The winery
 Stratus Vineyards, established in 2000, is a sustainable, innovative winery located in the heart of Niagara wine country in the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake . Stratus is dedicated to growing and producing limited quantities of premium wine in the VQA Niagara Lakeshore appellation.

The Stratus vineyard is a mature fifty-three acre estate moderated by the effects of two bodies of water: the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. Benefiting from a unique mesoclimate, the vineyard ranks among the warmest sites in Niagara. Viticulture practices adhere to the principles of rigorously low yields and a harvest mandate that relies on handpicking and meticulous attention to fruit selection.

The winery is a marvel of efficiency, sustainability and flexibility. It is a building designed to produce limited quantities of wine based on a true gravity-flow system.

Winemaking at Stratus is led by J-L Groux. A native of the Loire Valley in France, J-L has been honoured as "Ontario Winemaker of the Year" and is renowned for his passion for creating distinctive wines based on the principle of assemblage.

The wines
 "How are the wines? Damn good. And so is the concept of how the wines are offered. Stratus believes in the blend. The flagship wines are called Stratus Red and Stratus White. No grape varieties are listed - you get what the winemaker crafts. As J-L stated, 'I start with a big palate, as much diversity as possible, and in the end you get my expression.' What doesn't get used in the final blend is offered as separate grape varieties, or it goes into the second tiered Stratus wine called Wildass."  
                                                               - Billy's Best Bottles

Summer 2005
Stratus Wines proudly bear the VQA designation from the Niagara-on-the-Lake appellation. Stratus Wines are available at the winery store, online and at select dining establishments throughout Ontario. Limited releases will be available through Vintages at the LCBO as well as through select retailers across Canada.

Visiting and Events
Explore the wines of Stratus by visiting the winery located in the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Renowned Canadian interior designer, Diego Burdi of Burdifilek has created a chic tasting room and boutique that is a pure reflection of the winery philosophy. Full of natural light and layered with texture, the tasting room adjoins a contemporary terrace with panoramic views of the vineyard.

Stratus wines are sampled in comparative 'flights' of three wines and served in premium crystal stemware. Flights are $10. Reservations are not required. However, guests traveling in groups of six or more are encouraged to call in advance. Tours of the winery are by appointment only and subject to availability and group size.

Stratus features thematic seminars based on the art of pairing wine, food and cheese. For detailed information and reservations, please contact the winery. Two stylized, contemporary tasting rooms, the outdoor terrace and retail gallery are available for corporate or private tasting seminars and distinctive wine and food events.

Regular Hours of Operation
May through October
Daily, 11 am - 5 pm
November through April
Wednesday through Sunday
12 noon - 5 pm

White Oaks Resort and Spa offers accommodations packages for Weekend Niagara wine getaways in any season!