This Ontario City Has A Hidden Wine Country The Rest Of The Province Doesn't Know About

If you think you know your Ontario wines, think again. There is a hidden wine country in Southern Ontario that often gets swept under the radar, and it's been around since the 1860s.

Right near the city of Windsor, in small towns from Amherstburg to Leamington, is EPIC Wine Country, Canada's hottest wine region that you've never been to. There are fourteen wineries in the area, each more beautiful than the last and full of fantastic wines to try.

All of the wineries are within a 30-minute drive of each other, it really makes the ultimate day adventure. You can book a bus wine tour, rent bikes to ride between each, or make your own tour as long as you have a DD. Some of the wineries offer free tastings or free with a bottle purchase, many have food menus to snack on and they all have beautiful views you cannot miss.

The most well-known winery of the bunch has got to be Pelee Island Winery, which is the southernmost winery in Canada. You may be familiar with some of their wines, such as the Lola rosé, which has gained popularity across the province. It even comes in smaller resealable bottles now, the perfect picnic wine. They have over 700 acres of vineyards, and you can stop by their Kingsville wine shop or their pavilion on Pelee Island.

The other wineries in the region cannot go unnoticed, offering a variety of things to drink, eat and do. If you want to hit up as many as possible, with the best views, there is a stretch of four along Lake Erie that makes a lovely tour option. Oxley Estate Winery, Viewpointe Estate Winery, North 42 Degrees Estate Winery and 'CREW' Colchester Ridge Estate Winery are all within a 5 minutes drive, on the same stretch of road.

Each winery offers something unique. Viewpointe and Sprucewood Shores wineries have amazing blue water views over the lake, Muscedere Vineyards makes wood-fired pizza outside on the patio, and North 42 has a lavender field, with blueberry lavender cheesecake that is to die for. If you're not yet convinced, you can always purchase a wine pass for $50, which includes tasting flights at eight wineries, plus some discounts.