Niagara Peninsula Niagara Escarpment SubAppellation Overview Beamsville Bench

Niagara Peninsula / Niagara Escarpment Sub-Appellation Overview Beamsville Bench Sloping benchlands, limestone enriched soils, fresh elegant minerality • The Beamsville Bench is the narrow plateau sloping gradually from the cliff of the Niagara Escarpment marking the bottom of the crescent-shaped Lake Iroquois Shore Bluff • This appellation reaps the benefits of the bench topography which provides the continuous air circulation that moderates temperature and results in consistent growing conditions • Many of the area's vineyards are located on steep slopes above deep, wooded ravines and on the sides of small ridges and slopes of the numerous streams that cut through the landscape • Soils are generally deep and well drained and numerous streams provide seasonal water supply • A relatively small appellation, the Beamsville Bench exhibits a unique set of conditions that provide a natural complexity to the wines that are grown there COMMON VARIETALS: Riesling Chardonnay Gewurztraminer Pinot Noir

Niagara Peninsula / Niagara Escarpment Sub-Appellation Overview Twenty Mile Bench Complex topography, double benches, deep soils, reflective wines • The Twenty Mile Bench stretches east to west from Fifteen Mile Creek to west of Cherry Avenue • Bisected by Twenty Mile Creek, this appellation has a complex topography with a distinctive double bench formation west of Twenty Mile Creek, and short, varied slopes that roll to the brow of the escarpment • The soils, laid down by passing glaciers are deep clay and till, with a high proportion of limestone and shale and quite a bit of variation in texture • High elevation and lake breeze circulations moderate temperatures and ensure gradual warming in the spring and gradual cooling in the fall • The sheltered north-facing slopes and the air circulation from Lake Ontario provide for year round temperature moderation, setting up an ideal growing season for quality grapes COMMON VARIETALS: Chardonnay Riesling Pinot Noir

Niagara Peninsula / Niagara Escarpment Sub-Appellation Overview Short Hills Bench Warm sunny days, cool nights, complex soils, intense grape flavours • Short Hills Bench is the most easterly of the sub-appellations located within the Niagara Escarpment encompassing the land rising up from the plain of the peninsula to the Escarpment Brow and situated between Twelve Mile Creek and Fifteen Mile Creek • Located on an ancient buried valley that once cut through the Niagara Escarpment and connected the basins of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, this appellation consists of long gentle slopes with excellent drainage and sun exposure • The deep soils of the Short Hills, made up of water-stratified clay and brown silty clays deposited on clay loam, vary widely over short distances • Relatively far from Lake Ontario, Short Hills Bench enjoys hot summers with warm days and cool nights with winter temperatures typically coming relatively early, creating an opportunity for the early harvest of Icewine COMMON VARIETALS: Riesling Pinot Blanc

Niagara Peninsula Sub-Appellation Overview Lincoln Lakeshore Dominant influence of Lake Ontario, long tempered growing season, seasonal streams • The Lincoln Lakeshore runs along the Lake Ontario shore from Winona Road to Jordan Harbour and Twenty Mile Creek, and is backed by the foot of the escarpment bench on its south boundary COMMON VARIETALS: • Stretching across the Lake Iroquois Plain this appellation is characterized by a long shallow grade from the Lake Iroquois Shore Bluff on its southern boundary northward to Lake Ontario Chardonnay Riesling • A marked variability in soil types and depth, light sandy soils with heavier soils of red clay loam scattered throughout the area • Greatly influenced by Lake Ontario, breezes coming from over the deep lake waters cool the sundrenched vineyards in the summer, and warm them in the cooler seasons • Lincoln Lakeshore enjoys a longer growing season and moderated conditions for steady, even ripening of grapes

Niagara Peninsula Sub-Appellation Overview Creek Shores Crisscrossed with creeks and streams, glacial delta, rich fertile lands • Creek Shores is rich in waterways, and with Lake Ontario to the north, Twelve Mile Creek to the east, Twenty Mile Creek and Jordan Harbour to the west, is almost surrounded by water COMMON VARIETALS: • Delta shaped, this appellation is characterized with long, gentle slopes facing in all directions and an abundance of small creeks draining into Lake Ontario Riesling Sauvignon Blanc • Located on the Lake Iroquois Plain, Creek Shores has a complex sedimentary history and the surface and sub-surface soils of this appellation display great diversity over short distances • The appellation warms slowly in April and May due to lake breezes and cool north winds, with warm summer temperatures coming in June and peaking by the end of July • Unobstructed sunlight defines the terroir of Creek Shores and contributes to concentrated, full bodied wines

Niagara Peninsula Sub-Appellation Overview Vinemount Ridge South and east-facing slopes, early spring warming, hot summers • Vinemount Ridge lies just above and south of the brow of the Niagara Escarpment • This appellation covers two prominent geological features - the Fonthill Kame to the east and the Vinemount Moraine on its western edge • The Vinemount Ridge soils have developed on a rich layer of clay loam till and are composed of a large amount of silt and shale derived from the Escarpment • Further set back from Lake Ontario than other Niagara appellations, and with a slightly shorter growing season, the hot summers ensure that grapes are fully mature at harvest COMMON VARIETALS: Chardonnay Riesling

Niagara Peninsula / Niagara-on-the-Lake Sub-Appellation Overview Four Mile Creek Expansive vineyards, abundant full sunlight, warm intense growing conditions • Four Mile Creek is the fertile plain that makes up central Niagara-on-the-Lake located slightly inland from the lake and below the bench of the Niagara Escarpment COMMON VARIETALS: • The relatively flat topography leads to abundant exposure to sunshine and warm days giving growers the opportunity to grow many varieties Chardonnay Pinot Noir • Soils are red shale with high silt and clay content, good water retention and ideal characteristics for vines • This entire appellation enjoys full and intense exposure to sunlight although its size gives rise to material differences from its northern and southern boundaries • Warm days and cool nights into the fall season support the development of deep colours, flavours and aromas in the grapes.

Niagara Peninsula / Niagara-on-the-Lake Sub-Appellation Overview Niagara Lakeshore Dominant influence of Lake Ontario, long consistent growing season for flavour development • Niagara Lakeshore follows the shoreline of Lake Ontario from the Welland Canal east to the Niagara River and inland for approximately 3 kilometres • The topography is relatively flat, with a very gentle slope towards the shore of Lake Ontario • Soils in Niagara Lakeshore consist primarily of glacial and lake deposited clay and silt, and deltaic sands and silt • Cool lake breezes in the summer and a welcome hot water bottle effect in the winter even out the seasons • The growing season is long, extending to late October, and supports the production of mature, full bodied wines, notably some later ripening varieties COMMON VARIETALS: Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc

Niagara Peninsula / Niagara-on-the-Lake Sub-Appellation Overview Niagara River Easterly facing, gentle slopes, long growing season moderated by the Niagara River • The Niagara River appellation is a small strip of land running along the river from John Street to Dee Road and inland approximately one kilometre • With the main topographic feature of the Niagara River this appellation consists of long, gentle, mostly east-facing slopes ensuring early exposure to the sun during the growing season • Soils in this area are primarily stratified fine sands, providing natural drainage and strong encouragement for vines to develop deep root penetration. • The large and fast flowing Niagara River creates convectional currents that draw cooler air into the gorge, moderating vineyard temperatures and extending the growing season • The Niagara River’s microclimate plays an important role in developing this appellation's distinct and crisp wines COMMON VARIETALS: Chardonnay Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Merlot

Niagara Peninsula / Niagara-on-the-Lake Sub-Appellation Overview St. David’s Bench Early warming in spring, gently sloping bench, generous precipitation • St. David's Bench lies 10 km south of the shore of Lake Ontario and several metres above the Lake Iroquois Plain following the contour lines that define the escarpment from the Niagara River to Beechwood Road COMMON VARIETALS: • St. David’s Bench, formed when glaciers carved out the Niagara Escarpment, rises from the historic shoreline of Lake Iroquois towards the base of the escarpment where a steep ridge collects the lake breezes to circulate and then eddy them back over the plains Chardonnay Syrah • The soils of this appellation, spread over a red sandstone bedrock, are deep rich clays • Frequent high pressure systems and clear and sunny weather, aided by steady air circulation during the growing season maintain moderate temperatures well into September • St. David’s Bench enjoys a unique growing season and promises mature, refined wines