Tasting wine in the place where it’s made and aged while looking across the vineyard that produced the grapes can feel like being on the right side of the velvet rope. Canada’s wineries, from British Columbia to Quebec to Nova Scotia, offer experiences beyond the tasting room, including vineyard stays, award-winning restaurants and luxury accommodations.
Therapy Vineyards, Okanagan, BC
Jacqueline Boyd, co-owner of Therapy Vineyards on the Okanagan’s Naramata Bench, is used to hearing the call from guests when they walk into the winery’s Farmacy tasting room: “I need a session!” With cheeky names like Pink Freud 2020 rosé and Freudian Sip white blend, the winery shows its playful side. But it’s also serious about making delicious wine under the leadership of New Zealand-born winemaker Jacq Kemp, part of the mostly female management team at the winery.
The property underwent a major renovation when Boyd and husband Mike purchased it. They added a sleek oblong bar in the tasting room, which now has a wall of windows overlooking the vines and Okanagan Lake. “We wanted to ‘elaborate’ the whole experience, from the wine, to when people arrive and when they stay with us,” says Boyd.
Guests are greeted with a glass of wine and cookies when they check into one of the luxury rooms at The Inn at Therapy. Need some relaxation therapy after a day of wine tastings? There’s an oversized hot tub and firepit for that. therapyvineyards.com
Le Ruisseau, Eastern Townships, Quebec
The walk to Le Ruisseau’s tasting room makes for a picturesque introduction to the winery. Guests cross over the stream the estate is named for, via a charming brick-red covered bridge. Located in Dunham in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the family-owned winery, distillery and sugar shack first opened in 2016. The focus is on sustainability, including a patented geothermal system that protects red wine vines from punishing winter cold.
Co-owner and sommelier Sara Gaston and her husband partnered with her parents on the business, which she calls her “third baby.” Gaston says there’s no room for wine snobbery in a good tasting room, where well-trained staff help guests feel like family. The upscale sugar shack serves winter menus and becomes the Bistro dining room and outdoor terrace in summer. Chef Ronan Ulliac uses the bounty of the winery’s organic garden in his menu, along with pork and beef raised on the estate. There are a variety of experiences, including vineyard tours and tastings in the vaulted barrel room. leruisseau.com
Peller Estates, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
Madison Vine of Peller Estates says she enjoys hearing the Niagara-on-the-Lake winery described as being akin to an adult playground. “We have a little something for everybody,” says Vine, a marketing manager with Andrew Peller Ltd. “There’s so much to do, you’re almost overwhelmed with options.” Guests can stay at the neighbouring Georgian-style Riverbend Inn & Vineyard. The inn is also home to The Oaklands at Riverbend restaurant, a fresh take on French bistro cuisine, helmed by executive Chef Jason Parsons.
Meanwhile, Executive Chef Jason Parsons specializes in farm-to-table wine country cuisine in the luxe Winery Restaurant dining room at Peller Estates. Opt for private group dining in the Peller Family Dining Room or the wine library and underground barrel cellar. Winery visits include wine and food events like Peller’s Perfect Pairings, where Parsons matches wines with tasting plates.
Named for the ideal temperature for harvesting ice wine grapes, Vine says one of the most popular experiences is the 10Below Icewine Lounge. Part of the estate’s Greatest Winery Tour experience, guests don parkas to visit a tasting room built entirely from ice to sample icewine, one of Peller’s key products. “It shows our love of ice wine and our passion for it,” says Vine. peller.com
Grand Pré Estate Winery, Nova Scotia
Atlantic Canada’s oldest farm winery, Grand Pré Estate Winery, has a European feel but wears its Canadian heritage well with stunning views of the vines, UNESCO World Heritage Site landscape and the Bay of Fundy in the distance. Situated on the Evangeline Trail in Nova Scotia’s photogenic Annapolis Valley, the winery’s six-suite inn is located in the estate’s circa-1828 heritage home.
“The location is unique, a quaint little place in a historic district,” says co-owner Beatrice Stutz, whose Swiss-born father began the family run winery in the early 1990s. Her brother, Jürg, is the winemaker and Stutz’s husband, Jason Lynch, blends classic French cooking with local, seasonal cuisine as executive chef at winery restaurant Le Caveau.
“When you step into the winery, it kind of transforms you,” says Stutz. “You think you’re in France or Italy.” There’s a striking stonework courtyard at the heart of the estate, which is known for its excellent white wines, including Nova Scotia’s premier white variety, Tidal Bay, plus sparkling varieties and Vidal ice wine.
Wine has been made in Nova Scotia since French settlers arrived in the 17th century and Stutz says the experience of staying on a winery and being part of the daily life of the farm is an enriching experience. “You feel part of it,” she says. “You can wake up, grab your coffee and go for a stroll through the vineyard.” grandprewines.com
*with original files from Linda Barnard, story updated in June 2026
