Stratus is an estate winery just outside Niagara-on-the-Lake, built as a LEED-certified gravity-flow facility.
Jean-Laurent Groux makes the wine and works by assemblage, the Old World practice of blending several varieties into one layered wine rather than bottling each on its own. The results are built to age seven to ten years, a long horizon for Ontario.
Stratus opened in 2005 on the edge of Niagara-on-the-Lake as the passion project of David Feldberg, who runs the design company Teknion. Design sits at the core of the place, and it shows the moment you see the building.
That building made history. Stratus was the first winery in the world to earn LEED certification for green design, awarded LEED Silver when it opened.
The art of assemblage
Stratus is built around assemblage, the idea of blending many grape varieties into one wine that is greater than its parts. The flagship Stratus White and Stratus Red are exactly that, shaped by founding winemaker J-L Groux.
Groux is one of Niagara's most respected names and won the Karl Kaiser Canadian Winemaker Award in 2023. The wines are made to age, and they reward a few years in the cellar.
Frequently asked questions
What is Stratus Vineyards known for?
Stratus is known for two things: its assemblage wines, the flagship Stratus White and Stratus Red, and its building, the first LEED-certified winery in the world. Both come back to a focus on design and blending.
What does assemblage mean?
Assemblage is the practice of blending several grape varieties into a single wine to get more complexity than any one grape gives on its own. It is the guiding idea behind the Stratus White and Stratus Red, and it is why the wines reward age.
Where is Stratus Vineyards?
On the outskirts of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, in the Niagara Lakeshore area. The winery building itself is a landmark, being the first in the world to earn LEED green-building certification.
