Ravine Vineyard

About Ravine Vineyard

Although we’re sure every farm family feels the same about their 5 generations old farm and organic winery, we believe ours is truly unique! Perhaps it’s because of our approach to family.
Our goal was to create a sustainable way to maintain our 100+ year old farm and continue to foster the legacy of our family upon it.

To do this we had to create interest, follow our dreams and find ways to continue to fall in love with the land and each other. Ravine is a paradise within a fabric of tastes, experiences, scenes and sounds across 34 acres of beautiful rolling vineyard.

We are among the few wineries in Niagara with a self-standing restaurant that bakes our own bread and grows our own certified organic vegetables. We are blessed with a renowned wine and culinary team that chooses an ever-changing menu.

With a variety of ingredients picked right from our very own on-site garden, Executive Chef
John Vetere not only creates a seasonal menu but also preserves as much as possible so that ‘go local’ is not just a seasonal term. Our meals are paired with the guidance and discriminating palate of our Winemaker, Lydia Tomek.

Using biodynamics and sustainability as a philosophy to farming, the enhanced quality and flavours in both our small batch premium wines and fresh food products is something we are proud of and very eager to share!

Representative Biography

Lydia Tomek, Winemaker

Lydia Tomek is currently the Head Winemaker at Ravine Vineyards and Estate Winery. She Started her wine journey 20 years ago enrolling into the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture degree program at Brock University and hasn't stopped since.
After graduating top of her class, Lydia went on to pursue winemaker roles at Hillebrand, Jackson Triggs , Hernder Estate Wines, and Burning Kiln Winery.


With over 15 vintages under her belt she has established herself in the Ontario wine industry through her successes in producing wines of many styles as well as from different appellations. Between being a mom and winemaker, Lydia also takes great pride in serving her community through volunteering with her LocaLove garden project with elementary students, raising money for school programs that empower young girls, and raising money for UNICEF sports programs. She even finds the time to occasionally write articles for lifestyle publications and serves as a wine judge for international wine competitions.
If anything drives Lydia is her love of the land, scientific curiosity and capturing that special sense of place in every glass of wine she produces.

Why We're Cool

Located in the Appellation of Niagara-on-the-lake, the St. David’s Bench is very unique, as it is
20 per cent warmer than any other location in the Niagara Region. The vineyard shares this fortuitous distinguishing feature with its neighbours, but if you go a little deeper, that is where the common physical attributes end.

Ravine’s soil is lighter, with a consistent airflow and water drainage through the vineyard because we are at the highest elevation of the St. David’s Bench. We experience the earliest bud break and a longer growing season. Our 150-year-old family farm sits atop the ancestral channel of the Niagara River as it once raged 22,800 years ago.

Our hillside soils have eroded over the last 5,500 years on these small but relatively steep slopes. Now, the soil continues to be thin, sparse and very mineral-conducive to the growth of some very low cropping, Niagara-style Chardonnay.

Sitting on the highest peak of our Sub-Appellation not only creates a steady airflow, but it generates outstanding high-pressure systems during the growing season for our fruit. This aids in maintaining moderate temperatures well into September and these conditions make an interesting microclimate for our organic cool climate Chardonnay fruit! Winemaker Martin Werner loves making cool climate chardonnay at Ravine because it highlights our unique terroir and sense of place.