The Beginning
Creekside has been doing its premium thing on the Niagara Peninsula since 1997, when owner Laura McCain jumped at the opportunity to pursue a growing passion for wine, purchasing a 15-acre vineyard and winery on Fourth Avenue near Jordan, ON.
Early on the darlings of the Creekside portfolio were, like the people who created them, a little outside of the mainstream fold. Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz despite being considered viticulturally off-kilter for the region at that time, showed particular promise and the early successes spurred on further investment in the winery's facilities.
The Winery
The year 1999 marked the first of several major face-lifts to the Creekside site. In went the shiny stainless steel tanks, their cozy temperature control jackets, a brand new crush pad and a swanky pneumatic press.
The production facility was raring to go, the crew was eager to test the new "toys", and soon they began pumping out litre upon litre of top notch juice. With production now in full swing, it was discovered that there had to be somewhere to put the fruits of all that hard labour once it was ready for fermentation and/or aging. Enter the barrel cellar in the year 2000, arguably the most recognizable and impressive structure on site. Providing shelter for up to 600 coddled, spoiled barrels, the underground cellar melded the practical requirements of modern winemaking with the old-world charm of a chateau cave.
The Vineyards
Faced with issues of demand above supply (a fantastic position to be in), the Creek team realized they needed more grapes. After much scouring and scouting, a 50-acre vineyard site on the St. David's Bench was selected, marking the birth of our now famous Queenston Road Vineyard (QRV).
Planting Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Viognier at the QRV site injected diversity and possibility with new grape varieties, and was integral in steering the some of Creekside's pioneering wine-making styles. The first harvest from the St. David's Bench vineyard produced a Cuvée award winner (Signature Shiraz 2002) and it has been a star-producing site ever since as an annual source for Creekside Reserve reds. Additionally, the Creekside Estate Vineyard was replanted with Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz and is the home of Creekside's blockbuster Sauvignon Blanc line-up. Today, these stellar vineyard holdings are supported and strengthened by long-term relationships with quality-minded contract growers.
This prompted the crew to build a new retail store and covered deck in 2008 to give customers some more elbow room at the bar, as well as a great spot for lunch. Inspired by the new look, the team decided that every element of the winery should get a face lift; new labels, packaging, propaganda and this website were created. The look reflects what we feel are the core values of Creekside: honest, rustic, real and wine-centric. Creekside's new packaging has gone on to win awards and critical acclaim and the retail store is a welcoming home away from home for those with a nose (and palate!) for Niagara wine. 
Under the stewardship of Laura McCain, the winery is now run by a group of like-minded industry professionals, providing a formidable yet quirky mix of winemaking know-how and sales and marketing savvy. The ongoing focus for Creekside is to continue to produce wines that are unmistakably distinctive, that push conventions and that reflect the unique micro-climates of the Niagara Peninsula. The winery continues to be a pioneer in the industry, following its own path and having heaps of fun along the way. 