13’st Winery, the artisan winemaker in Niagara

Wine is art. The winemaker creates his masterpiece in the vineyard and then presents his art in beautiful glasses. This is something that 13’th Street Winery in Niagara has embraced. A visit there has something for the whole family. Wine connoisseurs can enjoy interesting, well-made wines with a personal touch. In the bakery, you can indulge in everything from cheeses and homemade bread to wickedly good butter tarts. But it doesn’t stop there. Everywhere you go there’s art and sculptures. In the sculpture park you’ll find wolves, pine cones and a long zip that opens up to hidden treasures. One of the houses is a large art gallery with modern art that changes regularly.

The wine impossible to pronounce

On our visit there, we are first met by Amanda who guides us through the wines with great enthusiasm and knowledge. It is difficult to choose one or two as all are of very high quality. However, their Gewürtztraminer is well worth trying. (Despite the difficulty of pronouncing the name) It has been matured for 5 months on Acacia which gives the wine a fresh and clean flavour. The aroma has all the floral characteristics of Gewurtztraminer. The flavour is full of fruit such as pineapple, peach, spices such as basil, tarragon and ginger. A wine that is suitable both on the terrace and on the dinner table, preferably then together with a slightly more robust fish.

The sparkling blanc de noir

Another wine that stuck in the memory, and also came home with us, is Gamay Blanc de Noir 2021. A sparkling wine made according to the traditional method on the lovely Gamay grape. After 12 months on the lees, the result is a fresh lovely wine with fine mousse. The flavour is fresh with notes of lemon, red ripe apples and raspberries. A perfect wine for toasting, but with enough character and structure to be the ideal complement to fish or shellfish. Can’t wait to try this with some fresh oysters.

A white cabernet sauvignon

After a while, Doug, one of the founders of the winery, joins us. He takes us on a journey through time and space and enthusiastically tells us how the family has been on the site for generations. First as farmers, and since 2008 as vineyard owners. His enthusiasm and love for the vineyard is palpable and it is with great pride that he shows us around. In the winery we meet one of his sons who is responsible for the most memorable of the wines we got to try. A white Cabernet Sauvignon made in 100% stainless steel.
I’m glad I see the bottle when they pour the wine. Otherwise, after just smelling it, I could have sworn it was a Sauvignon Blanc, grassy, herbaceous, gooseberry, asparagus, green pepper, it’s all there. The flavour, on the other hand, is fruity with strawberries, ginger, peach and lime. The colour is blushing pale pink, like the pale pink peonies growing outside the house. How exactly they managed to make this marvellous wine remains a secret, but I sincerely hope they continue on this path.

If you are in the area, 13’st Winery is well worth a visit. I’d even go so far as to say it’s worth a trip of its own,

Maria Scharffenberg
Sommelier and Teacher