Mitch Frank,  Wine Spectator –

Not far from the falls, Ontario’s wine country offers great dining and promising wineries.

The minds behind Stratus think a little differently. It shows in their sense of style (the wood-an-steel winery, just outside of Niagara-on-the-Lake, is modern, and the tasting room is sleek and minimalist). It shows in their demanding techniques (hand-harvesting, hand sorting, a set of heavy-grade elevators to keep everything pump free). And it shows in the wines (the top two are a red blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Malbec, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot and Syrah and a white blend of-deep breath-Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier and Marsanne.)

Furniture magnate David Feldberg has gotten a lot of attention since he established Stratus in 2000 and hired J.L. Groux, a Loire Valley native who won fame for his work at nearby Hillebrand.

The results are certainly worth checking out.