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A Niagara-On-The-Lake Weekend At The Woodbourne Inn

Niagara-on-the-lake is a popular destination for a weekend getaway. Especially for those who like wine.

But, where to stay? You could be 20, if not 40 minutes from some wineries with hotels around the Niagara Falls. But, then you remove yourself from the community and don’t immerse in the rich food and beverage culture.

We suggest the Woodbourne Inn. We checked in on the Friday after a relatively short trip from Toronto, passing shopping complexes and expansive vineyards on the way to Canadian wine country.

Enter The Woodbourne Inn

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FRIDAY

Once you get out of the congestion of Toronto, the traffic starts to thin out, the air becomes a bit crisper and the sense of relaxation for the week ahead starts to kick in. Just don’t check your phone, or your blood pressure might rise. We suggest having a glass of vino first.

You drive through this small town over to the back driveway of the Woodbourne Inn. Considering it was the afternoon, we were greeted by one of the owner’s with their dog, Georgie! The owner, and pleasant host, gave the tour, explaining a brief history of the lot before taking me up to the room to drop of my stuff after explaining how the breakfast works the next morning.

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Homemade muffins, juice, and coffee of choice an hour before when you are getting ready.

Then a fuller breakfast downstairs an hour later. Sounds perfect.

After enjoying a slight break of relaxation, enjoyed going into town, having some beverages at the Silversmith Brewery, 5 minutes, away and then heading back for a full night’s rest on the very comfortable King bed at Room #2.

SATURDAY

Just like that. Homemade muffins, juice and a latte arrive at the door at 9:00am. Nice. We head down for the full breakfast, which we had in this beautiful library.

The breakfast was a great start to the day. Just enough food that you would be great for a smaller lunch, or it could have counted for a brunch for a two-meal day if you ate late enough. The meal was great, but you know what added to the whole experience? The hosts and owners of the property spilling the heritage of the property and how they ended up there.

After long conversations about the vast history of the building, you look at it a different way. A more invested way that provoked stories to be told about the place after the final departure. The variety of books, the building set up and everything down to the story about what was in the attic, all shape this incredible story about this house turned upscale bed-and-breakfast.

Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery

Ravine Wineyard LXRY Magazine

Today was our winery day. First started at the Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery. Walking distance away from the Woodbourne Inn. This was very convenient with the estate doubling as a great winery for tasting and restaurant with gourmet food. The wine was rich in flavours and the explanations where helpful with their suggestions. Just wished the portions were bigger for the tastings, but I know how selfish that sounds. It had a great country feeling that you could bring back with you because of all the shopping you could for local cheeses, breads and other accessories, perfect for a decor enthusiast looking for a warm wood feel.


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Between The Lines Winery

LXRY Magazine Wine Tour

Next we happily headed to Between The Lines Winery. We pulled up to this large vineyard on the left side that wrapped around this large barn like red building. Parking to the side and door to the right. The wine tasting was served up and the Ice Wine really stood out compared to the other great flavours that were there. They had unique packaging and have won a lot of awards for their wines, considering the age of the winery in general was very young compared to the other ones around there area.

Coyote’s Run Winery

David Sheppard Vintage 30 Wine

Lastly for the day, we ended up at Coyote’s Run Winery (updated 2019: now closed). This was a great mix of the presentation between the last two wineries mentioned. It has just enough of a situated presentation room to make you feel comfortable. Like you weren’t leaning against the till having a wine tasting while someone else cashes out right beside you and it wasn’t too much where it felt like you were at a country club. The flavours from this wine, even though at a lower cost point, had some excellent flavours and some of the wines really stood out compared to the ones previously tried that day.

After all that walking and wine tasting, hunger began to set in and the brunch from earlier on in the day was starting to wear off. It’s Saturday night, after all, it’s time to head into Niagara. After enjoying one of the best views of the Falls at Niagara Falls’ Keg Steakhouse, it was time to play (and hopefully stay afloat) at the Fallsview Casino.

Author’s note: Here’s the thing. I love the games, the excitement and the ups and downs of gambling. But, I would rather call the casino a charity because every time I go, I feel like I am donating my money to them as soon as I get there.

After winning hands, losing hands and a wonderful spirit of lights, action and fist pumps in the air, it was time to head back.

SUNDAY

After a much-needed coffee and muffin and a homemade breakfast, we broke out the equipment and tried to capture it as best we could through the camera. The stay was wonderful, food was terrific, beds very comfortable and the quartz bathtub and shower really made a big difference setting the tone for the weekend. Anytime smartphones were checked, there was an activity with wine, beer, or relaxing reading by our room’s own fireplace that really made the hustle and bustle of the city melt away temporarily. Getting back to Toronto, feeling rested, slowed down and appreciative of fresh air helped the transition back into t0-do lists and emails more easily and made everything more productive.

The Bottom Line

If you are looking for an upscale cottage-like feeling with wonderful features and finishes and pleasant hosts on a wine weekend away. Be sure to check into the lovely Woodbourne Inn.

Here is where the Woodbourne Inn is located:

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See more pictures and galleries of their lovely setting on Facebook.

For more information, visit The Woodbourne Inn’s website.