During a March Break drive around the Niagara region a couple of years ago, we stumbled upon the then brand new Tawse Winery. We quickly fell in love with the place and their wines.
The natural route to Tawse begins with a trip to Vineland Estates. As one crests a large hill on Cherry Avenue, the winery appears tucked in behind the trees. Once it comes into full view, it becomes apparent that while it is built into a hill, this is no little operation. The building is nothing short of magnificent, built using completely modern eco conscious design with a keen eye to old world continental style. The friendly wine shop overlooks the gravity fed production area and contains a wide range of wine paraphernalia from glasses, decanters and openers to unique candle holders and serving trays made from wine barrels.
On this visit I was able to have a quick tour of the storage cave and private function cave. In the storage cave, there is a series of overhead pipes that transport the wine from the fermentation vats straight to the barrels. This means that the wine isn’t touched by air during its travels. The gravity fed delivery system also means that the wine is not pressurized through a pump. The private function cave is a long open space with room for a long harvest table alongside the elegant bar area. At the end of the room is the winery’s private cellar.
On this trip I picked up a bottle of their 2008 Echo Merlot/Cabernet and a 2008 Tawse Laundry Cabernet Franc. We enjoyed the full bodied Echo last night for our wedding anniversary, while the Laundry will go in the cellar for at least a year as the winery suggests.
If you make a visit to Tawse, be sure to ask for a tour, as the caves are stunning. The best value in the wine shop is the barrel stave candle holder, which sells for just $29 and always draws attention for dinner guests.
[nggallery id=6]
