Table of Contents
Introduction
When living near one of the most remarkable wonders of the world, Niagara Falls, I tend to become complacent about it as it’s so close, and I have gone numerous times showing visiting family or friends. That said, when I am there, I am reminded how amazing and powerful these spectacular Falls are.
This January though, my wife & I decided to take advantage of the good weather & enjoy a mini- vacation to the Niagara region. A perfect blend of touring some wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake and enjoying a wonderful Bed & Breakfast conveniently close to the Falls that made the early wake up to capture my desired Niagara Falls photos very favourable.
I admit it is not the usual time of year to travel to this area, unless you have an affection for Icewine and are attending the Icewine Festival. But we enjoyed the mid-week wintery visit and wanted to give you some ideas based on our itinerary.
Niagara-On-The-Lake
We began with a quick search online to decide what wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake were open on a Tuesday late morning – early afternoon in January.
If you would like to research and explore more Ontario wineries, especially in Niagara-on-the-Lake, this link is a good place to start: https://winecountryontario.ca/region/niagara-on-the-lake-area/
Wayne Gretzky Estates
We started with the reliable Wayne Gretzky’s Estates Winery. It is a modern mid-sized estate that feels like it is also a hockey museum. Airy layout, good for groups and it has a large store that includes more than just wine and whiskey. We didn’t bring our skates but loved to see a mini outdoor hockey rink, and a few people were even skating on that brisk day. The main building was preparing for an event, so we headed over to Whiskey side to partake in a tasting. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. We loved the 2021 Signature Series Shiraz Cabernet so much we bought a few bottles to bring home with the discount coupon from our tasting.
Inniskillin Niagara Estate Winery
Inniskillin was our second and final winery stop of the day. Immersive vines lined up all around the parking lot and entrance. The interiors are nicely designed, with part-rustic / industrial vibe. Our tasting table was a wine barrel while we were surrounded by walls of wine bottles available for purchase. We relaxed and sipped, enjoying ourselves and the surroundings.
Other Wineries
Including the above wineries, other wineries that we have visited on prior trips to the region with our completely informal rating of 1 to 5 are:
Wayne Gretzky Estates – 4.5
Chateau des Charmes – 4.5
Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate – 4
Pillitteri Estates Winery – 3.5
Trius Winery – 3.5
Peller Estates Winery -3.5
Innskillin Niagara Estate Winery -3
Reif Estate Winery – 2.5
NOTL Downtown
Unfortunately, lunch was not an option at the wineries at this time, so we headed into Niagara-on-the-Lake downtown to find some much needed food. Such a picturesque town with lovely shops, galleries, restaurants, a theatre and hotels. You could spend a day here meandering. We stopped to eat at Corks Wine Bar & Eatery to satisfy our hunger and enjoy some more local wine. Lovely place, good food with a nice ambience. It also has a covered patio in front that would be fun to partake in during the warmer months.
Niagara Falls
Bed & Breakfast
Our late lunch and final wander through N-O-T-L was perfectly timed as our Bed & Breakfast check-in time was now available. So, we jumped into the car for the short drive to the Grandview Boutique B&B in Niagara Falls. This historic home on the hill is quite impressive. It has been renovated and modernized, with each room having a particular feeling/theme. Very funky, and a nice blend of old and new.
We felt like Mexican for dinner and went to Taco N Tequila, which is close to the Fallsview Casino. Really big Margherita’s and good size plates of food. It was busy and the service was a little slow, but we were in no rush. I imagine this restaurant would be a very popular place in the summer as it has a good-sized outdoor patio.
The Falls
Driving to the Falls after dinner, we parked and walked along the boardwalk to watch the colourful Winter Festival of Lights that happens nightly between 5pm to 1am. So beautiful and vibrant to see these bright colours shining on the rushing American and Horseshoe Falls. We also took the opportunity to scout where it would be best to plant the tripod for the next morning for my pre-dawn photos.
We woke and layered our clothing, knowing it would be chilly to take my photos at pre-dawn. The mist from the falls, make it feel much colder than it actually is. Although it is easily walkable from the Grandview; we took the car and easily parked at one of the meters near the boardwalk / Falls. Parking can be crazy around the falls at peak times. If you happen to be there at an early hour, you can score parking just north of the falls giving you a couple hundred meter walk. Here is the GPS coordinates to plug into Google Maps : 43°05’11.8″N 79°04’36.6″W.
For the iconic horseshoe falls image, you want to position yourself right by the visitor center. The clouds were not the most cooperative, but I was able to get a handful of shots that I think are keepers. We literally felt numb leaving after an hour of taking photos; the mist makes it painfully colder. It actually felt warmer walking away from the visitor centre and stopping to take some photos of the American Falls.
Breakfast and Conclusion
Back in the car, with the heat on high, we drove back to the Grandview for our scheduled 830am breakfast. The coffee and tea helped warm the hands, while the buffet and individually selected hot meal were the perfect medicine to warm our souls.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Grandview B&B and would highly recommend. For the value of accommodation, parking and food, we are very happy to have tried this type of accommodation vs the big hotel chains. A word of caution, most of the big hotel chains which are close to the strip will charge you an extra $20-$30 for parking. It’s a sneaky hidden fee that will jack up the cost of your stay. (We do enjoy those hotel chains as well but are impressed with the B&B and think switching it up worked well for us on this trip)
If you have the opportunity to visit the Niagara region, we hope some of the suggestions above help you.
Happy Travels!
