ALL ABOARD: MAGIC WINERY BUS TOURS SET TO DEPART IN JULY

THE TOURS, ABOARD AN ENGLISH DOUBLE-DECKER BUS, WILL HAVE TWO ROUTES THROUGH TWENTY VALLEY AND NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE

Wine lovers have the chance to tour Niagara's vineyards with a slice of British charm this summer, as the Magic Winery Bus tour whisks guests around the region in a classic double-decker Routemaster.

From July 1, guests will have the chance to hop on a genuine English bus and tour around wineries in Twenty Valley and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

On Saturdays, the bus will tour four wineries in the Twenty Valley. Passengers embark in Jordan Village before heading to Creekside Estate Winery, Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery, Flat Rock Cellars and a fourth winery to be determined.

On Fridays and Sundays, the route takes passengers through Niagaraon-the-Lake's wineries, starting at Lakeview Wine Co. before heading to Trius Winery, Wayne Gretzky Estates, Pillitteri Estates

Winery and PondView Estate Winery and then heading back to Lakeview Wine.

For both routes, departure times are 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. At each winery, passengers will be met by a host and have time for a wine tasting before exploring the vineyards and being picked up and transported to the next location.

Magic Winery Bus tours started 12 years ago in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia and is co-owned by Hanspeter Stutz, Pete Luckett and David Hovell.

The Routemaster double-decker bus came from England, and the team at Magic Winery Bus tours wrapped it with winery visuals

while keeping the distinctive red colour. "People loved it, the old style," said Stutz.

"What's unique," said Hovell, "is when you're on the second floor, you see things from a different perspective, the wineries, vines and farms."

Hovell is keen to create a "structured but relaxed" day for guests, and to "provide great value, not just to the guests but to the winery partners."

"We want to be distinctive," said Hovell, "we are not a traditional tour operator."

"We want to create lots of 'wow' moments."

For more information, visit magicwinerybus.ca.