Joseph’s Estate Wines’ first icewine soiree brought a steady flow of visitors indoors during a cold January weekend, offering icewine tastings and comfort food as a warm alternative to Niagara-on-the-Lake’s outdoor winter festivals.
Held Jan. 24 and 25, the Winter Sparkle Icewine Soiree ran from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and replaced the winery’s regular December open house.
The $30 ticket included icewine tastings, non-alcoholic drinks, soup, cheese, crepes, desserts, fresh fruit, a chocolate fountain, coffee, tea and hot chocolate bombs selected to pair with the sweetness and acidity of the icewine.
The program also included trivia, free draws, historical displays on icewine and live accordion music by Gaetano De Benedetti. Guests could buy tickets in advance or walk in during the event.
Event planner Maria Anania said the winery scheduled the soiree in January to align with icewine season and to catch visitors already touring other winter wine events in the area, with tickets available in advance or at the door.
“We wanted people to come out, have fun, learn about icewine and get to know Joseph winery,” said Anania. “It is really a community thing. Get to know us, learn about the winery, come back and join us.”
The winery dropped its December Christmas open house after holding it for three consecutive years and shifted to give icewine its own standalone event rather than folding it into holiday programming
Joseph’s Estate Wines traces its icewine roots to the early commercial history of the product in Ontario. The winery was founded in 1996 and will mark its 30th anniversary this summer in 2026.
The winery’s roots trace back to Dr. Joseph Pohorly, who founded Newark Winery in 1979 and went on to produce Canada’s first commercial icewine in 1983 at Hillebrand, a milestone Anania said shaped the modern Ontario icewine industry.
After leaving Hillebrand, Pohorly returned to winemaking with the opening of Joseph’s Estate Wines in 1996, establishing the Niagara-on-the-Lake winery that continues to produce icewine today.
The winery continues to focus on Vidal blanc grapes for its icewine because Vidal is hardy in cold climates, develops high sugar and retains acidity when left on the vine into deep winter, making it well-suited for true icewine production.
Ontario icewine must be made from approved varieties with grapes harvested while naturally frozen at or below – 8C and meet VQA standards for sugar and growing area to be labelled as icewine.
“The grape itself is very great on the vines,” Anania said. “It has a nice thick skin and it really holds well in the winter.”
Staff member Christopher Punter, who worked across several roles during the event from pouring wine to greeting guests and clearing plates, said the indoor setup offered a clear contrast to typical winter wine events that leave visitors outside for hours in the cold.
He said the format gave people time to stay longer, move between stations at their own pace and enjoy icewine without rushing back out into winter weather.
“This is a nice break for people to come inside for a change of pace for ice wine, so you do not get cold, and I hope they spread the word and we get more people next year,” said Punter.
Anania said some guests stayed for several hours and moved through the food stations at their own pace. She credited staff and volunteers for the atmosphere and operation.
Planning has begun for a larger summer event tied to the winery’s 30th anniversary, with details expected later this year.
