About
What We Do
Craft. Learn. Lead.
At Niagara College, we don’t just teach beverage arts — we live them. As home to Canada’s first Teaching Winery, Teaching Brewery, and Teaching Distillery, we blend hands-on education with award-winning production to create something truly unique: real-world experience from vine to vat to still.
And behind it all? Expert instructors like Allison Findlay work side-by-side with students to mentor, guide, and innovate across all facets of the craft beverage industry.
Teaching Winery
Founded in 2000, our Teaching Winery was the first of its kind in Canada. Located on 38 acres of college vineyards at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, it’s the heart of our Winery and Viticulture Technician program.
Here, students get hands-on experience in winemaking, viticulture, and sales/marketing — learning by doing in a fully operational winery that produces award-winning wines year after year. Developed in direct consultation with the Ontario wine industry, the program ensures grads are job-ready and future-focused.
In 2008, we expanded our wine education portfolio with Canada’s first and only post-graduate certificate in Beverage Business Management — a fast-paced, immersive program designed for those looking to lead and grow in Canada’s wine, hospitality, and tourism sectors. Students gain access to on-site vineyards, a wine sensory lab, professional tasting rooms, and the Wine Visitor + Education Centre for real-time retail experience.
Teaching Brewery
Launched as Canada’s first Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program, our Teaching Brewery is a one-of-a-kind space where students brew, test, taste, and repeat — all under the guidance of award-winning brewmaster faculty.
This 1,500 sq. ft. facility includes a full-scale 1,000-litre brewing system, plus a one-keg pilot system for experimental batches and seasonal brews. Whether they’re developing small-batch recipes for food and beer pairings or mastering quality control and sensory analysis, students are prepared to lead in the fast-growing craft beer industry.
With its roots in science, business, and artistry, the brewery program is built to turn passionate brewers into confident professionals. And with an on-site hop yard and partnerships with local growers, students also learn to brew with terroir in mind.
Teaching Distillery
Canada’s first on-campus distillery opened in 2018 — and it’s already raising the bar. Our Artisan Distilling program is taught in a cutting-edge, 2,500 sq. ft. facility featuring five stills, four mash tuns, and ten fermenters, giving students a complete view of the distilling process from grain to glass.
With a competitive intake of just 20 students, this program offers in-depth training in fermentation, production, testing, analysis, and product development. Whether it’s vodka, gin, absinthe, or something experimental, every spirit is produced on-site and sold in limited quantities at the Wine Visitor + Education Centre.
It’s a rare opportunity to learn the science, artistry, and business of distilling — all in one place.
Want to taste the results?
Everything made at our Teaching Winery, Brewery, and Distillery is available for purchase at the Wine Visitor + Education Centre — and right here online. From award-winning wines to small-batch beers and experimental spirits, every bottle tells the story of hands-on education and real-world craft.