Ontario Wine Regions
Off The Beaten Paths

This family operated winery is located in Stouffville just outside of Toronto. It is owned by the Passafiume Family . It began as one of the very first pick your own farms. The winery opened in 2000offering fruit wines and mead.

The winery specializes in unique fruit blend wines. One very popular wine is Eloras Harvest a medley of five summer fruits and honey.

Other attractions at winery include -pick your own fruit - purchase jams-hay wagon rides

winemaker: David Matson
philosophy. Traditional, balanced chemistry, with applied simplicity

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website     handicapped accessible    tasting

Archibald Orchards & Estate Winery

6275 Liberty Street North
Bowmanville, ON

(905) 263-2396
Fax (905) 263-4263

 

Archibald's is nestled in the picturesque Oak Ridges Moraine. Since 1983, visitors to Archibald's have enjoyed a taste of country! From apples fresh off the tree - to pies still warm from the oven; from cider right off the press - to most recently, fruit fermented into award winning wines - there is something for every palate at this fourth generation family farm.
Your hosts Fred & Sandy Archibald.

Philosophy: Great wines are grown.. it is important to be in control of all the steps, from the site selection and varietal choices to final blending and balancing.

Bellamere Country Market & Winery

1260 Gainsborough rd.
London, Ontario, Canada
N6H 5K8

(519) 473-2273

 

Starting as a family farm, the younger member of the made family began the marketing experience in 1980s. 0pening a market in 1985 adding a Bakery and deli to great a delightful shopping experience, Bellamere started producing fruits and later mixing fruit and grape to produce some very unique wines. The timber structure winery opened in 1998.

Jim Patient is the wine maker producing wines made from 100% Ontario-grown raspberries, strawberries, apples, pears, blackberries, cranberries, and blueberries. Our fruit wines range dramatically in style and sweetness from the depth and complexity of our full-bodied Blackberry wine, to the sweet fruit intensity of our ice wines.

Philosophy: To make wines that capture fruit character and captive the customer

Located in South western Ontario Oxford County, near the town of Woodstock. Owned by the Birtch Family Bob and Dyann and their three sons. The winery produces over 20 different fruit wines.

The farm began back in 1946 doing mixed farming The orchard was planted in 1956. . In 1990 Birtch Farm decided to become a public oriented farm, to offer pick your own crops and festivals. This has grown to the current fall festival season that hosts over 10,000 people.  In 1990 after years of experimentation and studies at the University of Guelph, it was decided to add a fruit winery to the business. The winery was opened in 2001

They have two main events: Apple Festival (3 rd weekend in September) and Pumpkin Festival (2 nd weekend after Canadian Thanksgiving)

Dessert wines include an Apple Maple, Bluebery Ice and Strawberry Ice

Winemaker: Robert Birtch
Philosophy: Our wines are all non grape wines crafted in a style that benefits from aging 4-7 years.  They range from dry to sweet, and have a great deal of character

signature wines - "Oak aged McIntosh",and Elderberry, Oaked Aged Cherry

They have a licensed patio offering cheese trays and light lunches

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website     handicapped accessible /   tasting  / wagon rides / tours /Bakery

 

This family operated winery is located in The Town of Caledon (nw of Toronto). Caledon has a large geographic area and population of 55,000 people, prides itself on maintaining a sustainable balance of community, environmental and development initiatives in the context of an extensive urban and rural environment. Chesslawn Winery opened in the Summer of 2005

The winery was originally a dairy farm started back in 1840. Untill tenth 10th generation Irish  Canadian
David Matson dicovered an interest in growning grapes and making wine. David is assisted by is wife Lisa. The wines are made the old fashioned, unfiltered, no additives, balanced and structured.

The Vineyard is based in glacial deposit soil mainly profiled as medium sand/silt. The soil pH averages 7.1, serving as an excellent source of vital nutrients for vigorous vine growth. The original vineyard was planted 1.3 acres in June 2001 and expanded the vineyard to a total of seven acres in 2003.

Winemaker: David Matson
Philosophy: Traditional, balanced chemistry, with applied simplicity

signature wines -Albion Baco, Chesslawn Gold, and Caledon Frost

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website     handicapped accessible    tasting

Located just out side of London the winery was just purchased by Barry and Anissa Foley. The winery features grape and fruit wines.

Winemaker is Barry Foley

winemaking philosophy:
making the wine should be fun and and an art , with the finished product being a masterpiece of pride behind it

Barry said his interest in wine-making comes simply "from a strong desire for good wine. I know good wine when I taste it."

Countryman's Estate Winery

 

3387 County Road 26
RR#2 Prescott Ontario
K0E 1T0 

(613) 348-1575

is the first winery in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and one of the first fruit wineries in Eastern Ontario. This is a true family winery owned and operated by Gene and Marsha Countryman and Son Eli and his wife Amanda.

 

The Family has been market gardening since 1990s . Competition from the large giants, consumer rapid changes, and crop losses due to lack of markets and weather losses required major rethinking of their future direction. Since they were growing many perishable crops that had a limited market window, they needed a way of creating a more stable product with a greater shelf and market window. Researching the requirements for a winery began.

The wineries tasting room was designed as an 1800s general store. To match their Countryman's Cupboard store where fresh produce is sold. Countryman have up to twenty wines available, including three organic wines, includes:  Black Currant, Rhubarb and Wild Grape. All wines are QC

Signature wines: Tomato n' Spice and Garden Salad, Iced Strawberry wine,Honey Dew Melon

Winemaker: Gene Countryman
Philosophy : To produce excellent wines to suit a broad base of consumers tastes

Cox Creek Cellar Estate Winery

R.R. #5 Guelph , Ontario.
(519) 767-3253 e-mail:
information@coxcreekcellars.on.ca
tours@coxcreekcellars.on.ca

Located near Guelph, owned and operated by the Trochta family. The winery is named after the creek running through the property. The winery traces its winemaking back 200 years into European history. Cox Creek was founded by Mrs. J Jerry Trochta as part of her dream to continue her winemaking heritage. The estate winery is the culmination of her family's hard work and the bounty of the surrounding area. The winery construction started late July 1998 and was completed in time for the November 20 1998 Grand Opening.

Cox Creek Cellars incorporates scenic landscape pictures from around the vineyard property, present on each and every label. Cox Creek Cellars has also been awarded 14 medals in the past 24 months, from Intervin International, Fruit Wines of Canada and the Toronto Wine and Cheese Show.

Cox Creek Cellars Inc. uses natural farming techniques to produce wines of merit and appeal. Their goal is to redefine the nature of fruit wines in Ontario. Committed to integrity and customer satisfaction. The winery is committed to innovation and new product readiness. Cox Creek Cellars is the first fruit winery in Ontario to incorporate chestnut barrels in the aging of their Black Currant and Pinot Noir wines.

Located in Eastern Onatrio in a area know for its dairy farms

The winery is owned by :Samuel Gutknecht

Starting as a produce farm owned by the Downey Family since 1920, expanding into a market and then into producing fruit wines. Downey's has been extremely successful , in 2003 they were named the Fruit WInery of the year at the Canadian Awards.
Operated by John and Ruth Downey and their five children .

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Nestled in the heart of the Kawarthas, a very popular tourist and recreation destination north east of Toronto
The wine making facilities, tasting room and gift shop are housed in a restored log cabin built in 1866 complete with the original square hewn logs and pine floors.

They make mostly fruit wines grape wine and Maple Syrup wine

Winemaker: John Rufa

website    

Carol and Eric Thompson began their search a few years back looking for a Maple Tree farm.
They slected Haliburton County purchsing property from the Moon Family. They named their Maple Tree farm business Maple Moon. For the winery opened in 2005 they wanted a  name linking with Maple Moon

Moon Shadow claims to be Ontario's first Maple Winery. Over 80% of our wines are maple syrup based but not all have the maple taste. Wines produced include grape and fruit wines

signature wines : Golden Maple, Cran Maple and one of our dessert wines, Maple Sugar.

Winemaker: Eric Thompson
Philosophy: To create an enjoyable variety of unique quality wines

Must try Strawberry Short Cake

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Tours by request // gift shop // Fruit winery

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Located two hours north of Toronto on Lake Muskoka. Bala is home to the only two producing commercial cranberry farms in the province. In 1952, Orville Johnston began planting cranberries. Over fifty years later, Johnston 's Cranberry Marsh is one of the oldest cranberry farms in Canada and it is owned and operated by Orville's son, Murray Johnston and Murray 's wife, Wendy Hogarth.

In the fall of 2001, the Johnstons decided to begin a new venture, Muskoka Lakes Winery. While grapes don't grow in the region, cranberries sure do, and MLW specializes in wines made with Muskoka's native berry. With Jim Warren, a well-known winemaker in the Niagara region, as a consultant the Johnstons began making wine.

signature wines : Cranberry, Cranberry Blueberry, White Cranberry, Wild Blueberry, Oak Aged Wild Blueberry and Red Maple (a fortified dessert wine made with cranberries and maple syrup).

Numerous family events are planned through out the entirer year.

Winemaker: Murray Johnston
Philosophy: To create quality wines that express Muskoka.

Ian Fraser initially purchased  his property in the rolling hills of Northumberland County to be a weekend gateaway. He had always had a passion for wine and, in the spring of 2000, the idea of planting vines on the fertile land emerged becoming the County's first and only winery. Oak Heights is the name of the hamlet where the winery is located…it is a very historical name and the hamlet dates to the 1700's

Production began in 2006, the Winery produced eight wines including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Covert Hill White (Vidal), Covert Hill Red (Chambourcin, Marechal Foch, Baco Noir), Meritage, and traditional method Sparkling Wine. There are 25.5 acres of vineyard on a 100 acre property.

The beautiful estate property and surrounding hills provide a  wonderful place to explore. There is also a comfortable lounge where light meals and wine can be enjoyed. Check winery website for hours

signature wines : Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay

Winemaker: Mike Traynor
Philosophy: To make wines that emphasize finesse, approachability and an ability to match with food. To work with the fruit that we are given and craft them into a style that creates the best possible quality, and manage the wines in small lots with an emphasis on blending and complexity .

Oak Heights claims to be the only winery in the world to exclusively use 100% Canadian Oak Barrels.

Ocala Orchards Farm Winery

971 High Point Road
Port Perry Ontario
Canada L9L 1P0
905-985-9924

This winery has grown out of four generations of orchard farmers based on the original 100 acres purchased in 1915. Irwin and Alissa Smith opened their winery in 1995.

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This 11 acrea winery is owned by Mario & Julie Testa Just North of Markham and Toronto

winemaker --
philosophy.

This winery does not respond to our inquires.

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