Hidden Bench is unquestionably one of Canada’s most respected premium producers, crafting estate-grown, terroir-driven wines through rigorous organic practices, minimal intervention winemaking and meticulous attention to detail at every step of the way. Theirs is a pursuit of the purest expression of their three (soon to be four!) estate vineyards in the heart of the Beamsville Bench VQA sub-appellation of the Niagara Escarpment – and the results are wines that are expressive, elegant, and absolutely beautiful.

2023 Canadian Winery of the Year!

Hidden Bench was founded in 2003 by Harald Thiel, a passionate wine enthusiast whose ethos and philosophy has led its incredible trajectory these past 21 years. Their PRO-CERT Certified Organic estate vineyards, Locust Lane, Rosomel and Felseck, are widely regarded as some of the top “Cru” vineyard sites in the entire Niagara region… in all of Canada, for that matter.

Vineyard Manager, Joel Williams leads the charge in the organic regimen – and biodynamic practices – in the vineyards. In the cellar, grapes are manually handled at every step of the way. Oak usage is delicate and selected only for wines that would benefit from that type of élèvage. Alternatively, the team has embraced large concrete tanks and stainless steel of various sizes, which have really brought the texture and nuance of these terroir-driven wines to new heights.

Hidden Bench currently produces around 120,000 bottles annually from their three estate vineyards. Plantings primarily consist of Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with inflections of other vitis varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Gamay.

The wines of Hidden Bench are divided into two main series: Estate (multi-vineyard blends) and Terroir (single vineyard/barrel selection expressions). They’ve also created an experimental range called Rachis & Derma – a chance to play with techniques like extended maceration, whole cluster fermentations and zero sulphur additions. While all of the Hidden Bench wines qualify under RAW Wine’s “natural wine” guidelines, they exemplify our favourite little niche of natural wines that drink classic, embodying an exciting evolution in the “natural” movement.

And of course, it couldn’t’ be done without a thoughtful and experienced winemaker at the helm. Winemaker, Alex Baines’ projection to Hidden Bench has been a delight to witness and be a part of – he’s one of my oldest friends from Niagara. Over the past 10 years, I’ve watched him go from working at another (great!) local Bench winery, to spending seasons with some of the best biodynamic wineries in Central Otago, NZ (where he worked with Gina Giugni of Lady of the Sunshine) and West Sonoma Coast, California. Alex’s particular interest in organic and biodynamic winegrowing made him an asset to come his back to his home-away-from-home (he’s originally from the UK), when he was offered a position as Assistant Winemaker at Hidden Bench while finishing harvest in California. In 2022, he was promoted to Winemaker – a post that he has flourished in.

Today, the wines are in their absolute prime. Harald has created a small but focused, smart and ever-curious team who are crafting some of the best wines Niagara has ever seen. And their hard work is paying off: Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator has credited Hidden Bench with being among the best in Canada. And last year – the very first year that they qualified for the category – Hidden Bench was awarded with Canadian Winery of the Year in WineAlign’s National Wine Awards of Canada.

We’re thrilled to represent these wines at The Road: the wines and people behind them are brilliant – the very best, right in our own backyard.

Hidden Bench: In the Vineyards

Sitting along the UNESCO-protected Niagara Escarpment, Hidden Bench’s three organic estate vineyards are considered some of the top in the country. In the Beamsville Bench VQA specifically, they benefit from the limestone-rich, clay-based, glacial-till soils that serve as a backbone for wines that have the potential to be complex, mineral-driven and long-lived.

Click here for more details on the three Hidden Bench vineyards.