Lincoln Lakeshore and Creek Shores: Undiscovered Niagara Wine Stops

Most visitors heading for the Beamsville Bench or Jordan see this country only through a car window: orchards, vineyards and creeks flashing by between the QEW and the lake. It is flat, it is close to the water, and the Creek Shores wineries here rarely make the guidebooks. Two VQA sub-appellations share the plain: Creek Shores and Lincoln Lakeshore.

That is exactly why it is worth a stop. The wineries here are relaxed, often family-run, and happy to talk. The lake is minutes away, with a protected wetland at Jordan Harbour where you can sit by the water with a picnic. NiagaraFallsLimo.net builds this into wine days from Niagara Falls and Toronto, usually as a two- or three-stop add-on to the benches, sometimes as a whole lazy afternoon of its own.

Where are the Creek Shores and Lincoln Lakeshore wineries?

These are two separate sub-appellations side by side, divided by Twenty Mile Creek and Jordan Harbour. Creek Shores lies to the east, toward St. Catharines; Lincoln Lakeshore runs west toward Grimsby and Winona.

Creek Shores: a plain surrounded by water

VQA Ontario's Creek Shores page describes a sub-appellation almost entirely surrounded by water: Lake Ontario to the north, Twelve Mile Creek to the east, Twenty Mile Creek and Jordan Harbour to the west. The whole area is within 5 km of the lake. Deep, calm water bodies such as Martindale Pond, Sixteen Mile Pond and Jordan Harbour stay cool through summer and release stored heat in autumn, moderating the season.

The vineyards sit mostly on fertile lowlands where old riverbeds of the Fifteen, Sixteen and Twenty Mile creeks widen and catch the sun. Spring warms slowly, summer heat peaks by the end of July, and the season runs well into the first half of October. VQA's 2025–26 factsheet records 1,550 growing degree days, 212 frost-free days, 11 wineries and 43 approved wines, with Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris listed as common varieties. VQA describes full-bodied wines with earthy notes and a rich texture.

Lincoln Lakeshore: the long, mild shore

West of Jordan Harbour, VQA's Lincoln Lakeshore page takes over. The sub-appellation runs along the shore from Winona Road to Jordan Harbour and Twenty Mile Creek, backed on its southern side by the foot of the escarpment bench. Large streams, including Thirty, Forty and Fifty Mile creeks, cut across it.

Its defining feature is a long, temperate growing season and mild winters, owing to full exposure to Lake Ontario. Light, sandy soils that warm early cover roughly 55% of the area, with pockets of heavier red clay loam. VQA notes it is also a major producer of tender fruit, which is why you see peaches and cherries growing alongside the vines. The 2025–26 factsheet lists 16 wineries, 132 approved wines and 21,885 nine-litre cases, with Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Riesling as common varieties. VQA describes gently honeyed whites and concentrated reds with soft, dried-fruit flavours.

Practical note for visitors: much of the sub-appellation is working farmland along the lake, so the simplest way to taste it is to ask for wines labelled Lincoln Lakeshore at the wineries you visit, on the benches above or on the plain nearby.

What to taste on the plain

Because these two sub-appellations rarely headline a winery's marketing, tasting them takes a little intention. A short list to ask for:

• Creek Shores Gamay or Pinot Noir. Both appear on VQA's list of common varieties here. Compare them with a bench Gamay from Beamsville the same day; the plain's richer soils tend toward a rounder, earthier style.
• Creek Shores Pinot Gris. Another listed variety, and a good lunch wine with the bakery food.
• Lincoln Lakeshore Riesling or Chardonnay. VQA's "gently honeyed" description of the whites makes a useful contrast with the steelier Rieslings of the benches.
• Lincoln Lakeshore Cabernet Franc. The lake's long, mild season gives this later-ripening red time to soften.

If you enjoy pairing wine with local produce, our post on farm-to-table dining in Niagara wine country suggests where to eat after the tasting.

Creek Shores wineries worth a stop

13th Street Winery, 1776 Fourth Avenue, St. Catharines. Making wine since 1998 and at its Fourth Avenue home since 2009, 13th Street combines a tasting bar and verandah, a bakery stocked with Niagara-grown preserves and tarts, a gallery of Canadian art, and a sculpture garden. Its seasonal Vineyard Kitchen Bistro runs outdoors in the warm months, with live music on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from mid-May to mid-October; in winter the bistro menu moves into the wine bar.

Creekside Estate Winery, on Fourth Avenue in Jordan Station. Creekside describes itself as an offbeat winery where dogs are welcome and tours require boots. Its Deck restaurant serves walk-ins Friday to Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in season. One current note: parts of Fourth Avenue near Creekside are under construction, with some sections off Jordan Road temporarily closed, and the winery recommends the QEW's Seventh Street exit as the easiest route. Our chauffeurs plan around it.

180 Estate Winery, 4055 Nineteenth Street, Jordan Station. A small producer making handcrafted wines from a 10-acre vineyard that the winery places in the Creek Shores sub-appellation. Check opening days before you go, as hours vary by season.

Check your fixed fare for a Creek Shores afternoon

A lakeside lunch at Jordan Harbour

For the lake part of the day, Jordan Harbour Conservation Area, at 4579 Twenty-First Street, Vineland Station, is the quiet answer. The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority describes it as a Provincially Significant Wetland on the south shore of Lake Ontario at Twenty Mile Creek: a kilometre-wide harbour with reed islands, a public launching dock for non-motorized boats and a dedicated parking and picnic area. It is open May to October, sunrise to sunset.

Two things to know: parking is limited, and the authority notes that the pavilion and washrooms are not available, so use the facilities at the last winery before you go. The tidy plan is to buy prepared food at 13th Street's bakery or lunch at Creekside's Deck, then spend half an hour by the water. If you want to paddle, the conservation area page lists a rowing school offering canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals.

A Creek Shores wineries route, with distances

From route planning between the addresses:

1. Fallsview to 13th Street Winery: about 25 km (16 mi), usually 25–30 minutes via the QEW.
2. 13th Street to Creekside: about 7 km (4 mi), roughly 8–12 minutes, depending on the construction detour.
3. Creekside to 180 Estate: about 1.3 km, three minutes.
4. 180 Estate to Jordan Harbour: about 3.7 km, nine minutes.
5. Jordan Harbour to Ball's Falls, if you want a waterfall too: about 5.7 km, ten minutes.

From Toronto, Union Station to Creekside is about 103 km (64 mi), usually 1 h 15 – 1 h 30 off-peak via the Gardiner and the QEW. Toronto Pearson to 13th Street is about 104 km (65 mi), 1 h 20 – 1 h 35 off-peak. On the way back to the Falls, Jordan Village is next door, and our post on the Twenty Mile Bench and Jordan adds a second loop.

Building a full day around the plain

The plain combines naturally with the benches above it. Three combinations work well:

• Short Hills plus Creek Shores: Henry of Pelham, then 13th Street, about 9 minutes apart. See our Short Hills Bench post.
• Creek Shores plus Jordan: 13th Street, Creekside and Cave Spring's Jordan Village tasting room.
• Lake to bench: Jordan Harbour picnic, then the Beamsville Bench wineries for the afternoon.

Our Twenty Valley and Beamsville Bench hub puts all of these on one map.

Booking it with NiagaraFallsLimo.net in 3 steps

1. Plan the stops. Pickup at your hotel or home, then 13th Street, Creekside, 180 Estate and Jordan Harbour as stops, or simply choose "By the hour" and decide on the day.
2. Choose a vehicle. A sedan for two or three, an SUV for up to six with room for a picnic and purchases, a Sprinter for groups of up to twelve. Each shows its fixed fare.
3. Confirm. Add passengers and any child seats, note the Seventh Street route if you like, and pay securely. The confirmation arrives by email.

See our private chauffeur service and the Niagara wine tour limo page for how longer days are arranged, or go straight to the booker.

Chauffeur vs rideshare vs taxi for this trip

Straight answer: a single visit to 13th Street from a St. Catharines hotel is an easy taxi or rideshare. For a winery-picnic-winery afternoon with a limited-parking harbour in the middle, a chauffeur who waits is far simpler. Our chauffeur vs taxi vs rideshare guide explains the trade-offs more generally. Picnic food is fine; alcohol is not consumed in our vehicles.

Who this route suits

Individuals looking for something off the usual circuit will enjoy 13th Street's mix of wine, art and food. Couples can make a slow afternoon of it, ending by the water. Families like the bakery, the sculpture garden and the wetland walk, and child seats are in the booker. Groups should check that each winery can take their numbers and choose a Sprinter; see our page for groups.

Reserve your lakeshore wine afternoon