{"id":29688,"date":"2016-10-26T07:26:25","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T11:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/?p=29688"},"modified":"2022-12-11T15:56:37","modified_gmt":"2022-12-11T20:56:37","slug":"reif-winery-niagara-tasting-room-impressions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/reif-winery-niagara-tasting-room-impressions\/","title":{"rendered":"Tale of Two Niagara Wineries: Reif Winery Makes Big Impression"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"by
Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

As a photographer, I capture many wonderful moments in life, with no two moments ever being quite the same. This weekend, \u00a0I found out in my travels to the Niagara Region, the same can be said for\u00a0its wonderful abundance of world-class\u00a0wineries.<\/p>\n

This is my story about visiting two wineries in the Niagara region at opposite ends of the spectrum, one small and one large, to see just how different they really were with respect to\u00a0service style, approachability, ambiance and overall experience.<\/p>\n

In Part One\u00a0of Tale of Two Wineries, I wrote about my experience visiting Ravine, considered to most as a small artisanal winery.\u00a0 If you had the opportunity to read it, you would\u00a0have learned that my experience was anything but small.\u00a0 In fact, it became quickly evident that Sue, my research assistant and I had stumbled upon a very big\u00a0story.\u00a0 Click here<\/a> if you missed reading it.<\/p>\n

In this post, we visit Reif, considered to some as a “large” estate winery, to find out if the term \u201clarge\u201d really translates into a large experience.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reif Estate Winery\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Go big, or go home!\u00a0 Or so the saying goes\u2026\u00a0 It\u2019s 2\u00a0p.m., and the anticipation and excitement to visit our second winery of the day was mounting.\u00a0 Sue and I had just come from Ravine Vineyard, located in the village of St. Davids, and now we were heading due north to the picturesque town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.<\/p>\n

Reif, steeped in tradition that began nearly fifty years\u00a0ago, is a 125-acre, family-owned and operated estate winery, that opened its doors to the public in 1983.\u00a0 Originally owned by Ewald Reif, he sold the winery to his nephew, current President and Oenologist Klaust Reif, upon retiring.<\/p>\n

The history of this winery is impressive, however unlike my experience at Ravine, where we were drawn deep into its history, here at Reif our visit\u00a0was much more tailored to the actual wine tasting experience.\u00a0 So I\u2019ll keep my focus on the wine tasting experience\u00a0for now and later\u00a0I will provide you with a video\u00a0that will give a\u00a0brief overview of their history.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Front<\/a>
Front Entrance of Reif Estate Winery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We entered the Winery\u2019s grounds where we felt instantly transported to a quaint European village.\u00a0 A chalet-like facility greeted us at the opening of the entrance with ample parking beside the building.<\/p>\n

Once inside, I found it to be smaller than I would have expected, but only in size, certainly not in presence.\u00a0 Directly in front of us was an impressive wine tasting bar with busy staff attending to inquiring guests. \u00a0The room felt oval in nature and I was surrounded by well-lit wine displays featuring every style and class of wine imaginable.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Enjoy<\/a>
Reif Estate Winery Tasting Room – Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

As I had pre-booked our tour with the staff at Reif, Sue and I were \u00ad\u00ad\u00adgreeted at the door and introduced to our tour guide\u00a0Adrian McFarlane, a host at Reif whom\u00a0we soon realized was well versed in all the intricacies of wine tasting. It was no secret that I was coming to the wine bar\u00a0with a novice palate, unlike Sue who definitely had a keen nose for good wine.<\/p>\n

Adrian picked up on this quickly and was comfortable in dealing with both levels of knowledge. He took the time to explain the nuances of wine tasting, which for me was greatly appreciated. However, at the same time, he kept the process moving forward which benefited Sue as well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Wine<\/a>
Wine Bar at Reif Estate Winery -Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some of the cool tips Adrian shared with\u00a0us were how to correctly hold a glass at its stem to ensure that the temperature of our hands didn\u2019t effect the wine inside. As well, he showed us how to\u00a0swirl your wine around in your glass\u00a0and\u00a0break the surface of the wine, allowing for the aromas to be released.<\/p>\n

One thing I never knew, was that with every first glass of wine, you should start with three sips; the first being to cleanse the palette, and only on the second and third sips does your palette\u00a0acclimatize to the wine, allowing you to enjoy the true notes of the wine.<\/p>\n

I enjoyed\u00a0the second sip, which is when you learn how to properly take in your wine to ensure maximum enjoyment.\u00a0 It\u2019s called the \u201cgargle\u201d.\u00a0 This is when you draw air into your mouth while taking in a sip of your wine.<\/p>\n

The gargling motion can be quite tricky and, in my case, embarrassing. \u00a0However,\u00a0I\u2019ve been told that over time one will get used the process without making funny noises or faces and it will actually enhance your ability to taste the wine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"You<\/a>
Food Pairings at\u00a0Reif Estate Winery -Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

We were presented with a beautiful arrangement of assorted crackers and cheeses to go along with our taste testing experience.\u00a0 Adrian told us\u00a0which cheeses went with which wines and why. The light gouda cheese went with the chardonnays<\/strong><\/a>, the sharp cheddar cheese went with the Merlots<\/strong><\/a>, and the sharp blue cheese\u00a0went with their ice wines.<\/p>\n

Adrian answered every question we threw at him with confidence and ease and when the wine tasting was done, he even offered to extend his time with us to show us around the rest of the winery.\u00a0 We took him up on the offer!<\/p>\n

Our tour started outside where we passed an outdoor kitchen where pizzas and sliders were being grilled for guests to enjoy.<\/p>\n

Ahh, the smell of outdoor barbecuing!<\/p>\n

Beside the kitchen was an area they called their Century Garden, where they grew herbs, allowing guests to have a sensory experience whereby each herb represented a certain characteristic or note of a wine.<\/p>\n

Here are some herbs that pair well with wines: \u00a0Chardonnay, pinot blanc and sauvignon blanc pair well\u00a0with basil. \u00a0Pinot grigio and riesling pair with chives. The red wines, such as merlot, pinot noir, shiraz and zinfandel, pair nicely with chervil, cilantro and dill.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Cellar Room at Reif -Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next, we walked across to their wine cellar where we got to see the iconic wine barrels that we so commonly associate with winemaking.\u00a0 However, these particular barrels were quite impressive and unique looking as they had when they originated in Germany and have been in the Reif family for decades.<\/p>\n

They \u00ad\u00ad\u00adwere disassembled for the trip across the ocean and then reassembled in 1985 when the winery opened. These barrels range in size from 5,000 to 10,000 litres and each barrel had these tiny door openings that were the size of a sideways facing breadbox.<\/p>\n

We were amazed to discover\u00a0that each year they had someone\u00a0who made their way through this opening to scrub out the interior of the barrels.\u00a0 Truly impressive!<\/p>\n

From here, we made two more stops.\u00a0 The award room where the winery displays\u00a0all the medals and awards it has gathered\u00a0over the years.\u00a0 This room also houses their reserve icewine<\/strong><\/a> collection.\u00a0 Adrian noted that 40 of the 152 acres are dedicated to growing Vidal grapes for their icewine and he believes that it accounts for about 20% of their wine production.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Black Cellar Room for\u00a0Special Events at Reif -Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next we went to check out the Black Cellar, with a wine press, where they host receptions for weddings and even\u00a0a live concert there this year.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Our<\/a>
Our Host-Extraodinaire Adrian McFarlane -Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

I used the amazing backdrop of wine barrels that lined the walls of the black cellar to snap a few shots of our host Adrian. We finished our tour visiting the wine store that brought us right back to the main wine tasting building.<\/p>\n

Our experience was impressive, and I was surprised at the size of the venue. It felt smaller than I would have expected for a large estate winery. \u00a0Perhaps that’s because Niagara wineries overall tend to be much smaller than other regions, such as Napa Valley or Bordeaux. Estate<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Walking<\/a>
Walking between the vines at\u00a0Reif Estate Winery -Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Classi<\/a>
Classic Rolls-Royce Austin Princess Limo owned by Reif Estate Winery -Photo by Trish Kroeger O’Flaherty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

We ended our day by taking some beautiful sunset shots of the vineyard where I found an old classic Rolls-Royce Austin Princess Limo used for their wedding receptions that take place at the Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast. This grand mansion is a two-minute walk from the winery, a venue I didn\u2019t get to visit due to time constraints, but I am told it is beautiful.<\/p>\n

Sue and I will definitely use as an excuse to come back and visit!\u00ad. \u00a0We want to thank Adrian for his kind hospitality and Sarah Sparrow for setting up our tour — we\u00a0had an amazing time!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Trish<\/a>Trish Kroeger
\nFreelance\u00a0Lifestyle Photographer & Blogger<\/h4>\n

Trish is based in\u00a0Burlington Ontario, and\u00a0has worked passionately as a professional Photographer, Graphic Designer and Illustrator for over 20 years.<\/p>\n

She\u00a0travels far and wide to capture and write about life\u2019s amazing moments.<\/p>\n

View her full portfolio at www.yourtimetoshine.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  As a photographer, I capture many wonderful moments in life, with no two moments ever being quite the same. This weekend, \u00a0I found out in my travels to the Niagara Region, the same can be said for\u00a0its wonderful abundance of world-class\u00a0wineries. This is my story about visiting two wineries in the Niagara region at opposite ends of the spectrum, one small and one large, to see just how different they really were with respect to\u00a0service style, approachability, ambiance and overall experience. In Part One\u00a0of Tale of Two Wineries, I wrote about my experience visiting Ravine, considered to most as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":218251,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"link","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[113,1299,1293,1104,264,1294,1292,1105,231,193,1291,188,1296,281,474,1116,1120,107,963,372,394,146,137,158,965,358,114,343],"tags":[1502,1504,1503,1425,1505],"class_list":["post-29688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-link","hentry","category-best-wines","category-blue-cheese","category-canada-cheese","category-canada-wine","category-canada-wines","category-canadian-cheddar","category-canadian-cheese","category-canadian-wine-wine-region","category-canadian-wines","category-cheese-pairing","category-cheese-types","category-food-wine-pairing-wine-videos","category-gouda-cheese","category-how-to-wine","category-niagara-wine","category-niagara-wine-wine-region","category-ontario-wine-wine-region","category-ontario-wine","category-pouring-wine","category-red-wine","category-white-wine","category-wine-blue-cheese","category-wine-cheddar","category-wine-gouda","category-wine-etiquette","category-wine-reviews","category-wine-videos","category-women-and-wine","tag-estate-winery","tag-niagara-falls","tag-niagara-on-the-lake","tag-reif","tag-wine-pairing","post_format-post-format-link"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/218251"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29688"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59222,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29688\/revisions\/59222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}