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5 reviews for Chateau des Charmes
5 reviews in English
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Review from Liza M.
8/15/2009
we took advantage of The Wine & Herb Festival
info - a weekend touring the 21 Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake where each will feature a different herb-themed food pairing matched to a premium VQA wine selected to highlight the flavour and aroma of the herb.
featured herb -Artisan Lemon Basil and Chevre Cracker with Lemon Basil Aligoté Jelly with 2007 Aligoté, Estate Bottled
review-beautiful facility! great pairing. also sampled their 2006 pinot noir, very good. -
Review from Karen S.
10/31/2011
We had such high expectations for this place because of its reputation. They have Japanese speaking service people to cater to the many Japanese tourists. The exterior is quite pretty, the interior a bit sanitized and without charm.
At our wine tastings... maybe we just had the misfortune to choose some less than stellar vintages, but compared to some of the other wineries we had visited that day, the wine we tried here were the worst. Hubby and pals had one sniff of a particular red, dared a tiny sip and then wouldn't even let me touch it.
We ended up with another bottle because of the recommendations of one of our friends without trying it. At the other wineries, there would at least be a partial compensation on wine tastings if one were to purchase a bottle or two. Here, we were told that unless we spent a minimum of $50, this wouldn't be so. We paid for our one bottle at different counter than where we had our wine tastings, so if we weren't being honest, they would never have known that we tasted anything at all. -
Review from Christopher M.
8/19/2008 1 photo
At most wineries in Niagara, I'd suggest you skip the tour and go straight to the tasting room. At Chateau des Charmes, I'd recommend the opposite.
Chateau des Charmes is one of the largest wineries in the Niagara region, and one of the most traditional. The Bosc family traces its heritage back to the vineyards of French Algeria. When the family was forced to leave Algeria, it brought its winery, heritage and traditions to Niagara-on-the-Lake. You can learn all about the winery, past and present, and maybe even meet a member of the Bosc family on one of the daily vineyard tours.
I'm inclined to rate this vineyard a little higher than I normally would because of the amazing tour on which we were taken. Tours are offered in two languages: English and French (and I believe they now offer Japanese, Chinese and Korean as well). Given the French heritage of the winery, and the fact that my friend who was with me was a major Francophile, we decided to take the tour in French. I, of course, don't speak a word of French. However, the winery manager, Bev, happened to be training a new tour guide that afternoon, and we happened to be the only people on the tour. So Bev gave the tour in French, and I followed with the second tour guide a few steps behind as he translated into English. It was an amazing dynamic and a wonderful opportunity.
In spite of the wonderful tour, I wasn't blown away with all the wines at Chateau des Charmes, but a few did stand out. I thought the Estate Bottle Sauvignon Blanc was particularly good, and if I could find it nearby at or around $10, I'd buy it regularly. The real winner, though, was the 2005 Equuleus, a Bordeaux type variety that was surprisingly complex and stimulating for such a young bottle. I bought a few to throw into the back of the wine cellar - I can't wait to see what 5 or so years does to them. -
Review from Angela M.
8/27/2008 2 photos
This is why people are afraid to go and taste at wineries - pretense. Yes, your wines are good, and you're well known, and you were one of the first two wineries in the area to make ice wine, but that doesn't mean you should be snotty to the people who are trying to discover your wines and the area.
The facility is beautiful, but somewhat cold and formal. The servers were also cold and formal, not really taking time to understand our tastes and recommend anything special. The wines were priced for the reputation - not for the taste - and despite buying several bottles the tasting fee was not waived. Now I understand that the product is consumed in the tasting, but when you're this big and famous, you can afford a few tastes in return for your bottles.
Drive by and take a picture, but this is for the serious wine connoisseur, interested in history and name, not the ambiance. -
Review from Kat T.
7/5/2009
With winery tours on the hour or simply going in for a taste, the castle (Chateau) is something to see. The tasting room is cold and impersonal, compared to the more family-centred wineries. They charge a fee ranging from $0.50 to $5 to taste a variety of wines. I ended up with a bottle of Rose, because I had room for one more bottle, and this was our last stop of the day. Be careful of places with designated bus parking... you might arrive at the same time and get at the back of a fanny-pack wearing crowd looking for free tastes. All wines are available at the LCBO, too. So, nothing too special here.
Listed in: Niagara Wine region
