked Chardonnay and Lemon Basil Hillebrand Winery 2006 Trius White and Tarragon Inniskillin Wines 2004 Inniskillin Reserve Pinot Noir and Dill Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery 2005 Proprietors' Reserve Meritage and Sage Joseph's Estate Wines 2005 Riesling and Lemon Grass Konzelmann Estate Winery 2006 Shiraz and Basil Lailey Vineyard 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon and Rosemary

Advance Ticket Price: $25 until April 30; $30 as of May 1. Plus applicable taxes.
Tickets may be ordered online at www.niagaraonthelake.com or by calling 905.468.1950.