Picnic Winery Bike Tour

So, we found this great bicycle rental shop Zoom Leisure, online before heading out to Niagara-on-the-Lake.  The reviews were all positive so we decided to book a Picnic Winery Bike Tour although attempted to book a Pub Lunch Winery Bike Tour.  That tour was all sold out but we happily picked Plan B.

You get a bike, water bottle, healthy snacks, lunch at a local market along the way, four winery visits and private tastings and if you buy anything, Zoom picks it up and brings it back to the bike rental shop for you to pick up after the bike tour.  It was well worth the $90/person charge.  It was so much fun.  We ended up friends with the people on the tour by the end of it (I think the wine helped with that) and we had a well balanced 6 hours of exercise and rest/fun.

Winery #1: Lailey Winery

Lailey Winery - a small "mom and pop" operation

Cheers to wine and biking!

The Market where we ate lunch

Enjoying a yummy lunch of great conversation, a sandwich, a fresh Canada peach and homemade ice cream!

      All our bikes outside the Market

                               

I caught a cute moment between a girl, her ice cream and her dog.

Winery #2: Reif Winery

Reif Winery - German founder/vinter and amazing Ice Wine found here

Handle bar mustache at Reif Winery

Private tasting at Reif Winery .  Our bike tour guide Michel is on the right.

Winery #3: Inniskillin

 

Inniskillin is a little more commercial than the "mom and pop" operations.  This only means they have to give their suppliers a certain amount of cases per year and if they fall below the quota could be dropped from that suppliers buying list.  If you were a winery who chose to be a small operation you'd sell at your own pace and have the time to create and age your wines to your standard of perfection.

Our private tasting included a tour of the winery.  Here is the cellar and we watched a video on how Inniskillin makes their Ice Wine from vine to glass.  *The wine boutique and cellar (wine storage) are all Frank Lloyd Wright inspired, including this table and chairs set.

The chairs wonderfully scream Frank Lloyd Wright

On to the next winery

Winery #4: Marynissen

A small "mom and pop" operation on purpose although they could go commercial because of their popularity.  You can only buy their wine at the winery or at some restaurants in town.  They want to stay small because that means more creative license and time to spend aging their wines.

    Private wine tasting with a comical fellow.  Michel tells him he missed his calling in stand-up comedy.      

 Crystals on every cork of their Cab Franc bottles but I forget why!

A hodge podge of bikes is an inspiring sight!

 Winery #5: Peller Estates

 Peller Estates coming into view

 

Private wine tasting at Peller.

Peller is a commercial winery boasting even a 5 star gourmet restaurant in the winery shop.  They are also very famous for their Ice Wines.  We concurred and bought a pack of 8 small bottles as gifts which we wrapped up in various clothing items and stowed in our luggage.  We however, have not received that piece of luggage back as of yet so would not recommend this practice.  You have to drive to and ship from Buffalo, NY if you transport purchases by mail because Canada cannot ship alcohol out of the country.