Women Winemakers in Ontario

Published on September 3, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings, Women Winemakers

I’ve updated the app (watch for notification from the App Store for the update) and I’ve included a new category: Women Winemakers.

I’ve been considering adding this as a category for some time, but a friend of mine thinks it’s sexist of me to do so…. After much thought, I decided to add it – my rationale for doing so is simple: to give a shout out to woman winemakers.

Caroline Granger MVI_1869 — Caroline Granger

Women are involved in all areas of the wine business but they often fly below the radar – so I thought it would be nice to celebrate them a bit.

Snapshot 1 (31-08-2014 6-22 PM) — Tanya Mitchell

By the way, of the 144 wineries included in the app to date, 24 of those wineries have women winemakers (or women with the title of associate winemaker). I should also point out that a few of them – like Sue-Ann Staff and Lindsay Puddicombe – are the winemakers at more than one winery, so there aren’t 24 different women winemakers listed in the app. (For the record, this is not uncommon – there are also a handful of male winemakers who are at more than one winery – Andrzej Lipinski and Ross Wise come to mind.)

I’m hoping to get videos of as many of the women winemakers as possible. So far I’ve got videos of:

Click on the names above for a link to the videos.

So – stay tuned…

In their own words…

Published on August 29, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Lake Erie/Pelee Island Region, Miscellaneous Musings

In my last post I wrote about the fact that there isn’t going to be a grape harvest in the Lake Erie/Pelee Island region.

In chatting with folks at the wineries in that region, I was struck by how many of them shrugged and blamed “the Polar Vortex”. No matter what you call it, the impact of the winter is clear: very few grapes.

I shot a short video of Martin Gorski, owner/winemaker at North 42 Degrees Estate Winery, describing in a bit more detail the unusual growth pattern they observed among the vines this spring-summer.

Here’s a link to the video.

The Non-Harvest of 2014 for Wineries in Lake Erie/Pelee Island Region … seeing is believing!

Published on August 27, 2014August 27, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Lake Erie/Pelee Island Region, Miscellaneous Musings

Just back from a couple of days visiting wineries in the Lake Erie/Pelee Island Region and I’ve got to say — seeing is believing.

Back at the end of February Tom O’Brien of Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards was the first person to mention to me that it looked like there might not be a 2014 vintage for wineries in that region. Though I didn’t think Tom was an alarmist, I took the comment with a grain of salt and started asking other Ontario winery owners what they thought the potential impact the exceptionally harsh winter might have on this years’ grapes.

Most winemakers and winery owners I talked to admitted that they thought there would be some damage, but they wanted to take a wait-and-see attitude. I know that in Niagara, some vineyard owners did some testing of the buds in early spring to get an idea about the percentage of dead buds they might have and some modified their pruning to compensate. The wineries of Prince Edward County bury their vines, so they were not concerned about the harshness of the winter at all.

In the Lake Erie/Pelee Island area, however, Tom’s prediction about there not being a 2014 vintage has come true. Driving around that region last week things looked normal — from a distance.

The rows of vines look lush and green — but many of them looked almost wild, there were so many leaves. Normally vineyard owners neatly trim the canopy to ensure the right balance of sun and shade on the grapes. Canopy management this year sure looked different.

And, given that it was the third week of August in what is the warmest wine region in Canada, you expected to find rows netted to protect the grapes from the hungry birds. (Nearly every row at Colchester Ridge Estate Winery (CREW) was netted by this time last year.) This year there was no need for netting.

When you take a closer look — expecting to see lovely green or purple clusters — you realize there are no bunches hanging there ripening! You might find a few small bunches of grapes or, in some cases, clusters that started to develop but that have not grown. It’s quite a sad sight…

Mind you, the winery owners and winemakers I spoke with in the region seem to have taken the loss in stride. After all, they know better than anyone that winemaking is farming — and farmers are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Many also noted that the up side is that they still have lots of wines from previous years available and so when visitors stop in to taste and buy, they aren’t disappointed. Some also said they’d be headed to Niagara to see about buying some grapes, so they may have some 2014 wines available — they just won’t be from grapes from that region.

Name that Winemaker!

Published on August 18, 2014August 18, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings

I was organizing some of my photos and I came across a few photos of Ontario winemakers, so I thought I’d post them and make a game of it – Name that Winemaker!

Here are the winemakers pictured: Jonas Newman; Caroline Granger; Martin Gorski; Jean-Pierre Colas; Ann Sperling; Paul Pender; Shiraz Mottiar.

Shiraz Mottiar - Malivoire IMG_1633 — Photo 2

i4C Preview - Ann Sperline Pouring Sperling Wine IMG_1710 — Photo 3

Martin Gorski North 42 Degrees Estate Winery IMG_0867 — Photo 7

Here are the names that go with each photo: (1) Caroline Granger (2) Shiraz Mottiar; (3) Ann Sperling; (4) Jean-Pierre Colas; (5) Jonas Newman; (6) Paul Pender; (7) Martin Gorski

Bonus Question

And, now, name the winery they’re at. Hint: each of the winemakers is associated with one of these wineries: (a) Tawse Winery; (b) Hinterland Wine Company; (c) Southbrook Vineyards; (d) Malivoire Wine Company; (e) North 42 Degrees Estate Winery; (f) 13^th Street Winery; (g) The Grange of Prince Edward Vineyard.

Answers: (1) Caroline Granger is at The Grange of Prince Edward Vineyard; (2) Shiraz Mottiar is at Malivoire Wine Company; (3) Ann Sperling is at Southbrook Vineyards; (4) Jean-Piere Colas is at 13th Street Winery; (5) Jonas Newman is at Hinterland Wine Company, (6) Paul Pender is at Tawse Winery, and (7) Martin Gorski is at North 42 Degrees Estate Winery.

How Ships Get from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie

Published on July 30, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Out and About, St. Catharines Region

A visit to the Welland Canal might not be high on your list of sights to see in-and-around Niagara Falls, but I guarantee it’s a side-trip you’ll remember every time you see a ship on Lake Ontario.

A friend and I were returning to Toronto from a day of visiting wineries recently and we were on a back road when traffic ahead was stopped. We soon realized it was because a bridge across the Welland Canal (which is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway) was being raised to allow a Great Lakes freighter through to the nearby lock.

The Canal has eight locks, two of which are accessible to the public – one of them is Lock 3. My friend had never seen a ship go through a lock, so we pulled into the nearby Welland Canals Centre. Having been to the Canals Centre before, I knew it is a terrific place to watch the processes.

Though you can watch the goings on from the side of the lock, a raised observation deck running almost the length of it lets you watch from 20 feet above. You get a bird’s eye view of the process, starting with the massive gate closing behind the ship and then watching the boat float up as the lock fills with water (or disappear down into the lock as the water drains from it). The whole process is amazingly quick, with ships in and out of the lock in about 20 minutes.

From the observation deck you also get a great view of Port Weller, the entrance to the Canal from Lake Ontario. From that vantage point you’re likely to see ships making their way through Locks 1 and 2. During the course of a morning or afternoon it’s not unusual to see two or more ships lifted or lowered through Lock 3.

If you’ve ever seen a ship on Lake Ontario and wondered how it makes its way to Lake Erie, next time you’re headed to the wineries in St. Catharines or Niagara-on-the-Lake, you should stop at the Welland Canals Centre.

Rain Didn’t Dampen Spirits at the i4C Gala

Published on July 21, 2014July 21, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Events and Festivals

These photos from the i4C Chardonnay World Tour Tasting and Dinner are proof that the only thing the rain dampened on Saturday was the plan for pre-dinner sipping among the Rhododendron Garden at Vineland Research & Innovation Centre.

With one eye on the weather radar, the resourceful and resilient organizers quickly moved the tasting under the dinner tent. Though the tent was crowded because it was set for dinner, the guests and winemakers didn’t seem to mind. And, by 7 the rain let up and the crowd moved from under the dining tent to the Oyster and Sparkling Wine Reception on the patio.

Mike Langley, the Canadian oyster shucking champion, and his crew from Tide and Vine Oyster Co., shucked hundreds of French Kiss oysters from New Brunswick and Beach Angels from B.C. (If you’ve never tried Beach Angels, make a point of seeking them out – they are spectacular.) Guests mixed and mingled their way between the oyster bar and the tent where a variety of Chard-based (of course) sparkling wines were being poured.

One of the most interesting sparkling wines on hand was from Thelema, a South African winery. I had spoken with Thomas Webb of Thelema at the School of Cool tasting the day before, so I was interested in trying the Thelema Mountain Blanc de Blanc 1994. As soon as I tried it I realized there was something different about it. When I said this to Thomas, he confirmed that there is indeed something different about it: the wine spent 17 years on the lees (from 1994 to 2001 when it was bottled)! The classic method (Méthode Cap Classique, as they say in South Africa) wine is rarely available – not even in South Africa, according to Thomas – but the LCBO has brought in a limited supply (Product #378653).

After the oyster/sparkling interlude guests went back to the dinner tent to enjoy a family style Al Fresco Feast. Winemakers and sommeliers (the Ambassadors of Cool) circulated, serving wines and chatting about them as guests passed around the six dishes created by well-known local chefs.

When dinner finished, guests and winemakers mixed and mingled on the patio – enjoying the live band and a last drink or two. (And, figuring that people might have been Chardonnayed-out, they were serving up some reds and even some local craft beer!)

All-in-all a fantastic celebration – not just the evening — the whole i4C weekend!

i4C School of Cool — Let’s Talk Sustainability

Published on July 19, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Events and Festivals

I’m wrapping my head around some of the topics raised at the i4C School of Cool Chardonnay Camp yesterday. Questions like: how much intervention is too much when making wine? Is stirring too much? What about additives? Lots to consider and blog about – but first, more great Chards to enjoy this weekend!

Just one more teaser about the kinds of things discussed at the Chardonnay Camp: sustainability. That’s a concept that comes up in many realms – and rightly so – but it’s also a concept that’s not always evenly applied. Take the topic of using oak chips, for example. There’s many a (snooty) wine lover who looks down on them as the cheap way of infusing oak in wines. But, as Ron Giesbrecht (formerly of Henry of Pelham, now professor at Niagara College) pointed out, when you fell a 200 year old oak and get 2-3, sometimes 4 barrels, and you plant a sapling in its place, while that is responsible, is it sustainable enough? Looked at that way, perhaps wood chips are something that should be more embraced… (Or, as someone put it – maybe we should think of wood chips as ‘micro barrels’!)

Cool Climate Chardonnays

Published on July 13, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Events and Festivals, Uncategorized

The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C for short) is this coming weekend – July 18-20, 2014. This is the fourth year of the celebration and there will be 58 wineries participating from nine countries.

I love structured events like this because they help me look at wine a different way. For example, those of us living in Canada – the great white north – realize we live in a cool climate. And the particularly harsh winter we had this past year certainly drove home to all wine lovers that growing grapes in this climate carries special risk. But I don’t often think about the unique characteristics the climate imparts on the grapes – and that’s what this festival is all about!

The other thing that this event has helped me focus on is the idea that climate is a complex notion. The fact that Ontario grapes grow in a cool climate is a no-brainer – but chardonnay grapes in Argentina, Spain, or South Africa? Clearly, latitude isn’t the only factor that contributes to cool climate viticulture. Altitude and the moderating influence of large bodies of water (like oceans and lakes) also come into play.

The three-day event features a variety of programs – from the Chardonnay Camp, which is a seminar on cool climate production at Brock University that I’m particularly excited about attending – to a Barrel Bonfire BBQ on Friday night at 13^th Street Winery, to lunches, dinners, and tastings at various participating wineries. There’s something for everyone.

Tickets and additional information about the event can be found on-line.

Some Prince Edward County Faves

Published on July 3, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Prince Edward County Region, Uncategorized

A few weeks ago I was in Prince Edward County and I did a blog post about some new discoveries there. In that post I mentioned that I’d do a follow-up post about that trip – so here it is.

First, a confession: I love the County (as locals refer to Prince Edward County). It has a very special vibe. It’s a strange combination of rural, colonial, and hip, but unpretentious. The folks I’ve met while visiting have all been friendly, without being particularly outgoing. My guess is that they just like the County and are happy to have people visit – but they don’t necessarily want it over-run with tourists, so they keep a kind of low profile.

As for the wineries, there are over 30 to choose from. As I’ve noted elsewhere, in touring County wineries, one of the first things you might notice is how many of them are housed in handsome old barns. Indeed, some of my favourites are: Closson Chase, The Grange of Prince Edward County, and Karlo Estates. But, of course, plenty of wineries are housed in other facilities – some of which are newer and specially built (like Keint-he Winery and Vineyards and Sandbanks Estate Winery, and Huff Estates).

Sandbanks Estate Winery is one of three in a row on the Loyalist Parkway (Highway 33). You can’t miss it – it’s the one with the colourful Muskoka chairs on the patio. The cheery colours and casual atmosphere of the tasting room and wrap-around patio really make you think you should sit down and enjoy a glass.

The place I stayed (Isaiah Tubbs Resort and Conference Centre in Bloomfield) had given me a voucher for a formal wine tasting at a few different places, and the one I decided to try was Sandbanks. My rationale was simple: I’ve noticed Sandbanks wines on various restaurant wine lists, as well as at the LCBO, so I wanted to taste some of their wines to know which I might order or buy when I see it in Toronto. It was great to taste some of their summer sippers (like Dunes, which is a Vidal, and Shoreline, which is a Chardonnay-Riesling-Gewürz blend). Of course, I also tried some reds and I ended up leaving with some of their 2013 Baco Noir (which I’m pleased to say is something I can pick up at my local Vintages – and which I see is on special right now).

I also stopped in at The Grange of Prince Edward County. As I mentioned, it is one of my favourite wineries to visit. I fell in love with this winery the first time I visited. The property just has a very special feel – you really get the sense that the Granger family takes their stewardship of the old farm quite personally. The barn is beautiful – both inside and out. Though I didn’t have an appointment, I was hoping that winemaker Caroline Granger might be there – and she was. I had met her at a wine tasting before, so I knew she was passionate about the winery and her wines and I was interested in hearing her talk about the farm.

She graciously agreed to let me shoot a short video of her. I’m so glad that she did, as she waxed poetic about the farm, community agriculture, terroir-driven wine and food. Click here to watch the video.

I also stopped in to say hello to Bryan Rogers at Keint-he Winery & Vineyards and Norman Hardie, of Norman Hardie Winery. Keint-he has ex expanded their patio and Bryan tells me they are planning on participating in the Farmer’s Market program, though I don’t have any specifics about dates or markets they’ll be at.

The pizza oven at Norman Hardie was already up and running for the season, and Norman will be participating in the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) in Niagara in mid-July.

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