Boston Canada Travel

Most people don’t think of Ontario as a wine-growing region; however, it lies at the same latitude as Bordeaux. That and the cooling effect of Lake Ontario makes for a perfect micro-climate. Believe it or not, over 103 wineries in Ontario brought in $80 million to Ontario in 2008.

Thanks to a few pioneers like Inniskillin, Hillebrand, and Konzelmann, the Ontario Wine region is garnering a world reputation for its boutique wines, just like New Zealand and Argentina. Back in the 1970s, a few Niagara visionaries began planting and making wine from vitis vinifera and French hybrid varieties, grapes that produce the world’s great wines. In the last decade, new wineries like Stratus Wines and Ravine Vineyard are using state-of-the-art winemaking to put Ontario in a world wine class of its own.

Hillebrand, A Winery of Firsts

While everyone else was oohing and ahhing at Canada’s most visited natural wonder, 13 miles away in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a few innovative winemakers were testing the soil for the possibility of making wine in Ontario.

Hillebrand was the first in the region for a number of important events. They were the first to create Ice Wine, in 1983, followed in 1991 with the first underground sparkling wine cellar. In 1996, Hillebrand built the first winery restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake, paving the way for others to follow.

Even today, they are constantly reinventing themselves, with a recent renovation in 2007 to include the addition of a one-thousand-bottle glass wine cellar with artwork by Ontario artists. They also host annually, the Hillebrand Jazz & Blues at the Winery, a way to taste great wine with an incredible backdrop for great local music.

Extreme Viticulture, Iniskillin

In the case of Iniskillin, Karl Kaiser and Donald Ziraldo tasted Ontario Wines in the early 70’s, realizing a gap in the premium market. They seized the opportunity to fill that gap by  producing premium varietal wines from local grapes.

Both believed their future in the Niagara region was dependent on using the vitis vinifera grapes, the grapes used to produce the finest wines worldwide. An early mission statement captured this spirit — “Inniskillin: Not so much bound by tradition as inspired by it”.

Named after a famous Irish regiment, the Inniskillin Fusiliers, they obtained the first wine license in Ontario since 1929. They were the first winery to sell Ice Wine publicly in 1984, winning the prestigious Grand Prix d’Honneur at Vinexpo in Bordeaux. This put both them and the Ontario Wine Region on the World Map.

Konzelmann, a German Transplant Making Award-Winning Ontario Wine

While visiting British Columbia in the 1980s, Herbert Konzelmann, a 3rd generation German winemaker, heard a rumor that winemakers were producing wine in Ontario. He flew to Ontario to check it out for himself. He filled up his suitcase with soil samples to test back in Germany. He was so impressed with the result that he immediately moved to Ontario to get started making wine.

Focusing on low-yield, high quality wines, Konzelmann uses a sophisticated ‘Vino Top Fermentor‘ method for softer, velvety red wines. He offers more than 30 different VQA selections of wine, with a production of 40,000 cases. In 2008, Konzelmann was the first Canadian wine to be chosen as part of the Wine Spectators Top 100 list.

Stratus Wines, the Only LEEDS-Certified Winery in the World

You may have seen the segment about Stratus Wines on the Travel Channel, or read about them in the Wine Spectator. Not only are they making strides in wine-making, but saving the climate simultaneously! Using geothermal energy to heat the winery and using the recycled materials from the previous structure, this was just the beginning for Stratus. They even created curved cheese boards from the old barrels for sale in the gift shop!

Thanks to the unconventional methods of Jean-Laurent Groux, a Loire native, and Stratus’ philosophy, like Chateauneuf du Pape, is that the art of winemaking is in the blending of varietals. He’s not out to make the world’s greatest chardonnay, but instead creates some Kiss Ass Assemblage Wines, just like back home in France.

According to a recent article in Vinesmag.com, Groux lets his tastebuds guide him as to which varietals to include in his blend. And now that Stratus has reached critical mass in terms of production, he’s able to play more with new blends, like tempranillo and mourvedre. The result is astounding for a winery of its size.

Stratus Wines is also helping to create Niagara-on-the-Lake as a culinary destination with its Wine & Herb Touring Pass. You can taste wine and local farm-to-table cuisine during the month of May at 26 participating wineries. You can also attend the upcoming Cool Climate Chardonnay Event in July and blend your own!

Ravine Vineyard, the Rising Star

Located in St. David’s Bench, Ravine Vineyard is one of the most exciting new vineyards in Ontario. Ravine Vineyard is the result of three generations of wine-making and farming, one of the most historic architectural houses in Ontario, and a very entrepreneurial family with a unique vision.

In 1869, David Lowery recognized St. David’s Bench as the perfect climate to grow grapes, planting one of the earliest commercial vineyards with 500 vines. Five generations later, the Loweries were selling their grapes to Canada’s largest winery, T. G. Bright in the 1970s.

The vineyard lay fallow until 2003, when Lowery descendant Norma Jane (Lowery) Harber and her husband decided to plant very fine European varietals. With the help of renowned wine consultant Peter Gamble, the soil analysis showed spectacular potential for the varietals they chose to plant.

The William Woodruff House – Hospitality Center at Ravine has been ranked as one of the top 50 most architecturally significant houses in all of Canada. The house has survived fire, 60 years of neglect, complete dismantling, several relocations and a complete rebuild. The result is a genius combination of historic elements with modern building codes.

Finally, the unique vision of the Lowery family has set a new precedent for the Niagara region. Not only was the tasting room rebuilt, but two state-of-the-art kitchens were also built underground to allow for catered events on-site at the Vineyard. They have expanded their above-ground facilities to include a Bistro Restaurant featuring locally grown food and Niagara wines. A brick oven now offers delicious European- style crusty bread. Don’t be fooled by the casual atmosphere at Ravine Vineyard, the quality is 4-stars!

After such an enlightening and tasty trip to the Niagara wine region, I know I’ll be back for more, this time with Food Editor Pierre Jenatton in tow. Stay tuned for more articles on Ontario that I just couldn’t squeeze into this one!