Calamus is quiet label that can easily be overlooked. If you enjoy Ontario Reds this is a nice place to visit. If you are looking for dry whites...just keep moving on. If you want to meet the proprietor - just ask and he is more than willing to chat.
Calamus is a relatively new boutique winery. The wines are varied and interesting, but perhaps not outstanding. HOWEVER, Derek Saunders, proprietor, does the best vineyard tour ever. He is very knowledgeable and shares a ton of information. I've done other tours in Ontario, California, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and France and Derek is the BEST!
We visited here with family whilst touring the Niagara peninsula. Overall, we were very positively impressed with the wines in the area, with prices substantially more reasonable than equivalent wines in BC. Calamus was no exception. In their case, we enjoyed mainly the white wines, and can recommend the Pinot gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Barrel Aged Chardonnay. I was pleased to learn we could ship wine fairly reasonably both to Toronto (where we sent some for later pickup) as well as to BC. Importing Canadian wine to the USA is also VERY reasonable, unlike taking any wines into BC. There is a tasting fee but it is waived if you buy wine.We had an interesting tour which not only included the winery, and an explanation of how the renovation had been done, but also the large telescope mounted high behind the winery. Worth checking this out for their various astronomy focused evenings - watch the heavens whilst sampling good wine! They also have a good facility for groups and modest business functions.
Love Calamus and have visited it several times over the years (it's our go-to winery) in the area. Robert's Riesling is fantastic.When we were there last, we had a picnic lunch and were given advice for the perfect glass of wine to match our meal, Was so nice sitting out back, with other lunch time people, sitting in the sun and just being there.
make sure you come home with some Pinot Gris and Cosmic Red. Its also a great base to leave the car and hike over to Balls Falls.
Derek was our tasting guide, being the owner he was so knowledgable in the wine making process, all the different contributing factors for getting a distinctive wine, it was pleasant to listen to all that he had to say. Their facility had a very cozy feeling, their wines were very tastey and they also have a really unique observatory that makes it a real jewel to visit amongst the many when it comes to the Niagara Region wineries! Stop into Calamus to say hi, tell them Chris and Ange sent you, you will be so glad you did!
Visited Calamus while visiting family in the area a few weeks ago. I had never heard of this winery before so was quite intrigued. Tried the Cabernet franc and like it so I purchased a couple of bottles. Open a bottle for dinner the next night and had to stock up before heading back to Ottawa. One of the best reds I have ever tasted! Will definitely take the tour next time I visit.
The winery operates from the original Barn - cellar,processing and retail!It has a great elevated patio for sipping and viewing, and if you are aroung in the evening you can take a glance at heavens, using the onsite observatoryThe winery is small and friendly with great wines - try the new Roberts Riesling (Rhine style )great for the patio - The winery is know for it's great Pinot Grigio
Love this winery, the setting is so rustic , and beautiful running out of a barn.We have been here a few times and are returning in Aug with friends.Our favorite wine is the Pinot Gris and we are not even white wine drinkers but it is delcious and fruity on a hot summers days.The staff are friendly and helpful.They have a lovely viewing patio area upstairs to enjoy samples or just take in the view.Overall a great wine taster/buyers expereince.It is definitely worth the trip to Calamus.CHEERS
We recently attended the Winter WineFest 2013 in Jordan and had an amazing time. One of the wineries we visited was Calamus Estate Winery. The experience was fantastic! The staff were great and they shared their expertise with us and made the whole experience very enjoyable. They served a delicious homemade Mushroom Soup paired with their 2011 Calvin's Cabernet yummy. Our favourite picks were 2011 Cosmic White Wine, 2011 Pinot Gris and 2011 Riesling. The winery is set into an old barn the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. I will definitely visit the winery again.