Ask wine lovers where Niagara's Pinot Noir and Riesling are grown and many will point west, to the benches under the escarpment in the Town of Lincoln. The Twenty Mile Bench wineries fill the eastern half of that country. It is hillier than Niagara-on-the-Lake, more wooded, and cooler on average, and its wineries are spread along roads with names like Seventh Avenue and Cherry Avenue rather than lined up along one highway.
At its centre is Jordan, a small historic village with a winery tasting room on its main street. Add a stop at the waterfalls of Ball's Falls and lunch at a winery restaurant, and the day becomes a proper excursion. NiagaraFallsLimo.net drives it from Niagara Falls hotels, from Toronto, and from Toronto Pearson, usually as an hourly booking so the order of stops can bend around reservations.
How do you plan a day at the Twenty Mile Bench wineries?
Plan Twenty Mile Bench wineries as one loop around Jordan and Vineland: Flat Rock, Cave Spring's Jordan Village tasting room, Vineland Estates and the Cherry Avenue wineries are each 2–6 km apart. From Fallsview it is about 34–40 km (21–25 mi), usually 35–45 minutes via the QEW. Book the day by the hour on the NiagaraFallsLimo.net booker.
The loop works because the bench is compact. The drive out from the Falls is the longest leg of the day; after that, no two stops are more than ten minutes apart.
What makes the Twenty Mile Bench a separate world
VQA Ontario's Twenty Mile Bench page describes a sub-appellation stretching from Fifteen Mile Creek in the east to just west of Cherry Avenue, cut in half by Twenty Mile Creek. West of the creek the land forms a distinctive double bench, two terraces stepping down from the brow of the escarpment.
That shape matters for the wine:
- Shelter. The escarpment rises along the southern edge and blocks the prevailing south-westerly winds.
- Moving air. Lake breezes push up against the escarpment and circulate, carrying warm daytime air into the evening and keeping ripening even.
- Deep soils. Glacial clay and till, rich in limestone and shale, hold moisture through the dry part of summer.
- Waterfalls. Spring snowmelt floods the streams that cut the bench, feeding falls such as Ball's Falls.
VQA's 2025–26 factsheet records 1,523 growing degree days, the lowest of the Niagara sub-appellations covered in this series, alongside 216 frost-free days and a July mean of 22.5 °C. Twelve wineries produced 30,548 nine-litre cases from 113 approved wines. Common varieties are Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. VQA describes the wines as fresh, balanced and fruity, with stone-fruit and mineral whites, and Pinot Noir showing earthy fruit and fine tannins. Gewürztraminer is also singled out.
Twenty Mile Bench wineries for a Jordan and Vineland loop
Flat Rock Cellars, 2727 Seventh Avenue, Jordan. Flat Rock describes its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and sparkling wines as grown on the Twenty Mile Bench, and runs tours as well as tastings. It sits about 2 km from Ball's Falls, which makes it a neat first or last stop.
Cave Spring, Winery Tasting Room, 5-3836 Main Street, Jordan. In the middle of historic Jordan Village, among boutiques and galleries, it is open Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., per Cave Spring. Walk-ins are welcome when there is room; reservations are taken online. Cave Spring also has a Vineyard Tasting Room on the Beamsville Bench, covered in our Beamsville Bench post.
Vineland Estates Winery, 3620 Moyer Road, Vineland. The winery describes its setting as the place where the escarpment tumbles toward Lake Ontario. Its restaurant serves lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday and is closed Monday and Tuesday; reservations are by phone or OpenTable. Tastings are by reservation or walk-in.
Tawse Winery, 3955 Cherry Avenue, and Megalomaniac Wines, 3930 Cherry Avenue, Vineland. Cherry Avenue is where the Twenty Mile Bench ends and the Beamsville Bench begins, so these two sit right on the seam. Tawse describes its farming as organic; Megalomaniac says it is perched atop the escarpment, with dining Wednesday to Sunday.
Price a Twenty Mile Bench loop
The loop, with real distances
Route planning between the addresses gives a tidy circuit:
- Fallsview to Cave Spring in Jordan Village: about 34 km (21 mi), usually 30–40 minutes via the QEW.
- Jordan Village to Flat Rock: about 4.3 km, eight minutes.
- Flat Rock to Ball's Falls: about 2 km, three minutes, for a walk.
- Back to Vineland Estates for lunch: about 4 km, eight minutes.
- Vineland Estates to Tawse: under 2 km.
The return from Vineland to Fallsview is about 38 km, roughly 35–45 minutes. On a summer Friday afternoon the QEW Niagara-bound can slow, so build in time if you have dinner plans.
From Toronto the bench is actually closer than Niagara-on-the-Lake. Union Station to Flat Rock is about 104 km (65 mi), usually 1 h 15 – 1 h 30 off-peak via the Gardiner Expressway and the QEW. Toronto Pearson to Flat Rock is about 97 km (60 mi), usually 1 h 15 – 1 h 30 via Highway 403, the 407 ETR and the QEW; allow two hours or more on a Friday. Our Toronto Pearson page explains flight-tracked pickups if you are heading straight from a flight.
Riesling and Pinot Noir: tasting the double bench
The bench's cooler average and long, even season suit grapes that lose their charm in heat. Two are worth building the day around.
Riesling is the bench's calling card for many visitors. Look for dry and off-dry styles side by side; the same vineyard can produce both, and the comparison shows how sweetness and acidity balance. VQA's description of mineral, stone-fruit whites fits these wines well. If a winery pours an older Riesling, try it: the variety ages in ways that surprise people who only know young bottles.
Pinot Noir is the harder grape and the more rewarding one here. VQA mentions earthy fruit and finessed tannins. Ask whether a Pinot comes from the upper or lower terrace of the double bench, or from a single block; some producers on these slopes bottle single sites separately because each tastes different.
Chardonnay, from crisp unoaked versions to barrel-fermented ones, and traditional-method sparkling wine round out most tasting menus. Flat Rock, for example, lists sparkling alongside its Pinot, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Seasons on the bench
Spring brings the falls at full flow and fresh green slopes. Summer is patio season, with restaurants busy on weekends. Autumn adds harvest and colour in the escarpment woods, and October weekdays are the sweet spot for quiet tasting rooms. Winter is calm and short-houred; check each winery's hours before you set the route.
Ball's Falls: the break in the middle
Ball's Falls Conservation Area, run by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority at 3292 Sixth Avenue, Lincoln, is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with its Centre for Conservation building open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. As of 2026, entry is listed at $15 per vehicle including the driver, with $5 for each additional adult passenger. The falls are at their fullest in spring, when VQA notes the streams run high with snowmelt. A short walk here between tastings resets the palate and gives non-drinkers in the group something of their own.
Jordan Village on foot
Jordan Village is compact: a short main street with shops, galleries and Cave Spring's tasting room. With an hourly booking, the chauffeur can drop you at one end and collect you at the other while you browse. For a dedicated day in the village, including an overnight, see our post on a Jordan Village day trip.
Booking it with NiagaraFallsLimo.net in 3 steps
- Enter pickup and the first winery. Your Falls hotel, a Toronto address or Toronto Pearson, then Cave Spring or Flat Rock, with date and time. Choose "By the hour" for a loop.
- Choose a vehicle. Sedans for up to three, SUVs for up to six with space for cases, an Executive Sprinter for up to twelve. Every class shows its fixed fare before payment.
- Add details and pay. Passenger count, child seats if children are coming to Ball's Falls, meet & greet for an airport start. Secure payment, then an email confirmation.
The booker shows the fare for your exact start point. For a full Toronto-based day see our Toronto to Niagara Falls day tour and our post on a full-day private wine tour from Toronto.
Chauffeur vs rideshare vs taxi for this trip
| Mode | Door-to-door time | Cost note | Bottles | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private chauffeur | 35–45 min from the Falls, then waits | Fixed fare via booker | Boot sized to class | A four-stop loop, Toronto starts |
| Rideshare | Long return waits likely in rural Lincoln | Surge pricing | Small | One winery from a Jordan inn |
| Taxi | Booked per leg, longer from the Falls | Metered | Small | A single dinner trip |
| GO train and bus | Toronto to St. Catharines, then no winery link | GO fare set by Metrolinx | Carry only | Travellers not visiting wineries |
| Driving yourself | Fast | Fuel | Your boot | A non-tasting designated driver |
The honest view: if you are staying in Jordan and want dinner at one winery, a local taxi is fine. For a day of tastings, the bench's spread-out rural roads make a waiting chauffeur far more practical than calling cars between stops. The same applies to anyone starting in Toronto. No alcohol is consumed in our vehicles; tastings stay at the wineries.
Who this day suits
Individuals who love Pinot Noir and Riesling will find the bench more rewarding than the busier Niagara-on-the-Lake circuit. Couples can pair a tasting with lunch at Vineland Estates and a walk in Jordan. Families can add Ball's Falls for children and non-drinkers; see our page for families. Groups should reserve seated tastings ahead and use a Sprinter so everyone moves together between rural stops.
Our Twenty Valley and Beamsville Bench hub gives the wider picture, and the Niagara wine tour limo page explains how hourly days are priced. To combine the bench with lakeside stops nearby, read Lincoln Lakeshore and Creek Shores.
Reserve your Twenty Valley chauffeur
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Twenty Mile Bench?
It is a VQA sub-appellation in the Town of Lincoln, under the Niagara Escarpment, running from Fifteen Mile Creek west to just beyond Cherry Avenue. Twenty Mile Creek cuts through it, and the village of Jordan sits close by.
Which wineries are on the Twenty Mile Bench?
VQA counted 12 wineries for 2025–26. Flat Rock Cellars says its wines are grown on the Twenty Mile Bench. Vineland Estates, Tawse and Megalomaniac are nearby in Vineland, with Cherry Avenue marking the edge of the Beamsville Bench. Cave Spring has a tasting room in Jordan Village.
How far is Jordan from Niagara Falls?
Jordan Village is about 34 km (21 mi) from Fallsview hotels, usually 30–40 minutes via the QEW. Flat Rock and Vineland Estates are about 38–40 km away, 35–45 minutes.
What wines is the Twenty Mile Bench known for?
VQA lists Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as common varieties and highlights Gewürztraminer. It describes fresh, balanced wines with stone-fruit and mineral whites and earthy, finely structured Pinot Noir.
Is Ball's Falls worth a stop on a wine tour?
Yes, especially in spring when the falls are fullest. Ball's Falls Conservation Area is about 2 km from Flat Rock Cellars and charges a vehicle entry fee, listed at $15 per vehicle including the driver as of 2026.
Can we do Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Twenty Mile Bench on the same day?
It is possible but rushed. Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake to Flat Rock is about 38 km, roughly 40–45 minutes. Most visitors enjoy two separate days more, or pick three wineries in total across both areas.
Is there a restaurant at the Twenty Mile Bench wineries?
Vineland Estates serves lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday, and Megalomaniac runs Food+Drink Wednesday to Sunday. Check current days and book ahead on weekends.
