The Riverbend Inn is surrounded by its own 12 acre vineyard which is managed by Klaus Reif of Reif Estate Winery.  Preparation of the Inn’s vineyards began in 2002.  Klaus incorporated recent breakthroughs in the vine spacing and viniculture techniques while still respecting traditional winegrowing methodology.  The goal is to yield more consistently ripened fruit from vintage to vintage, leading to greater quality of wine for the Riverbend Inn.

In the vineyard, no two years are the same. Part of the charm of wine is it's unpredictability and seeming unwillingness to cooperate.  Stand behind the Inn, survey the area, you can see how one side of the vineyard could produce a completely different result in wine than the others.  The exposure to the sun, the way the water pools or drains or the way the air flows around the vines all alter the brilliant character of each vintage.

The vineyard consists of blocks of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Vidal.  The first vintage of the Riverbend Inn Wine was released in the fall of 2006.  All of our wines are estate bottled using only our own grapes exclusively and produce about 2000 cases of wine a year.

The Riverbend Inn vineyard sits in a sub-appellation called the Niagara River.  It is one of 10 sub-appellations that make up Niagara’s wine region.  Identified for its greater heat units in a season and incredibly rich sandy soils, this micro region translates into fantastic wines for the Inn.