Reif Estate Winery boasts a proud tradition of wine making going back twelve generations, starting in 1636 in a region of Germany called Rheinphalz. The Estate’s founder, Ewald Reif, travelled to Niagara in the late 1960s and fell in love with the region.
History of Reif Estate Winery
His nephew and current president of Reif Estate Winery, Klaus Reif, had a similar experience a decade or so later. Born and raised in Neustadt, Germany, Klaus spent much of his childhood learning winemaking, and he visited his uncle Reif in Niagara in the summer of 1978. Klaus too fell in love with the area’s charm and scenic beauty. He then set out to study the business and in 1984 enrolled in the Geisenheim Institute, one of Germany’s top winemaking schools.
The philosophy that permeates Reif Estate Winery is that “great wines start in the vineyard.” The long list of awards Reif has received for their wines attests to their high standards of quality. Some highlights include the 1999 Top Award for Canada’s Best Winery and the 2014 gold medal for their 2012 Vidal ice wine at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London.
Reif Estates Wines
Reif’s ice wines have racked up over 100 Gold Awards since 1984. Canada is the leading producer of ice wines, which are extremely sweet and delicious. Reif’s ice wines have a very high concentration of sugars and acids, as the grapes are picked at -8 C to ensure that only the highly concentrated juice gets pressed out of the frozen berries.
So stop by and try it out. This is a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture. Visit Reif for a tasting or a tour with their gregarious sommeliers and learn about the history and art of great winemaking. Discover the care and love that these masters devote to their craft. And taste the fruits of their labor.
Visit Reif’s Wine Sensory Garden. Take in the bright colors, breathtaking grounds and intoxicating aromas. Have a picnic with your lover in this Niagara-On-The-Lake hotspot and then wander around the vineyards.
