Authentic Niagara destination experience
If you are looking for an authentic Niagara destination experience featuring good old-fashioned rural hospitality, you’ve found it! Off the beaten path of the main wine route in the historic Village of St Davids (a hamlet of the Town of Niagara on the Lake) you will discover Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery.
Draped in rustic, rural charm and oozing in authenticity it’s hard ignore the beguiling affect this place will have on you. Resting on a rolling hillside, the farm is owned by the descendants of David Jackson Lowrey, whose origins in Niagara date back to 1867 when the property was planted with tender fruit. Niagara’s first commercial grape vines we’re also planted on this site. Hand harvested, certified organic and biodynamically farmed grapes are fashioned into premium, small batch VQA wines that have captured the attention of critics and wine enthusiasts across the country.
The unique “streetscape” features historically significant buildings. The William Woodruff House, originally built in 1802, surviving war and fire, was disassembled and moved around Ontario for the better part of 40 years, changing ownership 3 times before returning to the Village and being rebuilt 200 yards from where it was built more than 200 years ago! It is considered one of the top fifty most architecturally significant ancestral homes in Canada. The authentically recreated 1920s Lowrey Farm fruit packing shed, served as the original farms packing centre. Torched by a local arsonist shortly before being rebuilt as the winery’s on-site deli bakery, the existing building is a faithful recreation of the original structure. These buildings are home to the winery’s hospitality centre, tasting rooms, on-site restaurant and gourmet grocery.
Food enthusiasts will love lingering on broad porches overlooking the vineyard and enjoying stunningly good fine dining fare. Ravine’s Winery Restaurant serves up French influenced, Niagara inspired lunch and dinner, seven days a week. All the breads are made on-site, and most of their seasonal organic produce is grown in the garden bordering the vines. The food focus is simple, local & fresh. For those wishing for something to take away, the grocery sells fresh baked, wood oven breads, artisanal cheeses, cured meats and locally made condiments including Ravine’s own Lowrey Bros line of canned goods. Shop for tasty spices, olive oils and chutneys for you to experiment with at home in your kitchen.
Ravine is the closest winery to Niagara Falls and minutes off the QEW. For more stories on Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, visit www.ravinevineyard.com. Or why not take a 20 minute drive down the road and experience the farm for yourself?
