Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery in Beamsville, Ontario

Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery in Beamsville, ON offers beautiful views of the vineyard and Lake Ontario while sampling a wide variety of wine styles and a world-class collection of artisanal cheese.

Located in the Twenty Valley, Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery is part of the Niagara Escarpment & area appellation of the Ontario Wine Route. A little distant from the hustle and bustle of the Niagara-on-the-Lake region, the Twenty Valley is easily located via Exit 68/Bartlett Road off of the QEW. Follow the easily-identifiable Wine Route signs (a white cluster of grapes on blue background) and Peninsula Ridge is just a couple of minutes off of the main highway.

Our visit to the wine shop at Peninsula Ridge was hosted by a very knowledgeable hostess. The man and I have varying wine tastes: I tend to prefer a wine just a bit sweeter than his standard Merlot. Neither of us was disappointed with our tasting selections; however, as with any wine-tasting, there were some we enjoyed more than others. Tastings at Peninsula Ridge are 50 cents per sample for most wines and $2.00 to sample Ice Wines.

As a couple, we generally each order a different wine and then share so we can taste a larger sampling of wines. We tried a variety of whites including the 2008 Gewurztraminer and the 2008 Inox Chardonnay. Both wines are VQA Niagara Peninsula, a designation guaranteeing the area the grapes are produced. Our red selections included the 2002 Cabernet Franc Reserve and the 2006 Vintners Private Reserve Merlot. Again, each red we selected was VQA Niagara Peninsula.

The Niagara region is known for its Ice Wines - a process that involves letting the grapes freeze on the vines before harvesting to allow a stronger concentration of sweetness and flavor into the juice as it is pressed. We sampled the 2006 Vidal Icewine (white) and the 2007 Cabernet Franc Ice Wine (red). An Ice Wine is generally a sweet wine and the Ice Wines at Peninsula Ridge did not disappoint in that respect. An interesting observation on our part was that I was more partial to the 2007 Cabernet Franc with its strawberry and honey notes while the man preferred the 2006 Vidal with its honey notes.

We did select two bottles to take with us - the 2007 Merlot and the 2007 Riesling. I was very impressed with the mineral taste in the Riesling. The "mouth-watering" description was accurate and I look forward to opening the bottle soon.

Not given much mention on the Peninsula Ridge website is their cheese selection. More than 30 cheeses from around the world are represented on the cheese list along with the best wine pairing. We chose two Quebec offerings: the Paillot (goat's milk) and the Douanier (cow's milk). I was a little put off by the "vegetable ash" in the description for the Douanier. Our tasting hostess explained that the original process was to separate the morning milking from the afternoon by spreading a layer of ash created by burning vegetable vines, including tomato. We were able to sample a sliver of the Douanier - it is a creamy, buttery cheese and the ash is a great addition, not a hindrance. While many goat's milk cheeses have a softer texture, the Paillot is rather firm and will crumble easily when cold. Even a little time at room temperature leaves it with an easy-to-cut texture and the memorable tang that makes goat's milk cheese so enjoyable.

The Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery also boasts the Kitchen House at Peninsula Ridge housed in the restored Queen Anne-style home. With a menu incorporating many local, seasonal ingredients, the Kitchen House is well-worth an extended visit.

Sources: Twenty Valley ; Wines of Ontario ; Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery