As you’ve heard, 2017 was a year to remember. We got married, bought a house, and experienced many of the reasons we’re happy with our decision to move home. 

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Before moving home to Medina, I grandstanded in DC that there were good NY wines in Western New York. During those years, our trips home would include picking up local wine to share with those back in Virginia. Now, we’re trying to make the case that not only does the Niagara Wine Trail have good wine, but the range of wine is equally impressive; something we hope to eventually highlight and share at the Shirt Factory. 

While some of these wines aren’t available, you should do your best to grab any of these that you might come across. If you’re looking to drink local and focus your attention on the Niagara Wine Trail, here are some of our favorites from the last 12 months (in no specific order): 

  1. The 2010 Cabernet Franc from Arrowhead Spring Vineyards was a lucky opportunity for us. Duncan and Robin Ross gave us an in-depth look at their production facilities and even pulled out a couple library wines. This is a bottle we took home and waited another couple of months to pour. We learned it’s a prime example of a wine on the trail that gets better with age.arrowheadspringvineyards-8
  2. Blaufränkisch arrived to our glasses in a very good way. On several occasions we’ve enjoyed the 2015 vintage from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery. In fact, it was one that we chose to pour during our wedding. A less familiar varietal just adds to the intrigue and reason behind the need to buy this wine. For some reason, this wine continues to make me think about the Rick Astley song, “Never Gonna Give You Up”….. 
  3. While they may be new, Liten Buffel is already producing some impressive wines. Our first visit quickly pulled our attention toward the Quast Vineyard Pinot Noir, a wine we were excited to take home. The experience Zack and Patrick gave us included a comprehensive look at where they’ve been and where they hope to go. If you haven’t visited this recent addition to the trail, it’s worth the trip. litenbuffel-13
  4. At the recommendation of another winery, we stopped by Eveningside Vineyards and tried the 2015 Unoaked Chardonnay. This wine complimented a recent evening of relaxing on the back lawn. With warmer weather here, we’re looking for several wines for backyard evenings and outdoor grilling. eveningsidevineyards-4
  5. It’s unique, and while you might not find it on many shelves, Bulls Blood can be found at Chateau Niagara. This mouthful of a wine will certainly intrigue friends and dinner guests, as they try to figure out whether or not they’ve ever heard of this Hungarian favorite. Jim Baker always has a story or two to share, and you can find yourself quickly sampling a wide array of red wine. chateauniagarawinery-2
  6. A longtime favorite of ours is the 2013 Meritage Appassimento Estate from Freedom Run Winery. Our recent appetite for this wine has us planning another trip in the next month, one where we’ll certainly pick up another bottle…or two. freedomrunwinery-6

While there are plenty of additional wines that could make this list, these are a few that really stood out. As we begin planning a little wine tour in June are there any wines you’d recommend trying Additional wineries to add this time to our tour? 

Cheers!