While you might not immediately think of “Canada” when you think about “wine touring,” the United States’ northern neighbor produces plenty of excellent wine. The province of Ontario has the country’s largest wine-producing regions, concentrated on the Niagara Peninsula.
The Niagara wine district known as the Twenty Valley — around the towns of Jordan, Vineland, and Beamsville — is a popular weekend or day trip from either Toronto or Niagara Falls, less than two hour’s drive from Toronto and under an hour from the bustling Falls area.
During my previous visit to Niagara’s Twenty Valley, I luxuriated at the Inn on the Twenty, the region’s poshest lodging. This time, I opted for the inn’s more casual — and less expensive — sister property just down the road: Jordan House Hotel.
Guest Rooms and Amenities
Built around an 1842 structure that claims to be the oldest roadhouse in Canada, Jordan House has a block of upscale rooms attached to a historic tavern. Done in chocolate browns with blue and gold accents, the comfortable, modern units feel spacious and uncluttered.
Room amenities include flat-screen TVs, work desks, coffee makers, and mini-fridges (to chill your wine, of course). Wi-Fi, local phone calls, and parking (in a lot across the street) are free.
Jordan House provides lots of little touches, too, that you’d expect in more expensive properties. The bath products come from Gilchrist and Soames, and you can don a plush bathrobe when you emerge from the shower. Sparkling faux-jewels decorate the shower curtains.
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Dining
Attached to the hotel, the Jordan House Tavern serves updated pub fare, ranging from burgers and sandwiches to chicken wings and macaroni and cheese, along with Niagara wines and lots of beers on tap. Popular with both visitors and locals, the Tavern hosts live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Guests at Jordan House can include breakfast at the Inn on the Twenty’s white tablecloth restaurant. Morning offerings begin with a Continental buffet, laden with fresh fruit, an excellent house-made granola, freshly baked pastries, smoked salmon, cereal, and juices.
Several hot dishes are offered as well. During my visit, I could select eggs with bacon or sausage, a bowl of steel-cut oats, or fluffy (and delicious) buckwheat pancakes topped with creme fraiche and fresh berries.
If you want to splurge on an elaborate dinner, ask about package rates that combine accommodations at Jordan House with breakfast and an evening meal at Inn on the Twenty.
Rates
Double room rates at Jordan House in high season (May through October) start at CAD$129 on weekdays, rising to CAD$179 on Friday and Saturday nights. Off-season rates begin at $99 — a great value for a stylish getaway to Ontario’s wine county. Make reservations at the hotel website or compare rates and book through Booking.com or other online booking sites.
Hotel review by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller, author of the book, Moon Toronto and Ontario. Room photo courtesy of Jordan House/Inn on the Twenty. Other photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Jordan House Hotel hosted my stay for review purposes.
