A Winery In Ottawa?! Yes!

Jabulani Vineyard & Winery
Location: 8005 Jock Trail, Richmond
(35 minutes from downtown Ottawa)

With their 2019 apple harvest underway, Jabulani’s hard cider will be available in February 2020. This means winery season is coming to an end for this hidden treasure. Their tasting patio and store are open from June until the end of September each year. The winery’s last weekend of the season is next weekend! What better way to transition from Summer to Autumn than an outdoor wine tasting?

Covid-19 Changes: Tastings and picnics at the winery must be pre-booked and pre-paid. Maximum 5 people per sitting, with a total cost of $30 for 6 tastings. Retail store is open Friday - Sunday from 11am - 5pm. 

Jabulani winery has an open friendly feel, making it evident that it is family owned. Tom, the owner, fell in love with the property when he purchased the land back in 2006. He took a bare field and turned it into a fully operating winery, creating wines with their own grapes. From a small store run out of their home, to a full venue which is able to host events, Jabulani has come a far way in these last 13 years.

You can spot Tom by the cowboy-style straw hat he wears, and once he starts talking you’ll be certain it is him. Tom grew up in Africa, making wine since his teenage years. Tom’s knowledge of the Cape Province of South Africa and their wine making methods, combined with the cold climate vines here, create a unique flavour in each wine they produce. Every wine has a truly different taste!

The winery’s name “Jabulani” is derived from the Zulu (African tribe) word meaning happiness or rejoice. You can feel the joy in each staff member offering wine tastings with a smile. Stumbling upon this winery feels like a happy accident, in a small-town area adorned with farm fields and not much else.

The wooden building creates a lovely backdrop for their outdoor patio of oak barrel tables and vine covered pergolas. The vineyard surrounds the winery, with foliage beginning to change into the colours of fall and a simple pathway to a back pond, the scenery will have you in awe. Why not stroll through the grape covered vines after your wine sampling and cheese board?

The tasting patio is open Friday – Sunday until 5pm.

Wine tastings are $5 each and include 6 samples.