Chateau des Charmes Wines - My first impression of this Niagara-on-the-Lake winery was what a grand estate it is. It seemed more like a mansion than any winery I had ever visited. The huge stone structure was remarkably beautiful...and kind of intimidating. Our stop at this winery (and a few others) had been worked into a family vacation to Niagara Falls. There I was standing outside this beautiful winery in full tourist attire...a tank top, denim shorts and sandals. I normally dress much nicer when winery touring, but we were just visiting two wineries then back to the Falls for some family fun. I also had my eight-year old son with me, which is highly unusual. I just couldn't plan a trip to Niagara Falls with so many wonderful wineries nearby and not stop by a couple. We certainly looked out of our element, and I wondered how we would be treated once we stepped inside.

We walked up the steps to the large doors and stepped inside the foyer. A man immediately greeted us and asked if we had come for the 11:00 tour. We declined the tour and he pointed us toward the tasting counter and the retail sales rooms. We walked past the tasting counter and on to one of the sales rooms where they displayed their wine. It had been awhile since I visited the Chateau des Charmes website and I wanted to refresh my memory on the wines they produce. We browsed the room until I got a good feel for their wines. They seemed to be producing mostly dry wines...then ice wines....but nothing in between. On the way out of the room I noticed a sign on the wall listing the wines they had available for sampling. Each wine also had a specific price for a sample ranging from 50 cents to $5.00. 

As we approached the tasting counter, I told my son to be on his best behavior. Two ladies stepped over to help us. We were told that it was the younger girl's first day working at the winery and she would be observing. We looked over the tasting sheet and Gary chose a couple of Rieslings to try and I decided to sample a Pinot Noir and a Gamay. The woman poured Gary's sample...then poured my sample and placed it in front of my son. She told him not to drink it, but showed him how to swirl it in the glass. She then asked him to smell it and let us know what he smelled. The woman said that she likes to hear what children smell in the wine since their sense of smell is so much better than that of an adult. My son, Morgan, said that the first smell was like something he had smelled before, but couldn't tell what it was...and the second smell he didn't like. I don't think it was the answer the woman was looking for...but Morgan was having fun and I was grateful they recognized him and included him in the experience.

As we were sampling, a tour group came in and the experienced woman had to go help and left us with the new employee. She seemed really nervous, but we told her not to worry...we were easy to get along with and everything would be fine. We did throw her for a loop when we moved on to a few other wines. We each decided to taste a sparkling wine and the Late Harvest Riesling. These were kept chilled and served in special glasses. She had to go in the back and ask for assistance, but we didn't mind. We really loved their Late Harvest Riesling. It was fantastically full and sweet...an excellent dessert wine.

Even though we were severely underdressed...we were still given the royal treatment at Chateau des Charmes. It was our first Canadian winery and the experience was outstanding. Their wines are exceptional and their visitors are treated with importance. If that isn't enough, just stepping inside their awesome stone structure (which I read cost over $6 million to build) is well worth the trip...but you're sure to find their wines just as impressive as the building in which they are produced. Visited 6/5/2006. Favorite: Late Harvest Riesling.

Coyote's Run Estate Winery - The tasting room of this Niagara-on-the-Lake winery was empty when we entered. Being a Monday, we pretty much expected that. We headed straight for the tasting counter and a young woman came from near the cash register and stepped behind the counter. There was a list of approximately a dozen wines on the wall with a tasting charge for each individual wine. We took a few minutes to decide which wines we would be sampling. They had a nice balance of reds and whites (all pretty dry) and a couple of ice wines. Gary decided to start with a white...and I started with a red. We had barely taken our first sip when the woman asked us if there was anything else we wanted to try. Gary said that he wasn't sure yet, and I told her that I was a very slow wine taster and needed a couple of minutes. I'm not sure what the rush was. She seemed like she was in a hurry. It wasn't anywhere near closing time and there were no other customers that needed attention. My second biggest pet-peeve (my first being drinking wine from a plastic cup) is being rushed during a tasting. I like to take my time, savor the wine, and think about what I am tasting for a minute or two before moving on. 

After our comments, our hostess relaxed a bit and even chatted with us. Her hurried pace seemed to disappear. We took this time to ask her about the wines that they offered which are the same grape, but grown in different soils...and a few questions about the Niagara area and their wines in general. As we were sampling the Vidal Ice Wine, she also presented us with a nice pamphlet that had information on all the area wineries and a great fold out map. My eight-year old son was sitting in a chair nearby. He commented that he was hungry and she produced a basket of crackers from behind the counter. (I wish she had produced them while we were still sampling).

Coyote's Run made a pretty decent Vidal Ice Wine, but none of the other wines we sampled really stood out to us as a fantastic find. Since the tasting fees were pretty steep compared to many of the wineries we have visited, it was one of the rare occasions when we left without buying anything to take home. Visited: 6/5/2005.