John Howard and his world-class wines at Megalomaniac
John Howard is a true statesman among winery owners. In addition to his interests in prestigious châteaux in Bordeaux, he is the founder and chairman of Megalomaniac Wines, located on the prized “Golden Mile” of Niagara’s terroir.
Click the screenshot to open my comprehensive coverage of Megalomaniac Wines.
I had covered the winery in depth a couple of years ago (click the image of the main winery post above to open in a new tab), but John insisted that Hilde and I return to taste their latest releases. The timing couldn’t have been better. Just days earlier, on June 16, 2026, the Ontario Wine Awards results were announced, and all 12 wines Megalomaniac submitted received awards — an extraordinary achievement. As the awards spokesperson told the Megalomaniac team, “This year’s results reflect your passion and are a testament to the care and craftsmanship your team brings to every bottle.”
We arrived shortly after John had finished presiding over a board meeting. His classic attire and mood made us happy just being there. This visit gave us the added pleasure of meeting his daughter, Erin Mitchell, president of Megalomaniac. She had every reason to wear a proud smile that day.
On the way to our tasting, we passed the shop, tasting bar, and patio. A beautiful venue in every sense.
Let’s begin with the selection of wines John had lined up for us to taste (two of which earned medals in the awards). And of course, we’ll continue with the wit of John’s story-telling.
We tasted these fabulous wines from right to left, starting with the Riesling.
2025 Narcissist Riesling (Gold Medal, 2026 Ontario Wine Awards)
Even though it had been bottled just 45 days earlier, the 2025 Narcissist Riesling was already singing. This is not a wine that needs time to “come around” — it is already exceptional. The balance is striking: vibrant acidity perfectly framed by generous fruit and a compelling mineral backbone.
As we savored the first sips, John shared insights into the unique terroir that shapes this wine. He pointed to the limestone that lies remarkably close to the surface across their vineyards.
“When I was planting this in 1995, we had severe problems trying to lay drainage ditches,” he recalled. “You’ve got to get down at least 18 inches, so we’d have to break through the limestone, continue, and break it again. It’s substantial. You’re just not going to see this concentration of limestone along the edge of the Escarpment anywhere else.”
John also told wonderful stories of the early days, when the legendary German winemaker Hermann Weis planted some of the first Riesling vines at Vineland Estates, which John later purchased from him — long before the Megalomaniac property was developed. Those pioneering efforts with Weis clones helped lay the foundation for what would become some of Niagara’s most expressive Rieslings. The Megalomaniac winery was John’s next project. He bought the land and built it from scratch, putting in posts and wires, planting the vineyards (the first Riesling plantings were with Weis’s help), and building the winery structure from the ground up, selecting and installing fermentation tanks, and a million other details.
Now back to this 2025 Riesling. By the end of the glass, we were simply stunned. At such an early stage in its life, the 2025 Narcissist already shows beautiful layers of green apple, bright citrus, luscious orchard fruit, and a seductive hint of peach. The minerality adds charm and complexity, while the acidity provides tension and lift. This Riesling is a complete, harmonious symphony in a glass.
The Story Behind the Limestone
One of the pleasures of spending time with John Howard is that every tasting eventually becomes a lesson in viticulture. And life!
As we admired the 2025 Narcissist Riesling, our conversation naturally drifted toward the vineyards themselves. John believes Megalomaniac occupies one of the most remarkable stretches of vineyard land on the Niagara Escarpment—a section often referred to locally as the “Golden Mile.”
Stretching from Tawse Winery, across Megalomaniac’s vineyards, and toward Hidden Bench Winery, John explained that this pocket of the Bench is distinguished by an unusually high concentration of limestone beneath the surface. According to John, that limestone is a defining contributor to the minerality, texture, and structure found in many of the area’s finest wines. It lends precision to Riesling while also bringing added depth and complexity to varieties such as Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc.
Ironically, the same limestone that gives the wines so much character also makes vineyard development considerably more difficult.
Some sections of the property simply couldn’t be planted because solid limestone lies only inches below the surface, making drainage and healthy root development impossible. The vines were established only where sufficient soil depth allowed them to flourish. The result, John believes, has been well worth the effort.
With characteristic humour he smiled and said, “I don’t want to sound like a megalomaniac…” before observing that wineries along this stretch of the Escarpment consistently find themselves among Niagara’s most respected producers. There’s no debate that this remarkable corner of Niagara has earned an outstanding reputation for producing exceptional wines.
Terroir Before Appellations
Our discussion eventually turned to Niagara’s sub-appellations.
John has never been particularly enthusiastic about defining geographic wine areas into increasingly fine distinctions. While he appreciates the uniqueness of the Beamsville Bench, he questions whether adding ever more detailed appellations actually helps consumers better understand Ontario wine. In his view, Europe’s famous appellations evolved over centuries, whereas Ontario’s wine industry is still writing its own story.
His philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: great vineyards produce great wines.
When I mentioned my years working alongside John De Sousa at nearby De Sousa Vineyards, John immediately spoke warmly of him. He agreed that both properties share many of the same geological characteristics, while adding that Megalomaniac benefits from an especially concentrated band of limestone beneath its vineyards.
A Lesson in Vineyard Reality and Official Measurements
At one point I asked what sounded like a simple question: How many acres are actually planted to vines?
The answer turned into one of John’s classic stories.
He explained that official acreage figures often measure only the vineyard rows themselves. What they don’t account for are the headlands—the open spaces at the end of each row where tractors must turn. Those areas may not contain vines, but they are every bit as essential to farming as the vines themselves.
John recounted, with considerable humour, how a discussion with officials from the Niagara Escarpment Commission eventually helped clarify that distinction.
John used one of his farm tractors to make the point perfectly.
By demonstrating with the tractor, he helped the officials understand, it isn’t simply “post to post.” Without room to turn machinery safely at the end of each row, a vineyard simply couldn’t function. His demonstration got the rules changed for everyone. As it stands, Megalomaniac winery sits on 92 acres, and 64 acres are planted to vine.
It was vintage John Howard: practical, entertaining, and educational. Behind the humour was an important reminder that great wines begin with thousands of thoughtful decisions made long before the grapes ever reach the winery.
Back in the Glass
Our tasting continued with the 2022 Pompous Pinot Noir, the 2022 Reserve Pinot Noir, and the 2024 Reserve Cabernet Franc.
Several of these wines had already attracted significant recognition, and after tasting them at the winery we revisited the wines with our own tasting panel at TheWineBaron.com. Our impressions remained remarkably consistent, with scores ranging from 92 to 97 points.
The Pompous Pinot Noir displayed elegance, delicacy-yet-intensity, and bright red fruit, while the Reserve Pinot Noir added greater depth, complexity, and structure. The Reserve Cabernet Franc completed the flight beautifully, combining richness with freshness and the kind of balance that keeps drawing you back for another sip. Cabernet Franc can be a gem among Ontario wines, but you have to go for the best. Too many of them are “too green.” Not from Megalomaniac.
Whether white or red, each wine carries an intensity – a sense of place.
What struck us most was not that each wine possessed its own distinct personality with almost a regal quality—that is to be expected from a quality producer—but that they all shared a common thread. Whether white or red, each carried an intensity – a sense of place. The minerality we had spent the afternoon discussing wasn’t simply an abstract conversation about geology. It was right there in the glass. Our conclusions on these four wines are that they are world-class. Not just Ontario World Class – world-world class.
A Remarkable Showing at the Ontario Wine Awards
As impressive as our tasting proved to be, the timing of our visit also made it meaningful. Only days earlier, the results of the 2026 Ontario Wine Awards had been announced.
As mentioned, every one of the twelve wines Megalomaniac submitted received an award—an accomplishment that speaks not only to individual wines but also to the consistency of the entire portfolio.
Awards alone never tell the whole story, but in this case they certainly reinforced what Hilde and I had experienced firsthand. From Riesling to Pinot Noir to Cabernet Franc, quality wasn’t confined to a single flagship bottle. It was woven throughout the Megalomaniac lineup.
Why Megalomaniac Belongs on Your Niagara Itinerary
This was our second visit with John Howard in the past three years, and it reinforced our impression that Megalomaniac has become one of Niagara’s destination wineries.
John remains deeply involved in every aspect of the vineyards and the wines, while Erin Mitchell, his daughter and president of the company, continues to guide the business with energy, marketing expertise, and strategic leadership. John’s involvement with a couple of Bordeaux châteaux help round out the dimensions of his life, yet his enthusiasm for the Niagara Escarpment remains unmistakable.
More than anything, what stands out is John’s joie de vivre. He loves wine, loves telling stories, and genuinely enjoys sharing both with visitors. Whether discussing limestone soils, vineyard economics, or the finer points of Riesling, his enthusiasm is infectious.
If your travels take you to Niagara wine country, Megalomaniac deserves a place on your itinerary. Come for the wines, stay for the hospitality and spectacular escarpment views. And if you’re fortunate enough to spend a little time with John Howard, you’ll almost certainly leave having learned something new, laughed more than once, and with an even greater appreciation for what makes this corner of the wine world a very exciting destination.
Megalomaniac Wines, 3930 Cherry Ave., Vineland, ON, Canada L0R 2C0
905-562-5155
https://www.megalomaniacwine.com
– Posted by Paul Singer, The Wine Baron
Sharing remarkable wines and the people behind them.
