We’re all the way down to No. 4 on my Top 10 list of favourite Niagara wineries.

Whether it’s a first stop on the way in to wine country or the last stop on the way out, Kacaba Vineyards is a regular on my travels. In fact, there’s probably nowhere I feel more at home in the region than this premium small-batch winery on the bench of the Niagara Escarpment. And considering that Kacaba is rated No. 1 of the Top 20 Things To Do in Vineland by TripAdvisor, plenty of other people apparently feel the same way.

The fact that multiple key staff members have been in place for ages also says something about the way they do business. General Manager Dave Servos has been there about 15 years; Events and Booking Coordinator Karen Wismer five years; Andy Fountain (Founders Club Liaison and a favourite host for wine tastings) about eight years now.

While they have the typical range of wines you’d expect from this cool-climate winegrowing region, Kacaba is actually best known for its bigger reds—its 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was a gold medal winner at the Ontario Wine Awards, and their Syrahs, where they truly hang their hat, have accumulated multiple accolades in the past two decades. Kacaba’s Sauvignon Blanc, meanwhile, has notably improved in recent years, and I’ve long been a fan of their Effervescence sparkling and Rebecca Rosé.

The property on which the Vineyard is located was slated for subdivision by the previous owner before Toronto Bay Street lawyer Michael Kacaba purchased it in 1997, with the first vintage presented in 1999. Lucky for Ontario wine fans!

A significant expansion, completed last year, will open up further event capacity for the winery as we move forward, although I’ve always loved the intimacy of Kacaba’s many smaller events, all of which are expertly catered by local firm Zooma.

As with most Niagara wineries, expect more pre-booked private tastings to be the norm in the future, although Kacaba is likely to be more flexible than most if you’re looking for a last-minute drop-in. (And there’s a place to plug in your electric car too!)

Their tasting fees are also among the most modest in the Niagara right now—$15 per person, booked in advance to secure your reservation, although they’ll credit it toward any two-bottle purchase.

But even if you don’t find a wine that you love, I expect you will love the experience of tasting them at Kacaba.

Check out all of Niagara’s Top 10 Wineries:

#1: Domaine Queylus

#2. Creekside

#3. Tawse

#4. Kacaba

#5. Southbrook

#6. Vineland

#7. Colaneri

#8. Ravine

#9. Back 10

#10. Malivoire