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So close but a world away, the rolling vineyards and celebrated noble grapes of Niagara's wine country create an idyllic setting for corporate gatherings, retreats and special events. Planners searching for a complete change of scenery and a theme everyone will toast can look to Niagara's wine route where, a mere hour away from big city life, over 50 wineries await with tours, tastings and food and wine celebrations. Ready to uncork your next event in wine country? Explore one of these winery gems:
Jackson-Triggs Estate Winery — With its contemporary spin on the traditional farmyard barn, Jackson-Triggs winery is an architectural stunner that brings together production and hospitality in an innovative open-concept. Events and in-depth tours and wine education for groups of 20 to 250 are exclusively designed around the marvels of the 47,000 sq. ft. facility. Interactive progressive multi-course dinners (seated or food stations, depending on group size) are a gastronome's delight filled with fine details including artful wine-and-food pairings married to where they are served in the winery. Begin with hors d'oeuvres and sparkling wine in the Great Hall, moving on to an “amuse bouche” and winemaking lessons in the fermentation area. Enjoy an appetizer-and-wine pairing while drinking in the vineyard view from the glassed-in Tasting Gallery before taking a seat 16 feet underground in the candlelit Barrel Cellar for the entrée course. Icewine paired with dessert is served in the Estate Lounge overlooking the winery's vista. For speeches, presentations and entertainment, draw the winery's Amphitheatre into event service. Nestled amid the estate's woodlands and vineyards, limestone and grass seating cuts into the hillside surrounding the state-of-the art open-air stage (capacity 450). A permanent on-site hospitality tent is ideal for VIP dinners for 100. www.jacksontriggswinery.com
Stratus — As the first winery in the world to earn the coveted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, Stratus attracts as many groups looking to learn about its groundbreaking environmental efficiencies as for a tasting of its highly acclaimed small premium wine lots. Described as edgy Manhattan chic meets rural beauty, the stark and contemporary exterior houses an airy black-and-white themed interior full of natural light and textured finishes. Fascinating tours showcase the eco-wonders of the facility and its unique gravity-based winemaking system. A sleek retail area accommodates 40 with additional entertaining space in two private hospitality rooms: a 10-seat cross-cut mesquite-panelled tasting room with windows with views to the vineyards and barrel cellar; the elegant Vineyard Tasting Room seating 20, with majestic mahogany and glass doors opening out to a flagstone terrace (capacity 80). Meticulously custom-designed wine and food events impress; even the public tastings are served in premium crystal stemware. On-site kitchen and list of high-end caterers available. www.stratuswines.com NIAGARA WEST WINE ROUTE
Angels Gate — Tucked up along the Escarpment shelf called the Beamsville Bench, this picturesque winery is reminiscent of the popular Mission-style architecture of California wineries. One of the area's newer wineries, the facility's church-like design commemorates the Christian Sisterhood that owned and operated the property as a fruit orchard in the '40s. Serenity in white from the outside; inside, Cathedral ceilings soar 35 feet above the main area where moveable display fixtures make way for seated events for up to 70. An adjoining Hospitality Room offers privacy during regular business hours with flexible seating configurations for up to 25 people. French doors give access to two terraces (capacity 50) overlooking the gardens. Throughout the winery, floor-to-ceiling arched windows spill in loads of natural light and scenic views. For specialty tastings, consider the underground Barrel Room (40 seated). Catering kitchen available. www.angelsgatewinery.com
Flat Rock Cellars — Towering 30 feet into the air, the striking dual hexagons of Flat Rock Cellars' wine pavilion (on stilted platform, no less!) and production facility seem part observation towers, part tree-houses overlooking acres of vines, the nearby village of Jordan and the Toronto skyline across the lake. Enjoy the panorama from the glass-encased Hospitality Loft, which accommodates private seated gatherings of up to 30. Add in the lower-level wine boutique with its tasting bar and walkout terrace to expand event capacity to 100 with food stations positioned throughout. Cross the glassed-in catwalk for tours of this facility's unique five-level gravity flow winemaking system with a pause in the fifth-level underground barrel cellars for a specialty tasting (capacity 20)-the Pinot Noir is highly touted! Catering kitchen available. www.flatrockcellars.com For a full listing of Ontario wineries go to www.winesofontario.org
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