Local Wines

Citrusy & Floral

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

The intense aromatics of this wine leap from the glass, lifted by beautiful, creamy bubbles. Explosive aromas of fresh mandarin orange, Meyer lemon, fresh ginger, and notions of nutmeg and honeysuckle immediately engage the olfactory senses.The palate echoes the nose, but also brings in mango, lychee and rose-petal with the light citrus and floral components wiping through the background. A rich mouthfeel is brought on with this warmer vintage as well as the lees in bottle. Serve well chilled. Pour immediately.

Floral & Juicy

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

The 2022 vintage offered low cropping yields which give us the opportunity to craft a rose from numerous different vineyards across the Niagara region. Over a five-week period, 3 different vineyards were harvested for this rose starting on September 21st with Pinot Noir, October 12 was Gamay and finally on October 24 th the Cabernet Franc was harvested. The three red varieties were left on skins over night to extra their beautiful colour, then were direct pressed into stainless steel tanks where the juice was allowed to settle. All grape varieties were fermented separately at cool temperatures to preserve aromatics and fresh fruit. This wine was bottled in March 2023. 

Our house style of rose is bright and refreshing with the most beautiful colour and great fruit. The nose is so vibrant the red fruits such as raspberry, strawberry and watermelon with savoury notes of white pepper, lemon basil and hints of orange blossom. The palate reflexes the nose with rich texture and a delicate finish. This bright, refreshing Rose was built for warm summer days and good company!

Juicy & Earthy

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

The depth of this wine was structured by the warm summer and wet autumn. This wine stays true to the Leaning Post style and terroir of Armbrust Vineyard, it demonstrates lots of earth, mushroom  on the nose which is complimented by blackberry and cherry fruit with some beautiful freshly picked lavender. In the mouth there is lots of beautiful beet, blackberry, kirsch, and cracked pepper. The finish is long and delectable.

Try with brie, camembert, your favourite burger, or anything on your plate this Thanksgiving.

Note that this case will be shipping and arriving in the new year - 2025!

These Crew Sauvage have a remarkable balance of concentration and weight, while remaining fresh and lifted in their youth.

This mixed case includes 6 bottles of 2021 Crew Sauvage Chardonnay and 6 bottles of 2021 Crew Sauvage Pinot Noir.

Nicholas Pearce Crew Sauvage Chardonnay VQA Niagara Peninsula 2021. Expect straw gold in the glass with gorgeous orchard fruits, apple and peach on the nose with notes of marine, hazelnut, lemon custard, and blonde caramel essence. This elegant wine offers a lovely texture on the palate, rich and round with biscuits and cream, while boasting a lip-smacking acidity with an herbal tea tannin.

This world class Niagara Chardonnay is ready to pair with just about anything, but we are thinking white fish in beurre blanc, cream based pastas or fresh salads garnished with lots of cheese.

Nicholas Pearce Crew Sauvage Pinot Noir VQA Niagara Peninsula 2021. The 2021 vintage is marked by elegance over power, brimming with brightness and approachability straight out of the gate, with not hard edges. Light ruby-red in the glass, high toned aromas of cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, backed by roasted herbs, spice and pepper. Great weight and poise for Ontario, but still the light to medium bodied Pinot Spectrum with balanced tannins and acids holding on to fine and lengthy finish.

Certainly a vintage on the edge, marked by many cold and wet days. However, as every mother does, mother (nature) kicked in and saved the day with a gloriously warm and dry finally to the cooler growing season.

Earthy & Floral

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

A blend of fruit from 4 different Vineyards from 4 different sub-appellations, this wine explodes out of the glass with wonderful mulberry, cherry kirsch, pomegranate, and raspberry followed closely by dried basil and tarragon, layered over mushroom and tobacco leaf. It shows up with some air, with more fullness and roundness than some previous vintages. The palate in particular shows good fullness in the mouth with glace cherry married to sugar beet, followed closely by damp leaves and dirt mixed with wet stone with traces of spice lingering on the wonderfully long finish. Balanced acidity follows a soft and supple mouthfeel that will age for 3-4 years but can certainly be enjoyed now.

Pair this Pinot Noir with smoky glazed ham or grilled salmon.

Zesty & Mineral

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara. 

The 2019 Riesling is the epitome of what makes bench Riesling great. The nose explodes with beautiful lemon-rind, lime-leaf, nectarine, nutmeg, and honeysuckle aromas. Those flavours continue on the palate while adding green apple, honeycomb, cumin, white lilac and the distinctive chalky minerality of the Twenty Mile Bench. There is unusual weight and texture here, with a mouth-filling sensation that is not very common in Riesling. As the wine sweeps across the palate towards the finish, a bright green leafiness and flinty/gravelly appear in waves, leading to an amazing, crunchy finish. The wine will age well for the next decade.

Rieslings are great to pair with spicy Indian and Asian cuisines and do excellently alongside duck, pork, bacon, shrimp and crab.

Spiced & Round

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

This blended wine (61% Merlot, 39& Cabernet Franc) always over-delivers massively for the price. Blackberry, cassis, raspberry and mulberry instantly appear on the nose, with lilac, cracked white pepper, licorice and pancetta following closely behind. On the palate, the warmth and weight of the 2020 vintage is immediately evident, with a very broad and weighty mid-palate featuring plum, wild-blueberry, and strawberry layered over dark- chocolate and graphite with wisps of herbs-de-provence and black olive fading in and out.

The powerful but soft tannins make it satisfying to drink now with a good decant, but it will certainly age well over the next 5-8 years. Great with burgers, cured meat, and hard cheese.

Mineral & Zesty

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

The 2022 The Fifty Chardonnay is a blend of three different vineyard with four different picking dates. 100% of this wine was fermented in concrete with spontaneous fermentation. Once fermentation was completed, the wine was aged on full lees in concrete for 8 months. After lees-aging, it was racked, lightly filtered, and bottled on September 7 th , 2023.

The 2022 vintage was beautiful, warm and sunny throughout, but with very small yields. As a result, wines are very concentrated with great acidity. The nose of this wine is full of pineapple, nectarine, red apple, and orange blossom followed up with lemon meringue and crème fraiche. The palate has a refreshing reflection of the nose, adding lemon-curd, peach blossom, and spice, but it also showcases a mineral and wet stone characteristic that leads to the long, elegant finish.

This wine will age well for the next 5-8 years. Enjoy with brie, sole meuniere, and lemon-roasted chicken.

Tropical & Fresh

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

Leaning Post's goal for their Sauvignon Blanc is to reflect the unique Niagara terroir and this wine always delivers. 

Very intense tropical aromas of pineapple, passionfruit and mango lead to kiwi, lemongrass and lime-leaf on the nose. The palate has bright acidity matched by a creamy texture, with key-lime and starfruit battling with passionfruit for supremacy, while lemongrass and honeysuckle stand back and watch. The finish is the most surprising, with the flintiest, most “wet stones in a mountain stream” minerality we have ever seen on our Sauvignon Blanc!

Drink now or over the next 3 years. Enjoy with pan-fried halibut, fresh pesto; anchovy-paste pasta, or lemon herb roasted chicken.

Creamy & Mineral

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

Hand-picked and hand-sorted on September 15th, the grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed, and allowed to settle in tanks for several days prior to fermentation. The juice of Clone 96 was racked into barrels (2 puncheons; 2 barriques) for spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, then aged in barrel for 18 months. After skillfully selecting the best barrel combination to highlight the unique characteristics of the clone, the 2020 Clone 96 Chardonnay was allowed to naturally settle before being bottled in June 2022.

This wine has incredible depth on the nose the evolves slowly, keeping interest as it unfolds. Tropical fruits like pineapple and mango lead to toasted almond and a sprinkle of sea salt.The palate has a rich and creamy texture followed by a delightful saline quality, the perfect balance of richness and brightness. The wet stone/mineral base is wrapped with lime zest and lemon curd with backing flavours of vanilla, cardamom, and cinnamon.The finish just goes on and on showing why this is a truly outstanding example of Senchuk Vineyard!

Pair with poached salmon with a buttery sauce, chicken, pork or pasta in a creamy sauce pair stunningly with this wine.

Spicy & Round

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

This Merlot is part of Leaning Post's 'Freaks & Geek' collection, their Natural Wines series. The Merlot Vin Nature 2018 is a truly deep and fascinating wine, it reminds us of walking through the pine and mossy dampness of a forest path by a lake in the Canadian Shield on a cool autumn evening, stopping to pick some wild-blueberries and noticing in the background a roaring fire.

Pair this natural Merlot with roasted white meat or sautéed vegetables.   

Zesty & Mineral

Keint-he Winery & Vineyards is a boutique winery located in Prince Edward County. The winery has a strong focus on varietals that are typically grown in Burgundy, specifically Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; through which they truly express the best of the County with wonderful individual expressions. Keint-He’s approach to winemaking is as down-to-earth as it gets and their quality is second to none.

This exquisite single vineyard wine unfolds its charm with a nose that is an expertly balanced blend of vanilla, warm baking spices, and a hint of citrusy lemon zest, teasing the senses and beckoning the palate. The wine's creamy texture coats the palate, providing a luxurious sensation that is both soothing and indulgent. Flavours of succulent apple pie, sweet lemon drop, nutmeg, and brown sugar meld together in perfect harmony, creating a symphony of taste sensations that will leave you wanting more.

And the pièce de résistance? The heavenly mouth feel that lingers long after the sip is gone, making it an ideal pairing for seafood or fish tacos, where its subtle nuances can complement the delicate flavours of the ocean's bounty.

Creamy & Mineral

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

The “Geekiness” continues to rise in this wine. An experiment in lees aging, this riesling ages 22 months on all the lees collected from all the white wine fermentations since vintage 2014.   Reductive notes of flint and mineral frame all the beautiful stone fruit and classic Riesling notes.   It has a wonderfully rich and creamy texture balanced by a distinct freshness. It is practically immortal and should age beautifully for the next decade and well beyond.

Drink with freshly shucked oysters, sushi, and the geek you love the most.

Nutty & Waxy

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

This wine is unmistakably County Pinot Gris. The aromas of pear and cantaloupe yogurt are delicate, rich, and inviting. The use of an Alsatian yeast strain and our method of partially fermenting in old French oak barrels give a smooth and rich mouthfeel, while the waxy finish of unctuous confit apple with a hint of nutmeg keep you coming back for more.

Choucroute garnie, foie gras, pork dishes, veal parmiggiano, chicken with cream sauces, and a traditional turkey dinner are all wonderful. Pizza bianca with a cream base, taleggio and pear is delightful, while meatier fish like halibut, cod, trout, or arctic char are ideal for the fish lovers. Chèvre and brie make great cheese options.

Spicy & Tropical

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

Harvested on September 25, 2021, the grapes were destemmed, into concrete tanks where it went through a spontaneous fermentation. It remained in concrete and aged on skins for 25 days, then it was gently pressed into clay amphora (17%) and stainless steel (83%). This wine was racked only a handful of times prior to being bottled unfiltered on April 13, 2022.

This wine represents the evolving nature of wine in Niagara. Orange marmalade, jalapeño pepper jelly, and passionfruit dominate the nose and palate, while elderflower honey, cream and lemon dominate the palate with a rich and oily texture. It is all tied together with bracing acidity, gorgeous texture and a seam of fine tannin. Chill and drink as it warms to reveal new facets of its unique personality.

Enjoy with fish tacos or fish and chips.

Toasty & Citrusy

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara. The Chardonnay in this wine comes from a beautiful old vines (35+ years old) block, while the Pinot Noir is from a younger block on the same property in Beamsville Bench.

If you can imagine dipping a freshly baked lemon/herb croissant into a cloud then you have some idea of how this wine tastes! The toasty/biscuity and lemon-curd aspect leaps immediately out of the glass, with a background of crème-fraiche and flowers. The palate is full and round, with a very fine mousse showing fresh-baked bread, lemon meringue, roasted almond and unicorn-dust. The terroir and old-vines really come through on the finish with an amazing mineral/flinty core and very present acidity.

Enjoy now, but this wine will age gracefully over the next 8+ years if you want it to. Drink with fresh Malpeque oysters, hazelnut crusted halibut, and soft white cheeses.

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

A blend of fruit from 4 different vineyards from the best appellations across Niagara, the 2021 Pinot Noir is the epitome of the Leaning Post style. This wine combines classic “P(inot)-funk” flavours of candy cane beet root, earth, leaves and dirt with stunning bing cherry and raspberry.  Made in a style that is slightly more approachable than our single-vineyard Pinots, it still shows incredible depth and complexity. The incredibly supple mouthfeel, medium body and balanced acidity frame exceptional flavour intensity, leading to a long, sweeping finish the ends on a decidedly mineral and crunchy note.

Pair this Pinot Noir with smoky glazed ham or easy lentil curry.

This wine will age for 4 to 5 years.  

Fresh & Balanced

Note that this case will be shipping and arriving in the new year - 2025!

A true Niagara Villages wine focused on a blend of organic, biodynamic and uncertified sustainably farmed vineyards throughout the Peninsula with a focus on Quarry Road (Vinemount Ridge), Cherry Road (Twenty Mile Bench) & the Tintern Vineyard. The grapes are harvested, destemmed, wild fermented "whole berry" for 18 days, before gravity flow takes them into French barrels. This fresh Pinot Noir was then left to age for 16 months in barrel before bottling.

The 2021 vintage is marked by elegance over power, brimming with brightness and approachability straight out of the gate, with not hard edges. Light ruby-red in the glass, high toned aromas of cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, backed by roasted herbs, spice and pepper. Great weight and poise for Ontario, but still the light to medium bodied Pinot Spectrum with balanced tannins and acids holding on to fine and lengthy finish.

Certainly a vintage on the edge, marked by many cold and wet days. However, as every mother does, mother (nature) kicked in and saved the day with a gloriously warm and dry finally to the cooler growing season.

Floral & Fruity

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

Cool-climate Merlot at its best. This wine is loaded with all things blue and moody: damson plums, violet, fig, blue-acai, and chocolate-covered blueberry. Rich oak tones of vanilla, chocolate, and marshmallow balance out the fruit intensity and leave a long yet distinguished finish.

Fatty, high protein foods are recommended to bind with the high tannin and balance the acidity. Roasted leg of lamb with Saskatoon berry compote, coffee-rubbed steak, seared duck breast, creole jambalaya, pork loin with roasted plums, and blue cheeses all go
great.

Earthy & Peppery

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

A cooler vintage brings freshness to one of the county’s best varieties. Strawberry, red currant, candied cherry, and a savoury garrigue all burst from the glass. Tones of sumac, cedar, bittersweet chocolate and cinnamon bark bring a discerning finish to this elegant grape. The classic pairing of seared duck breast and mushroom risotto are a must-have.

Classically, a pan seared or confit duck breast with black pepper and wild mushroom risotto is delightful. We also recommend blue cheeses, gruyere, taleggio, jollof with smoked mackerel, grilled pork butt chop with a sumac compote, black truffles, miso chicken, grilled salmon, or tuna sashimi.

Waxy & Floral

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

One of Lighthall's most aromatic wines, this off-dry Riesling is bursting with kiwi, starfruit, nectarine, and a lovely bouquet of white flowers. The classic Jolly-Rancher and crisp green apple punch follows through on the palate with vivacious acidity. Pairs
excellently with spicy south-Asian cuisine, curries, and tacos.

With the little touch of residual sugar in the wine, it makes a great match for foods
with a bit of heat. Spicy curries, Guaitiao (Thai noodle soup), Shrimp with noodles,
or Chicken Masala with mango chutney for example. Leaner white fish like bass,
pickerel, red snapper served with a fresh salad of greens with citrus segments makes a
great summertime match. Creamy fresh cheeses like Brie, Camembert, or Crottin all
are great, while classic Germanic foods like weisswurst, pretzels, and spaetzle also
work well.

Mineral & Zesty

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

As typically found in County Chardonnay, this wine starts with aromas of flinty
minerality, Asian pear, and salted caramel. A round palate is filled with flavours of golden delicious apple, baking spices, and a hint of lemon. Put together, it’s like an apple crumble before it’s been baked! The smooth texture and long finish leave you satiating for more.

Our Phillipston Road (Manchego-style) cheese is literally made for this wine. Rich, salty, and nutty, it makes a perfect match. Coquilles St. Jaques, Oysters Rockefeller, halibut, spaghetti cacio e pepe, zucchini ravioli with grated lemon zest, butter poached cod, and chicken with a cream sauce are all wonderful pairings.

Bright & Creamy

Our favourite bubbly wine is back for its 10th vintage and as always, made in partnership with Lighthall Vineyards in Prince Edward County. This is a small batch “Brut Blanc” Cuvée, made using the Charmat method bottled as VQA Ontario.

We had an instant crush on this new vintage: the beautiful bubbles are so nicely integrated and complement the wild floral and orchard fruit aromas, all backed by the bracing acidity of the Vidal grape when grown in our cool climate. The blend als has Riesling (20%) and Pinot Gris (20%). Dangerously delicious in the glass, this wine is built for both celebration and gastronomy.

The Ward 5 Brut Blanc’s very well balanced acidity makes it perfect to pair with oily and fatty foods, such as cheese boards, salmon, roasted chicken or even fish and chips!

Nutty & Creamy

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

It begins with a sparkle of salted lemon and an aroma reminiscent of the beautiful land on which it is grown - County limestone shale. The velvety shortbread and macadamia nut flavours on the palate are derived from its Traditional Method style, aging 2 years on lees in this very bottle. Santé!

Earthy & Peppery

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

Those looking for brooding dark fruit, eucalyptus, and pure pleasure in their red wine – look no further. This Cabernet Franc brings an intensity reminiscent of black cherry twizzler, menthol, cola, and blackberry panna cotta. Tannic yet easy drinking, this wine is fantastic with roasted chicken, venison, and rack of lamb.

Roast chicken with vincotto, charcuterie (especially paté and terrines), game meats (peking duck, roasted quail, pheasant), grilled lamb, venison, beef kofta, and shawarma are all delightful protein choices. Mild blue cheese, crottin (or Lighthall’s own Milford Reef), ratatouille, gratin dauphinois, and hearty soups with beans make good options for those seeking lighter fare.

Citrusy & Creamy

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

A traditional method blanc de blanc, Revelation spent 10 years sur lies. The result is a wine of incredible depth, with rich toasty aromas backed by preserved lemon citrus and citrus curd character. Only one cage was made, making this exceptional wine also a bona fide rarity.

Limited edition and numbered bottles.

Crisp & Fruity

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

Lighthall's famous sparkling Pinot Noir, re-fermented using the Charmat method. A slight change in production method saw a little less skin contact and more whole cluster pressing, presenting a wine packed full of strawberry flavour and hibiscus aroma. Very crisp and fruity while still refreshingly dry, this wine matches exceptionally with spicy rosé sauce, sweet red bell peppers and cheese boards.

Crisp & Fruity

Lighthall Vineyards is a small, proud, low volume and high quality winery located in enchanting Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. All their wines are produced in a non-interventionist manner and fuelled by passion as hearty as our vines. They also make cheese, designed to pair with their wines.

This latest iteration of Lighthall's still rosé made with merlot grapes grown in Prince Edward County presents a captivating bouquet that expertly captures the essence of summer. The aromas of pomelo, pink grapefruit, and red bell pepper harmonize in a symphony of freshness, tantalizing the senses and inviting the palate to indulge. Upon sipping, the flavours unfold with a crisp, rounded quality, reminiscent of a crunchy red delicious apple. This refreshing rosé is sure to complement a variety of warm-weather occasions, from poolside gatherings to al fresco meals and summer salads.