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When it comes to wineries, Ontario is flush with fantastic options, from sleek tasting rooms to rustic barns housing some of the province's best glasses. However, every once in a while, we're surprised by the depth of our high-calibre wine. Domaine Queylus, once an under-the-radar winery uttered in prestigious wine circles, has begun to find more mainstream acclaim, demanding that wine lovers sit up and take notice.
Located on an unassuming lot, Domaine Queylus is a small-but-perfectly-formed winery that has been cultivating some of the country's most exciting wines and carving out a reputation as one of the industry's favourite producers. Domaine Queylus began its winemaking journey with a first vintage in 2010, and in 2014 it added a winery retail store and tasting room, giving oenophiles a place to learn more and enjoy a genuine taste of place.
Domaine Queylus is owned by 17 investors and wine lovers in Québec, and guided by one of the country's most enviable and experienced teams. Kelly Mason, a Montrealer, began her winemaking career in Napa, California, before returning to Ontario to intern at Tawse Winery and Le Clos Jordanne. She joined the Domaine Queylus team in 2013, becoming their head winemaker in 2018.
Since then, Mason has shown the world what Ontario wines are capable of by producing fruit-forward wines and taking home the 2024 Winemaker of the Year and 2024 Winery of the Year for Domaine Queylus at this year's Ontario Wine Awards. Brooke Husband, the recipient of The Paul Pender Rising Star Award from the Ontario Wine Awards in 2023, has been working with Domaine Queylus since 2017 as an intern, before becoming the assistant winemaker in 2020.
And that's not all — Domaine Queylus also won White Wine of the Year (2020 Chardonnay Tradition) and made the top 25 wineries list at the National Wine Awards. This year, Domaine Queylus will be adding to its roster of chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet franc and merlot with the release of its first sparkling wine. The Brut Nature Blanc de Blanc has a wild fermented base wine and will offer fans the perfect wine to toast any occasion.
When it comes to philosophy, this premium small-batch winery believes in quality over quantity, selecting only a small number of grapes deemed uniquely suited to the area's soil and climate — like chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet franc and merlot — to grow. The result is a terroir-focused wine that relies on older traditions and less invasive means of production.
Inspired by French winemaking methods, Domaine Queylus incorporates wild fermentation, minimal additions, and hand-picked and hand-sorted fruit, which yields elegant wines that have been given a level of care you can taste. Sustainability is another key component for the winery: No synthetic herbicides or insecticides are used, and vines are grown organically out of a deep respect for the precious soils of the Niagara Bench.
Domaine Queylus is available at the LCBO and also offers 1- to 2-day shipping across the GTA. However, a visit to Niagara is the best way to experience the winery, with the opportunity to sample rare expressions and learn more about the award-winning vineyards. Head to their tasting room on the Niagara Escarpment for light bites, seated flights and some of Ontario's most impressive, award-winning wine-by-the-glass.
Start planning your visit to Ontario's Winery of the Year; Domaine Queylus, 3651 Sixteen Rd., Saint Anns, 905-562-7474, queylus.com
