SOUTHBROOK VINEYARDS
581 Niagara Stone, Niagara-on-the-Lake | 905-641-2548, southbrook.com
One of the province’s most visually striking wineries, Southbrook also holds the distinction of being Canada’s first certified biodynamic winery. The entire farm is certified organic, and the gorgeous hospitality pavilion and tasting room were recognized by LEED for their sustainable design. Winegrower Ann Sperling, a pioneer of the growing Canadian organic and natural winemaking scene, crafts a series of wines at Southbrook, like the top-tier Poetica and flagship Triomphe, recent releases like the quaffable Connect and Seriously Cool blends and funky bottlings like the awesome Orange Wine.
BACK 10 CELLARS
4101 King, Beamsville | 905-562-3365, back10cellars.com
This small family-run winery is producing some head-turning wines. The Big Reach Riesling in particular has won love from wine pros. Along with consulting winemaker David Johnson (who also makes wine at Featherstone), owners Andrew and Christina Brooks strive to reduce the amount of inputs involved in running a healthy vineyard. Chemical sprays are avoided via de-leafing, and additional help comes from the farm’s chickens, who troll the vines for damaging insects. “I think we understood early on that caring for a vineyard means stewarding land on which success will be measured in vintages and decades,” Andrew Brooks says. “My family lives on site, and we actually drink these wines. Using practices based on cutting corners will not achieve high-quality fruit at harvest, nor will it ensure the long-term health of the vines. ‘You get out what you put into a vineyard,’ [Beamsville vintner] Daniel Lenko told me many years ago – and I haven’t forgotten.”
MELDVILLE WINERY
At Legends Estates Winery, 4888 Ontario, Beamsville | meldvillewines.com
Anyone whose heart bled a little when beloved Lailey Winery was sold to a proprietor interested only in producing icewine will be happy to hear that long-time Lailey winemaker Derek Barnett is back with his own label, Meldville Wines.
“I decided last July that I was too young to retire and wanted to continue doing what I love doing – growing grapes and making and selling wine,” says Barnett, who’s something of a local legend. Barnett, who crafts the Meldville label out of Legends Estates Winery, takes a hands-on approach: he sources the best grapes possible and makes small batches of wine, encouraging natural fermentation as much as possible.
“We try to treat wine simply and be respectful of where it comes from,” he says. Instead of the 16 varieties he worked with at Lailey, Barnett is currently focusing on Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cab Franc, and plans to delve into Riesling and Pinot Noir. Bottles and tastings are available via Legends, or order online from the Meldville website.
PEARL MORISSETTE
3953 Jordan Road, Jordan | 905-562-4376, pearlmorissette.com
Pearl Morissette, adored by wine geeks and sommeliers, is arguably Niagara’s cultiest winery. Vigneron François Morissette, who trained in Burgundy, crafts unique and textural wines by taking the Old World path of least intervention. There’s a laser focus on the quality of grape skins, and Morissette eschews the use of stainless steel and new oak, preferring to ferment in cement, neutral oak and clay amphorae instead. He champions a natural approach, encouraging wild fermentation and oxygen exposure, and uses only minimal amounts of sulfur dioxide (a common additive used by winemakers as a stabilizing agent). Pearl Morissette is where to find the most experimental (and for some, the most interesting) wines in the region. Visits and tastings by appointment only.
CALAMUS ESTATE WINERY
3100 Glen Road, Jordan | 905-562-9303, calamuswines.com
“Our winemaker’s [Arthur Harder’s] philosophy is to handle wine as little as possible and only when necessary,” explains Derek Saunders, who owns Calamus with his partner, Pat Latin. “We’re not a big winery that has to pump wine out, so we’re quite happy to let Mother Nature take its course.”
Calamus owns two vineyards totalling 32 acres, from which they produce about 5,000 cases of Pinot Gris in two styles, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Cab Sauv and Cab Franc, Merlot and Vidal annually.
All wines are vegan-approved common clarification agents like fish bladders and egg whites are skipped in favour of paper filtration. Astronomy enthusiasts can book a night of cosmic sipping at the winery’s observatory, a renovated 19th-century barn equipped with a telescope through which Saturn and Jupiter are clearly visible. Hikes to nearby Balls Falls Conversation Area, culminating in a cool glass of vino on the winery’s observation deck, can also be arranged
FEATHERSTONE ESTATE WINERY
3678 Victoria, Vineland | 905-562-1949, featherstonewinery.ca
Animal lovers should pay a visit to eco-friendly Featherstone, where domesticated creatures help tend the vineyards. A flock of sheep scour neat rows of vines, munching on nutrient-hogging weeds, while a Harris’s hawk patrols the grounds, discouraging pesky destructive birds like starlings. In order to raise healthy vines while minimizing chemical intervention, Featherstone encourages biodiversity – cover crops like legumes are planted between rows of vines, and no insecticides are used on the property. The winery is also known for sourcing Canadian oak for the delicious barrel-fermented Canadian Oak Chardonnay (which is, sadly, sold out). Not to worry. There are lots of other tasty wines to sample on Featherstone’s breezy veranda – from the zesty, tropical 2015 Sauvingnon Blanc VQA to the berried 2015 Rosé VQA and dark, rich 2014 Cab Franc VQA.
What to drink right now!
Calamus Cosmic White
Rating: NNN
Why An aromatic, sprightly blend of Riesling, Gewürtz and Chardonnay great for sharing before the sun goes down. Fruity, with a persistent minerality, Cosmic works just as well alongside light, summery fare as it does solo as an aperitif. All the wines produced at Calamus are VQA and vegan-certified.
Price $14.95/750 ml
Availability Vintages 255893
>>> Southbrook 2015 Small Lot Natural Orange Wine
Rating: NNNN
Why To make this magical wine, Vidal clusters from Southbrook’s estate biodynamic vineyard are fermented whole – stems, skins, juice and all nothing is added throughout the entire vinification process. The finished amber-hued wine makes its way into the bottle unfiltered, so don’t freak over a little sediment. Smells like a romp through a tangle of wildflowers, drinks extremely dry, with pucker and structure.
Price $29.95/750 ml
Availability At the winery or online at southbrook.com
>>> 16 Mile Cellar Rebel Pinot Noir
Rating: NNNN
Why This small, family-run winery has a deserved reputation for its estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Grapes are picked by hand, and the wines are given as long as they need to develop – in the case of this Rebel, that’s 19 months in French oak. Speaking of time, a bottle or two of this Pinot can hang out in your cellar if you can fight the impulse to drink it all now. Pretty sour cherry, spice and cranberry on the nose and palate.
Price $22.95/750 ml
Availability Vintages 461731
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