Inniskillin Wines is a Canadian winery founded in 1975 by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser. The winery is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and is known for producing premium ice wine using grapes grown in the region.
Inniskillin’s history dates back to the early 1970s, when Ziraldo and Kaiser, two young agricultural science graduates, became interested in the potential for growing grapes and making wine in the Niagara region. They began experimenting with different grape varieties and winemaking techniques, and in 1975, they founded Inniskillin Wines.
Inniskillin’s vineyards are located in the Niagara Peninsula, which has a unique climate that is well-suited to the production of ice wine. The region experiences cold winters and hot summers, which allows the grapes to develop a high level of sugar before they are harvested.
Inniskillin grows a variety of grape varieties, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. However, the winery is most famous for its ice wine, which is made from frozen grapes that are harvested and pressed while still frozen. The process of making ice wine is labor-intensive and requires a great deal of skill and expertise.
Inniskillin has won numerous awards for its wines, including several gold medals at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. One of the winery’s most famous wines is Inniskillin Vidal Icewine, which is made from Vidal grapes and has a rich, sweet flavor with notes of apricot and honey.
Inniskillin’s winemaking process is carefully controlled to ensure the highest quality wine. The grapes are hand-picked and carefully sorted before being pressed and fermented. The winery also uses traditional oak barrels to age its wines, which adds complexity and depth to the flavors.
In conclusion, Inniskillin Wines is a Canadian winery that is known for producing premium ice wine using grapes grown in the Niagara region. The winery has a rich history and is known for its high-quality wines, which are made using traditional winemaking techniques and aged in oak barrels.
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Chelsea Downey
2 months agoThis was the first ice winery we visited on Feb 25, 2023 just after lunch. This was the largest and busiest vineyard we visited as it's the oldest and most famous, I believe. It would be lovely in any season and plenty of parking. Our group of 4 managed to find seats at the end of the tasting bar and service was fine. There was a printed menu and plenty of little nibbles available with wine tasting. Spicy nuts + Riesling (sharp), Cheese + Vidal (fruity), Chocolate + Cab franc (rich). We did all buy some wine and chocolate and would come back for a longer visit. Today we visited three wineries on our first trip to Niagara.
Anika Dhalla
4 weeks agoInniskillin was apart of our sparkle festival tour. It was lovely. We got vegetarian + beef sliders for the feature with their sparkle brut. I found the food to be good, I liked the slider. The brut was 3/5, I found it sweet and not bubbly enough. Service was not the best, we were seated comfortably, but (since we were a large group) if someone went to the bathroom, staff would ask if we were done with the chairs. It made us feel rushed to get out of there. I would love to return for a proper tasting outside of the festival!
Mat Bienczyk
3 months agoInniskillin has some very great wines, but we were also interested to stop by for the ice wine tour discovery pass. Great tasting of their ice wine with food pairing, very exciting, and welcoming. Would definitely come again!
Joseph Sanchez
3 months agoOne of the best wineries in the Niagra region. Niagra has a TON of wineries and we have been to quite a few of them, this was our favorite. The staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about both their wines and wines in general. We have been to wineries all over the world and they still taught us some new things. They specialize this time of year in Ice Wines and theirs were divine, we bought a few bottles. The property is beautiful and they have a restaurant as well. If you're a wine drinker and in the Niagra area, don't miss out on Inniskillin.
Joe Gagliano
in the last weekOne of the best. Hands down. Spur of the moment mothers day trip to Canada. I've experienced Inniskillin before, just never visited the winery. Had to show my girlfriend the Ice Wine. Hats off to Chris at the wine tasting. You sir, are wonderful. She couldn't believe the Ice wine. Picked up a few bottles for ourselves and grabbed my Mothers Favorite for Mothers day. Inniskillin will always be at the top of my list.