Chateau Niagara Winery — Attraction in Town of Newfane

We tasted a spectacular range of wines at Chateau Niagara. Please read on.

As the former wine critic for Buffalo Spree magazine, I had many opportunities to taste wines in the Niagara region of New York. At first, the area’s wines were promising, but undernourished, the results of young vines and early stage winemaking. Having not tasted here in a half dozen years, I returned recently and tasted at a number of local wineries. The tasting especially at Chateau Niagara was astonishing.

Chateau Niagara’s wines can stand with any peer wines I’ve tried lately, and they’re available at jaw-dropping prices. While the crisp, true-to-varietal whites made believers out of our red-wine loving companions, it was the reds that truly elevate Chateau Niagara to the ranks of world-class wineries. The $20 Pinot Noir would shame many a red Burgundy costing many times this price. But don’t stop there. Try the excellent Hungarian blend Bull’s Blood, and the delicious Bordeaux blend Trinity. The apotheosis of the reds, the Cabernet Franc, at $30, is a fantastic value, easily standing shoulder to shoulder with Joguet’s Loire Valley reds.

Finally, finish with the unusual Kagor, a sweet, rich red bottled in 375’s. As delicious with chocolate as Banyuls, it’s a great meal ending drink.

I can’t wait to go back to see how well these wines will continue to develop.

Highest...

What a wonderful experience!

From the outside you see essentially a large pole barn. It's not the palace or large farmhouse one might expect. Inside you see the bar and a selection of wines available for purchase.

My wife and I are by no means wine connoisseurs but we do enjoy wine often and know basic differences between various wines etc. This was our first trip to a winery that included tasting. The owner, Jim, was behind the bar just concluding with a couple who had stopped in before us. He welcomed us warmly and we introduced ourselves as novices. He then took the time to explain tasting history, etiquette, and took us on a logical progression from sweet to dry. He was very knowledgable about the history of the grapes and wines.

We would highly recommend this to anyone. He takes great pride in his wines and it is well warranted. They were delicious. We loved the Trinity and 2Amore. Don't shy away from the Kagor, either. It is a dessert wine we were not expecting to enjoy!

Visit Chateau Niagara for a more personal experience with people who love making and enjoying...

One of the only wineries in this part of the world producing world class European Style Wines. With unique bold creativity, Chateau Niagara brings an experience like no other. You can see, hear, smell, and watch the wine making in progress as you're sitting at the tasting counter, while enjoying unique exquisite wines such as Cab Franc and even one of the oldest wine grapes known...the amazing Saperavi grape. Dont let Jim Baker's comedic and quick witted stlye fool you...he is a multi talented award winning wine maker. But at the heart of it all, I'm pretty sure Kathy Baker is the brains of the entire experience as she hustles around making sure you walk out Chateau Niagara not only with some of your newly found favorite wines, but with a big smile on your face thinking to yourself..."Wow... that was a fantastic experience....great people and great wines...right here in Newfane New York.

Full Disclosure: I'm not related, nor am I an employee.... just a huge fan of what Chateau Niagara is all about...(and so will you...