Congratulations to the Top 20 Wineries of 2021, a diverse collection of producers that best represent the province of Ontario, determined by our team’s visit experiences, and celebrated for their exceptional wines.
VineRoutes.com announces Ontario’s Top 20 Wineries of 2021, its second annual list of formidable producers, honoured for their outstanding wines and ability to deliver on customer experiences.
Each year, the VineRoutes editorial team tastes hundreds of Ontario-made wines through both pre-arranged and casual drop-in visits, and from these tastings and visits (that are allowed to date back three years), the editors select the Top 20 Wineries of the year via a preferential ballot. From Niagara – the centre of Ontario’s wine production – to Prince Edward County, further east, and Essex County, further south, this list calls out remarkable portfolios of wines in addition to exceptional service, quality-to-price-ratio (QPR), and other experiential attributes.
Look back at our list of Ontario’s Top 20 Wineries of 2020
“When we launched this list for the first time in 2020, we had no idea how popular and well-received it would be,” says Carmelo Giardina, VineRoutes Editorial Director. “We’ve really worked hard as a team to evaluate and deliver, what we feel, is a list that truly represents Ontario’s wine community at its finest level.”
Wineries that have been able to pivot successfully have been rewarded for their efforts.
With the pandemic being at the forefront of all visit experiences over the last two years, Giardina says that those wineries that have been able to pivot successfully have been rewarded for their efforts.
“It’s not been an easy time for wineries to adapt to the fluidity of the pandemic,” continues Giardina. “Some have struggled with the uncertainty of it all, but others have risen to these challenges and have delivered outstanding, not to mention very safe, experiences for their guests. Even building on additions to their properties so that social distancing can be well enforced and that outdoor experiences can be enjoyed. We felt we really needed to acknowledge that this year.”
It should also be noted that this year’s list welcomes two wineries representing Ontario’s Lake Erie North Shore region – an area that was not represented in 2020’s inaugural announcement. This means that all three of Ontario’s official VQA designated wine regions are now recognized through this list.
For more details, images, and interview requests, please contact Managing Editor, Paula Henriques, at paula@vineroutes.com. A complete list of the Top 20 Wineries of 2021 appears with this release as well as in an official story, now published on vineroutes.com.
Join us in congratulating these highly acclaimed wineries!
VineRoutes Wine Magazine’s Top 20 Wineries of 2021:
EMERGING REGION WINERIES
– Adamo Estate Winery – Orangeville, Ontario
– Burning Kiln Winery – Norfolk County, Ontario
LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE (ESSEX COUNTY)
– Colchester Ridge Estate Winery (CREW) – Harrow, Ontario
– North 42 Degrees Estate Winery – Harrow, Ontario
NIAGARA ESCARPMENT
– Flat Rock Cellars – Jordan Station, Ontario
– Hidden Bench Estate Winery – Beamsville, Ontario
– Honsberger Estate Winery – Jordan Station, Ontario
– Kacaba Vineyards – Vineland, Ontario
– Leaning Post Winery – Winona, Ontario
– Malivoire Wine Company – Beamsville, Ontario
– Tawse Winery – Vineland, Ontario
– The Foreign Affair Winery – Vineland, Ontario
– Thirty Bench Wine Makers – Beamsville, Ontario
– Westcott Vineyards – Jordan Station, Ontario
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE
– Southbrook Organic Vineyards – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
– Stratus Vineyards – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
– Two Sisters Vineyards – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY
– Closson Chase – Hillier, Ontario
– Karlo Estates – Wellington, Ontario
– Rosehall Run – Wellington, Ontario
About VineRoutes:
Stories about wine, the people who make it and the places it comes from. VineRoutes is an Ontario, Canada based platform that intends to provide insight not just on Canada’s wine regions, but on a variety of regions around the world. With a story behind every bottle, every label, every vintage and every winemaker, VineRoutes aims to share some of these stories with you. Visit www.vineroutes.com for more information.
Media Contacts:
Carmelo Giardina, Editorial Director
email: editorial@vineroutes.com
Paula Henriques, Managing Editor
email: paula@vineroutes.com
