The richness of Niagara’s Fruit Belt

Unearthing the fertile soil, unique microclimate and diverse terrain that produces the region’s freshest flavours

Y ou know you’re in a very special place when you visit Niagara during fall, when an abundance of fruits and vegetables invokes such feelings of gratitude and joy— and hunger.

This remarkable area, fuelling the region’s rich growth of produce, is famously known as the Niagara Fruit Belt. Ninety-five per cent of Ontario’s peaches and 80 per cent of Canada’s wine grapes grow there, along with a whole lot of other stone and tender fruits, such as plums, nectarines, cherries and apples. The availability of fresh produce drives a robust food scene, with restaurants— especially those located at wineries and breweries—proudly serving the freshest ingredients from nearby farms in inventive and creative dishes. Chefs happily call out their farm partners on menus, broadcasting their local pride.

One of the most fertile regions in North America, Niagara has some of Canada’s most diverse and complex soils, including loam, sand, clay, shale and glacier-deposited limestone. This diversity is reflected in the presence of its distinct vegetation, as it is home to about 40 per cent of Canada’s rare plants. And wine lovers know that limestone-based soils are ideal for growing the world’s best wine grapes.

“We’re blessed with great soil composition and climate, and we are one of the few places in Canada that can grow tender fruit and wine grapes to success,” says Paul Harber of family-owned Ravine Vineyards and the Lowrey Bros. food company, both based out of Niagara-on-the-Lake. “As a fifth-generation farmer, I hope to protect and preserve—for five, 10, 20 generations to come—our fruitful lands. It’s a very sacred area that we live in, and we’re very lucky.”

A variety of factors make the abundance of Niagara possible. It starts with a geological phenomenon called the Niagara Escarpment. This is a ridge, about 30 to 50 metres in height, that borders the Niagara Peninsula to the south. To the north is Lake Ontario. In between lies the fertile Ontario Plain, which contains the Niagara Fruit Belt and the famous wine-producing region known as The Bench.

The cooling effects of Lake Ontario help create a climate similar to that of the French wine regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, which lie roughly at the same latitude. The weather is not too extreme; the summers are long, warm with just enough rain, and the winters are cold but not frigid.

Microclimatic pockets within this region are ideal and varied, which explains why such a diverse range of plants and trees can thrive. The winds flowing between the escarpment and Lake Ontario help prevent crop diseases and reduce insect pests, allowing more organic practices.

Niagara’s rich, fertile soils and the varied microclimates create niche environments that are perfect for tender and stone fruits, vegetables and wine grapes. This remarkable bounty is gloriously displayed in the fall. Roadside farmers’ markets carry the season’s most vibrant produce, vineyards draw locals and visitors alike for a sample of their finest wine, and the menus at farm-to-table restaurants feature a seemingly endless list of locally sourced ingredients—all the happy result of the key conditions Niagara embodies.