12 Best Sights in Side Trips from Toronto, Ontario

On Jordan's Main Street, Cave Spring is one of the leading wine producers in Canada, with Ontario's oldest wine cellars, in operation since 1871. Go for the Riesling, Chardonnay, and ice wine. It shares ownership with the Inn on the Twenty and Inn on the Twenty Restaurant (next door) and produces custom blends for the latter. There are public tours every day at 1:30 between June and September (only Friday and weekends the rest of the year).

Founded in 1978, this is one of Niagara's first wineries, and one of the two largest family-owned wineries in Niagara (Peller Estates is the other). Originally from France, the Bosc family were pioneers in cultivating European varieties of grapes in Niagara. Wines here consistently win awards, and the winery is particularly known for its chardonnay and Gamay Noir Droit, made from a grape variety that was accidentally created through a mutation. The wine is proprietary, and this is the only winery allowed to make it.

Muskoka chairs beside the cedar-framed entrance set the tone for the warm and charming winery within. Inside the modern West Coast–style cedar building with a corrugated tin roof and massive stone chimney, Fielding Estate has envious views of vineyards and Lake Ontario from huge picture windows and a big stone fireplace for chilly days. A young team—husband-and-wife owners and two winemakers—has been making quick strides here. The mostly Chardonnay- and Riesling-producing vineyard has a low yield that enables flavors to be concentrated.

Inspired by a love of decadent Amarone, this winery is one of the few in Niagara to specialize in the small-batch appassimento method, where grapes are partially dried before fermentation to concentrate flavor and structure. The winery's lounge, CHZ PLZ, offers light Italian lunch options that pair with every sip. Don't mind the government buildings on the drive in; you are indeed at the right place.

Ontario's first certified-organic winery is a small, family-owned affair with exclusively organic wines. The setting is truly farmlike: sheep and guinea hens mill about outside while you taste. With only eight varieties—all VQA and including a nice ice wine—you can become an expert in this label in one sitting. The wines are available on-site, online, and at selected restaurants in Ontario; many of the labels are available at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.

An ultramodern facility, this famous winery blends state-of-the-art wine-making technology with age-old, handcrafted enological savvy, as evidenced by the stainless steel trough by the entrance. A multitude of tours, workshops, and events are offered. The hourly public tour is a great introduction to winemaking and includes three tastings and a mini-lesson in wine tasting. Its award-winning VQA wines can be sipped in the tasting gallery and purchased in the retail boutique.

An easygoing winery with a friendly staff and sociable tasting bar, Konzelmann has garnered praise for its fruitier wines in particular, and it's known for high-quality ice wines, one of which was the first Canadian wine to ever make Wine Spectator's top 100 wines list. Konzelmann's vineyards border Lake Ontario, and the winery has a viewing platform with vistas of the vines and water. The retail shop is well stocked with wine-related gifts.

Perched atop the highest vantage point on the escarpment with vines as far as the eye can see, the vineyard gives off a larger-than-life personality paired with facetious branding like "pompous" Pinots and "narcissistic" Rieslings. Tours and experiences are incentivized, with ticket fees going towards a bottle purchase. Timing your visit with a meal at the restaurant is an excellent way to take in the gorgeous hills. 

Standing out from a vast landscape of single varietal wines, Stratus specializes in assemblage: combining multiple varieties of grapes to create unique blends. Established in 2000, and emerging on the Niagara wine scene in 2005, they continue to perfect what has traditionally been a recipe for disaster for winemakers. A fine example is the Stratus White, a mix of six grape varieties that's complex and unlike anything you've ever tasted (in a good way). Sip all three assemblage wines (white, red, and ice wine) and a handful of single varietals in the modern glass-walled tasting room, installed in the world's first LEED-certified winery.  Tours must be reserved in advance and can include cheese and charcuterie.

Eco-friendly Tawse Winery is so committed to producing top-notch Pinot Noir that it installed a six-level gravity-flow system to avoid overhandling the delicate grapes. The investment seems to be paying off, especially considering it's been voted "Winery of the Year" multiple years at the Canada Wine Awards. The rural hillside winery is modern, its big stainless-steel vats visible from the tasting room. Also consider visiting their chic, small-batch sister down the road, Redstone Winery.  Don't leave empty-handed; tasting fees are waived if you buy two or more bottles.

With more than 300 wine awards, this winery—one of Niagara's first and largest—produces many excellent varieties. Its reds (especially Trius Red and Trius Cabernet Franc) are some of the best in Niagara, consistently taking top prizes at competitions; the Trius Brut is another gold medalist. The half-hour cellar and vineyard tour are set to the tune of bubbly Insta-worthy installations complete with generous complimentary samplings. Another dozen themed tours and regular events include a seminar where you can blend your own wine and an evening of chef-hosted meals at their terrific 5-star restaurant where every main is symphony in several movements.  Book in advance for tours.

One of Ontario's most beautiful wineries occupies 75 acres that were once a Mennonite homestead established in 1845. The original buildings have been transformed into the visitor center and production complex. Several tour and tasting options are available, including packages that focus on specific grapes, zero-alcohol options, and even dog-friendly tours. The excellent restaurant on-site serves lunch and dinner, and you can find a guesthouse and a B&B on the property.