TRAVEL
A Toast to Niagara:
Exploring Wine Country with Niagara Airbus
With a well-planned tour, you’ll experience a day of learning and sampling as you travel in comfort, savouring some of Niagara’s finest wines.
By Richard Snyder
A tour and tasting at the Lakeview Winery includes a variety of wines to sample — and CAA Members can take advantage of the savings that their Membership provides! | PHOTO: COURTESY OF LAKEVIEW WINERY
IMAGINE ROLLING VINEYARDS, the gentle breezes and the clinking of glasses filled with award-winning wines. This is what to expect on a wine tour with Niagara Airbus. For more than 30 years, they’ve been curating unforgettable tours, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable journey — and a sample of the region’s best products — from start to finish. Here’s how a typical tour unfolds. Morning pickup at major downtown hotels begins around 9, and at Niagara hotels at around 10:30. Tours run year-around, Thursdays to Sundays. A comfortable climate-controlled bus then whisks you to the heart of Niagara wine country, with the first winery stop at about 11 a.m. Each visit lasts 40 minutes or so.
The first stop is the Lakeview winery, a CAA Partner where Members receive a “buy one, get one free” tasting flight. Guests are greeted by winery staff and escorted into the winery for a brief tour and tasting. Typically, four wines are served — a red, a white, a sparkling and icewine.
Next on the itinerary is Pillitteri Estates, where the focus shifts to an educational tasting experience. A guided tasting delves into the nuances of each wine, with explanations of the winemaking processes and techniques.
Indulge in a lovely day of wine sampling, shopping and strolling and let Niagara Airbus chauffeur you in comfort to some of Niagara’s finest wineries. | PHOTO: VIBE IMAGES/ADOBE STOCK
Following the structured tastings, guests enjoy an hour of free time in the charming town of Niagara-on-the-Lake and to get a taste, this time, of the many boutiques, art galleries and shops. There are also plenty of lunching options.
The final winery visit takes place at the Niagara College Teaching Winery and Brewery. This unique venue offers a tour and tasting experience that includes a visit to the vineyards. (Bonus! Beer lovers can opt for a tasting of various lagers and ales.)
At the end of the day, guests are taken back to their hotels, with Niagara drop-offs around 4 p.m. and Toronto drop-offs around 6 p.m. — just in time for happy hour. CAA