Aleksander Estate Winery

1542 County Road #34
Ruthven, ON, NOE 2G0.

A family owned winery located on the North Shore of Lake Erie, in Southwestern Ontario they produce grape and fruit wines from their own estate vineyards. Aleksander (Alex) Bemben is the founder, The winery focuses on making small batch, high quality wines that capture and reflect the characteristics of each vintage.

The Events room boasts a rustic chic feel with a view of the vineyards ideal for rehearsal dinners, small weddings and receptions, birthday and graduation parties, corporate meetings, baby and wedding showers, fund raisers, charity events, and family gatherings. 

Aleksander (Alex) Bemben and his wife Genowefa (Genny) are the owners. Their daughter is the winemaker. Izabela (Bemben) Muzzin is a grape grower, winemaker, sommelier but wine enthusiast first and foremost.  She grown up in the Lake Erie North Shore wine industry and has been involved with, and studying wine from a young age.

Aleksander (Alex) Bemben is the Father Bear’ at the winery, Alex is a winemaker and founder of Aleksander Estate Winery. A creative and talented woodworker and metal fabricator to boot, Alex has produced many of the tanks and equipment used at Aleksander Estate Winery.  

The five acre vineyard is home to five grape varieties including Riesling, Vidal, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin. They also make Fruit wines.

Winemaker: Izabela (Bemben) Muzzin
Philosophy: Our approach is to go above and beyond, not only in the practice of our wine making but also in the services we provide to you, our customers. 

We believe in the sustainability of our region and the ability to produce and use what we can grow. All of our grapes come from Essex or Kent County. No juices from other grape growing regions are added. Even our fruit wines are 100% local fruit. We also believe that by producing a local product we are providing a snapshot of our region, it’s unique flavours and the people who live and work in the area.<

Black Bear Farms of Ontario Estate Winery Inc

1137 County Road 20 West
Kingsville, ON N8H 1S8

This fruit winery is located in Essex County on the western edge of Kingsville.  A family owned and operated winery located on the family farm of Jerome and Madeline Rondelez and their three children Jerome, William, and Michelle. There are two reasons for the name first, the family had a loyal family black dog named Bear, the farm and winery were named after him.   Second, bears love berries and they specialize in growing berries on their 83 acre farm which includes strawberries, all different kinds of raspberries, black currants, blueberries and more!

They opened our winery doors on December  14, 2008 and five months to the day they opened William was receiving a gold medal at the 2009 All Canadian Wine Championship for Papa’s Special  Reserve and a bronze medal for Purple Raspberry. 

Winemaker: William Rondelez
Philosophy: By knowing first the fruits and berries with the family’s farming experience and the different characteristics of the different varieties of fruit that brings out the taste we can put that essence into the bottle.

Colchester Ridge Estate Winery

108 Country Road 50
Harrow, ON N0R 1G0

The winery is located in Essex County, Ontario, and is part of Ontario’s Lake Erie North Shore appellation. The vineyard boasts 12 acres of vines, consisting of vinifera varietals. They opened our doors in July, 2006 and have since been graced with many prestigious awards. - The winery is situated on Colchester Ridge which contributes to the name Colchester Ridge Estate Winery.

"The name CREW didn’t necessarily come from a love of sailing, but is certainly a happy coincidence. Our name CREW is an acronym for Colchester (where we are) Ridge (for the ridge formed by the ice age as it passed through our region) Estate Winery, well, because we don’t grow Kale! "

"One night, while drinking the first vintage of CREW Cabernet Merlot (2004) at the dining table, something clicked (as tends to happen with a great wine!). In a flash of inspiration Bernie and Nancy put together their acronym, CREW, with a sculpture of a sailboat  Bernie had purchased in BC in the 1980s. A napkin, a pen, and a few scribbles (and probably another glass or two) led to a sketch of the label we all recognize.""

"Other works of art have become part of the CREW identity, including Ports of Call, a diptych by Canadian Artist Brent Lynch, recently featured on our POSH and Meritage bottles. A focal point in our tasting bar is “All Together Now,” a metal sculpture by Giuseppe Palumbo featuring three dancing sheep. A visitor favourite, it symbolizes the celebration of being with your CREW, something we now value all the more.""

From the vineyard to the winery to your table, each of our wines is unique and represents the experience and talent of each member of our CREW. Let us customize your experience and make your memories worthwhile as we welcome you to wine, dine and shop. Our small lineup of quality, VQA wines are approachable and fun, and best enjoyed on days ending in Y. Just like art, each wine creates its own experience and interpretation. So please, step aboard, and enjoy the journey with your CREW! 

 

Owners Bernard Gorskip and Nancy Gorski have 42 acres a short distance from the lake 12 of these acres are currently producing grapes. Signature wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Gewürztraminer

Philosophy: Make the best wine each year. Take your time and do it right.

 

Colio Estate Wines

1 Colio Drive
Harrow, ON

Situated in the Lake Erie North Shore region near Harrow, Ontario, their dream began in 1980. Colio Estate Wines received the first winery license granted in Southwest Ontario following prohibition.

Today the winery is known around the world having received over 500 awards of achievement. They produce over 400,000 cases of wine. The late winemaker Carlo Negri was a leader in planting the vinifera vines having confidence in the soil and microclimate of the Lake Erie North Shore. In 2005, Carlo was presented with the “Winemaker of the Year” award at the Ontario Wine Awards and the “Tony Aspler Cuvée Award of Excellence” for his commitment to his craft

Kevin Donohue, Vineyard Manager presides over the 200 acres of pristine vineyards in Colchester, Ontario and the 21 prime acres of vineyards the company holds in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Colio Estate Wines story is one of patience, determination, and perseverance – qualities that remain today at the heart of our winemaking practices and spirit.

Southern Ontario has been home to Canada’s wine industry since the prohibition of alcohol in the early 20th century. It was here in Lake Erie North Shore, the southernmost and warmest wine appellation region of Ontario, that three Italian bricklayers named Alfredo, Enzo and Tiberio decided to fulfill their life dream of building a world-class winery.

The bricklayers sought the help of winemaking experts from Udine, Italy to help make their dreams a reality. But they soon faced a big predicament when their winery partners pulled out. Rather than “throw in the trowel,” they worked diligently and found winemaking experts who shared their brick-by-brick determination to build Colio Estate Wines near the sunny shores of Lake Erie. Following prohibition, Colio received the first winery license to be granted in Southwestern Ontario.

Winemakers: Allison Christ,
Philosophy: To produce dry wines which not only are Italian in style but also coincide with all major wine-producing countries. To be proud of our entire production.

Cooper's Hawk Vineyards

1425 Iler Road
Harrow, ON N0R 1A0

Located on 67 acres of land just east of Harrow, Ontario, in the Essex Pelee Island Coast Owed by the O'Brien and Meloche Families The name comes from the numerous hawks that fly over the vineyard and their dad worked for Price Waterhouse Coopers who make wine barrels.

Two large ponds on the property teem with life of the local ecosystem, including turtles and bullfrogs whose songs on warm summer nights are relaxing and true to the vitality of the region. They have have partnered with Ducks Unlimited to restore a wetland on the property.  An observation deck is being constructed to provide guests with a view of the area.   They have also planted thousands of native trees on site and have installed solar panels near the entrance of the winery.

The vineyards are planted with Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Vidal and Merlot


Philosophy: The aim is a destination winery, comfortable for foodies and families to visit, explore, sip and sample. The approach is a winery venture compatible with its surroundings, a picturesque setting with its wide open vista of vines on a gentle slope to the Iler Road.

Dancing Shallows Vineyard

8704 Essex Road 9
Amherstburg, ON

The Hutchins Farm came into the family on October 24, 1881.  Through the generations the style of farming has gone through many changes, evolving from a full mixed Victorian farm to the current mix of cash crop and vineyard. Scott Wilkins is the owner.

It took a few years for the the winery to establish itself. They began back in 2006. They took half an acre out behind the barn and planted a test plot vineyard.  28 rows of different varieties and rootstock; 25 vines each: Baco Noir, Cabernet Foch, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Gewürztraminer, Geisenheim 318, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Regent, Riesling, Syrah, and Zweigelt all became close friends.  Some did well, some did poorly, some did too well (overly vigorous vines don’t make balance wine). They made wine from all of it.  Some good, some bad, some weird.  After 5 years we started to get a sense of what varietals and rootstocks were suited to the site.  

In 2012 they made the leap, narrowed the list down and planted the first 2½ acres.
The next year they added another 3 acres narrowing it down to 4 key grapes: Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet, and Baco Noir.  There are also small sections of Pinot Noir and Muscat to keep things interesting. 

The vineyard is located very close to 42° North, 83° West which puts us in the extreme Southwest corner of Ontario.  The southern location and proximity to Lake Erie lets us leave harvest later in the year, and let’s the ‘bigger’ reds achieve more ripeness. The front blocks of Riesling and Baco Noir are located on a moderately vigourous section of Perth Clay-Loam.  The back blocks (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscat and Cabernet Franc) are on a thin ridge of Shallow Phase Burford Loam.  This is a fairly uncommon soil in the county, and is actually a very small glacial moraine of sand and rocks

Philosophy : we found that keeping the batches small and minimizing the winemaking intervention made wines that started conversations.  We’ve kept that approach with the wines we made to share with you.  It does mean they can be quite different from year to year.  We see this as a good thing - they end up being “A Little Something Different.”

Early Acres Estate Winery

9494 Pioneer Road
Chatham, ON

Perhaps been more inland disqualifies them from been in the lake shore region. They have seven plus acres of grapes on sandy loam soil. They grew grapes for years before making their own wines in 2012. Sue and Mike Korpan are the owners. Their daughter and son,  Kristen and Bryce also work at the winery.

The Korpans are firm believers of supporting their local community and said the Municipality of Chatham-Kent economic development office has been supportive in bringing small events to their venue. Early Acres Estate Wines is licenced to sell wine by the glass to be enjoyed outdoors in the vineyard.

Erie Shore Vineyard

410 County Road 50 West,
RR 3 Harrow, ON N0R 1G0

Erie Shore Vineyard is a family run estate winery, owned and operated by Harvey and Alma Hollingshead and their twoChildren Vanessa and Andrew. They specialize in 100% estate grown VQA wines. The winery is just 600 meters from Lake Erie, the area is ideally suited for the production of world class grapes and wine. Located south of the town of Harrow making it Canada's most southern winery. The first vines were planted in 1997, and over 15 acres of European varieties are now established. In 2012 an additional ten acres was planted.

Harvey and Alma opened a wine juice business in 2001, offering juice to the areas home-based Winemaker's. In December 2002 they opened their winery offering 7 inaugural vintages.

Winemaker: Harvey Hollingshead.

Philosophy:
Great wines do not happen by accident. Serious winemaking starts in the vineyard. It continues through harvest, fermentation and cellaring, All practices whether in the vineyard or the winery are focused on one solitary goal- the best possible wine achievable

Hound of Erie Winery

377 7th Concession Rd Enr

Clear Creek, Ontario

The Hounds of Erie founded in 2015 located on 23 acres of gorgeous farm-lands in Norfolk County.  The winery/cidery is owned and operated by winemaker Mat Vaughan and family. The winery/cidery specializes in hand crafted very small batch premium wines and ciders. The Hounds’ first release was its national award winning hard cider called Top Dog hard cider in December 2015.

The journey began in 2012, when Kitchener residents Mat and Melissa Vaughan purchased a 23-acre former tobacco farm in beautiful Clear Creek, ON Between 2012 and 2017, the orchard has slowly been expanded to now include 21 different types of heritage hard cider apples. 

Mat’s passion for hard cider and wine making was built from a journey of self-taught production, and honed by joining an exclusive wine making club (the Kitchener Waterloo Winemakers’ Guild). 

Through years of professional training as a Canadian wine judge, Mat uses traditional old-world techniques to bring out the true character of each of his wines and hard ciders. Mat and wife Melissa recognized early that Norfolk County would someday become an emerging wine region and in 2012, the couple purchased a 23-acre farm in beautiful Clear Creek, Ontario to follow their dreams of opening their own winery. Mat believes in quality, and delivering the best he can offer.

Melissa is the co-owner, and retail and event manager of the Hounds of Erie. Melissa is passionate about creating a unique and memorable experience for everyone who visits the winery. From the time they arrive, to the time they depart, Melissa’s mission is to make sure you feel like one of the Pack! Melissa’s background is in the arts, finance and administration. She is constantly looking for ways to improve the customer experience and create wonderful memories for all of the winery’s customers. 

the vineyard includes Frontenac Blanc (own root) – Planted 2014,Marquette (own root) – Planted 2014 Petite Pearl (own root) – Planted 2015

In 2016 they partnered with a local apiary called Hunt’s Honey, housing approximately 20 hives within the vineyard/orchard. Besides providing a supply of local honey, the bees play a critical role in the orchard for pollination purposes. 

 

The legacy of the Inasphere property began with co-owner Ryan Bosgoed grandfather, who came to Canada from Holland. Located near the shores of Lake Erie in Norfolk County, you will find the Bosgoed family growing Ontario produce, estate grapes, and offering the best that Norfolk County 

The owners are Ryan and Shantel Bosgoed. They have two sons that help out

Grape varieties including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Riesling and Pinot Grigio

Philosophy.

Mastronardi Estate Winery

1193 Road 3 East
Kingsville, ON N9Y 2E5

 

Mastronardi Estate Winery established in 2006, is nestled in the heart of Essex County. Owners, Eadie and Tony Mastronardi, along with winemaker Lyse Leblanc are dedicated to growing exceptional grapes and producing high quality VQA wines.

The 100 acre vineyard, originally planted over 25 years ago during the revival of wine production in Southern Ontario, produces 18 varietals of Vinifera. The vines thrive amongst 1000 + acres of vineyards in Southwestern Ontario, located along a peninsula that wraps around the north shore of Lake Erie. The moderating effect of the climate is ensured by the warm waters of Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair, which surround this peninsula. It is the location along the 42nd north parallel (similar to that of French Riviera, Mendecino, California, Tuscany Italy and southern France) that gives Lake Erie North Shore the highest accumulation of heat units in Ontario each summer. This lake effect along with abundant sunshine results in the high sugars and ideal acid levels of each varietal. Therefore, an earlier harvest is common.

Tony and Jared Mastronardi – a father and son duo work side by side creating award winning VQA wines 

Wines produced include Zweigelt, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Grigio and award winning blends. Their Vidal Icewine 2004 won International Gold at 2007 Sélections Mondiales des Vins

Winemaker: Karl Lonsbery

Meadow Lane Winery

44892 Talbot Main Line
St. Thomas, ON N5P 3S7, Canada

Owned and operated by the Myszko family, Meadow Lane Winery Ltd. is a charming country winery located east of St. Thomas. The winery is situated on a 45 acre farm, the farm has a tranquil meadow nestled among the timbers as well as some woodlands at the further most edge of the property. Vineyard is palnted with Zweigelt, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Hibernal grape varieties.

Walter is the winemaker. Walter gained insight into the fruit wine making process as a child growing up in Poland. At the age of 15, he left his family to come to Canada to live with his aunt and uncle on their tobacco farm. Being the eldest of all the children on the farm, Walter was given a great deal of responsibility in operating the farm. This has gained him the necessary farming knowledge and experience utilized now in growing our vineyards.

After completing high school, Walter went off to college. It was during his college years that Walter regained the interest in wine and started to experiment with the process of wine making. Fruit was chosen because it was the most readily available resource used to develop his wine making skills.

Walter gained insight into the fruit wine making process as a child growing up in Poland. At the age of 15, he left his family to come to Canada to live with his aunt and uncle on their tobacco farm. Being the eldest of all the children on the farm, Walter was given a great deal of responsibility in operating the farm. This has gained him the necessary farming knowledge and experience utilized now in growing the vineyards.

 

Winemaker: Walter Myszko

Muscedere Vineyards

7457 County Rd 18
Harrow, ON

Owned by the Muscedre family located on a picturesque 163-acre farm, with 83 acres of natural forest on the Greenway Trail.

In the spring of 2002, Fabio and Rob's dream of creating a winery started to take shape – land was prepared for planting. Drainage tiles were installed to coincide with the centre of each row, the land was levelled and sloped to allow for proper drainage of surface water and the first ever wind machine in the region was installed.

Finally, planting time arrived! In the spring of 2003 the first four-acres were planted with the trilogy of Vidal, Riesling and Cabernet Franc. Followed by an acre of Pinot Noir in 2004, and seven-acres of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc in 2005. The final acre dedicated to the two Northern Italian varieties used to make Barolo wines, Barbera and Nebbiolo, was planted in 2008.

Winemakers: Roberto Muscedere Melissa Muscedere – Assistant Winemaker
Philosophy: At Muscedere Vineyards we believe that wines are made in the vineyard from meticulous vineyards techniques. We believe in small hand-crafted lots that allow us to treat each variety in each vintage with the utmost of attention and care to ensure true varietal character in each wine we release. Our commitment to quality is evidenced in our final products.

North 42 Degrees

130 County Road 50 E
Colchester, Ontario
N0R 1G0

The winery with 17.5 acres of vineyards opened in 2012 and is owned by Martin Gorski and Suzanne Dajczak. Both have farming backgrounds Martin is a third generation winemaker. He is trained as a Microbiologist and earned a Master of Science in Molecular Biology. Martin has recently completed his Enology program at Washington State University.

In 2008, they planted the vineyard with Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Cabernet franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

As 3rd generation farmers of Polish heritage, wine flows deep within our owners roots with sordid tales of winemaking and bootlegging in the Dirty 30’s to the transformation of bountiful fruit harvests into wine.  Martin Gorski and Suzanne Dajczak are the happily married co-owners of North 42 group of companies including North 42 Degrees Estate Winery, North 42 Farms, an active grain farming operation and Serenity Lavender Farm.  Martin was exposed to grape growing at a young age when he tended to his grandparents grape vines.  After a career in medical research and quality management Martin, a microbiologist returned to school to obtain his wine making certification from Washington State University.  To Martin, winemaking is the ultimate expression of farming.  He is involved in the daily management of the companies while.  Suzanne, a lawyer, is involved with the marketing aspects of the companies.

Winemaker: Jan Schulte-Bisping.
Philosophy : the belief that great wine is made in the vineyard. We believe that wine, as well as life's moments, are meant to be shared with family and friends.

Paglione Estate Winery

726 County Road 50
East Harrow, ON

Paglione Estate Winery is nestled in 40 acres of land with 10 acres of vines along the shores of Lake Erie in the Essex Pelee Island Coast (EPIC) wine region in Harrow, Ontario. The winery is owned by Sam and Nancy Paglione. They produce wines in small batches, fermented with indigenous yeast using natural, old-world Italian methods.

Founder – Santino (aka Sam) Paglione came to Canada from Italy when he was ten years old. A successful business man,Sam’s first entrepreneurial pursuit was in 1970 at 24 years of age, when he built a variety store and small take-out restaurant called the Frosty Treat at the marina in Kingsville, Ontario. Sam’s wife then ran the store and restaurant, taking care of their 2 children, while he moved on to his next venture – getting his construction company off the ground; later known as Santal Homes Ltd.

Sam's work includes some of the most architecturally significant buildings in the region, such as the Pelee Island Winery, Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery, the refurbished King’s Hotel, and most recently Paglione Estate Winery (2013). Sam has passed on now and his wife and children continue the winery.

In June 2013, that dream became a reality and Paglione Estate Winery opened its doors to the public. Nestled on the crest of a hill, the Winery – an old-world, Tuscan-style masterpiece, complete with clay tile roof, stone façade, and turret 

 

 

Oxley Estate

Located in the historic hamlet of Oxley on the Lake Erie North Shore. The winery is owned by Ann Neydon Wilson and Murray Wilson. They purchased the land (then a vegetable farm) called Oak Bluff in 2010.

The first grapes were planted with the help of the crew from Colio Estate Wines and equipment from Viewpointe Estate Winery in May and June 2010. The first release wines were made from an older vineyard the old Euro Nursery and Vineyards property on the 3rd Concession north of Harrow

The grow rate of their own vineyard was surprising and they harvest and produced wine from them in the second year. The Wilsons set about buying and borrowing an odd assortment of tanks and a small press, ready to have “a practice year”

In 2012 they scrambled to renovate the 1920 barn into the winery retail store and event centre (“The Barn at Oxley”), reluctantly taking off the old, weathered wood siding and putting on new red cedar. They purchased some additional land and now have 38 Acres

They grow Riesling, Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Bianca, Hibernal, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir, Oxley recently added the German wunderkind, Regent - a fruity, light-bodied red - and the three sustainable varieties developed specifically for colder region, still known as HG-01, HG-03 and HG-04 (good to know: HG stands for Harrow Graft). These grapes are sustainable because they can usually survive a period of frigid temperatures, require significantly less spray than the traditional vitis vinifera varieties, ripen fully and can be harvested early in the season before the fall rains. That appeals to us… we can rely on getting a crop of delicious grapes and use much less chemical spray.

The winery was established in 1979. Walter Strehn of Deutschkreutz, Austria. A larger than life character by all accounts, stepped onto the path that Thaddeus Smith had laid. The Strehn family was in the wine making business in Austria and Walter was looking to start a winery of his own in Canada. It was through a mutual friend, George Piller, who knew about Pelee Island and its wine-making history that led Walter to investigate the potential of starting his winery there. After scouting around and comparing the Niagara region to the Lake Erie shore and to Pelee Island, Mr. Stehn went ahead and bought land on the Island of Pelee in autumn of 1979.

They were among the first if not the first to produce an Icewine in Ontario

Pelee Island Winery has over 550 acres of Vineyards and believes that to produce the best wines you also have to grow the best grapes. The Island provides a very unique microclimate and natural environment. Pelee Winery hired viticulturists Bruno Friesen, to maintain the natural balance of the island. Today Pelee Island Winery is located on the mainland having moved to Kingsville in 1982

The Pelee vineyards located on the Island comprise the largest private estate in Canada. It is the most Southern winery in Canada. They played a key role in the early development of Canada's icewines. A Pavilion was opened on the Island in 1991.

With heat units and frost free days unmatched anywhere else in Canada, the island is the natural destination for vinifera grape growing. Varietals grown on the island include:

White: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Vidal, Pinot Gris, Seyval Blanc

Red: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Baco Noir, Shiraz, Tempranillo, Chambercin, Gamay, Zweigelt,

Average crush: 250 tons per day
Maceration: 500 tons
Fermentation and storage capacity: 5 million Litres
Barrel aging: 500 plus- barriques (French, Hungarian and American
Oak cask capacity: 140 thousand Litres
Bottling: 2000 – 2500 cases per day

Our winemaking philosophy is to combine our extensive oenological and viticulture skills with our significant estate vineyards located in the most favoured climatic grape-growing region in Canada and to produce quality wines to reflect the appellation of Pelee Island .

Winemaster: Walter Schmoranz
Winemaker: Martin Janz. Assistant Winemaker: Tim Charisse

Distribution: Hong Kong United Kingdom , Scotland , England , Wales and Northern Ireland , Holland , Taiwan , Malaysia , Philippines , China and USA ( Vermont, Ohio and Michigan)

Quai Du Vin Estate Winery

45811 Fruit Ridge Line RR #5
St.Thomas, ON N5P 3S9

Rob Quai and his wife Lisa operate this 20 acre winery in Elgin County 5 km from Lake Erie. The location doesn't quite fit into the other wine regions however, in the mid 1970's Redi Quai planted a vineyard. His son Roberto and his wife, Lisa, opened the doors of the winery in 1990.

Quai du Vin produces over 90,000 bottles per year and celebrated its "Millionth Bottle" in July, 2002.

Their philosophy is to produce good quality wines at reasonable prices using simple winemaking techniques.
They work hard doing it themselves. They also produce wine jellies.

Winemaker: Jamie Quai
Philosophy: I want to craft wines that people enjoy drinking, within the boundaries of the Ontario wine industry, and within the breadth of my own philosophies on what makes a great wine.

My own philosophy on winemaking stems from a belief that wines should play a supporting role in the experiences of your life: they should compliment your favourite meals, they should help bring friends together, and a great wine accentuates that romantic evening you've been planning!

 

Sanson Estate Winery

The winery is owned by professional chef Dennis Sanson and his partner Maureen Jacks. The winery opened in 2002 with three hectares primarily growing Vidal and Baco Noir

Signature wine is Baco Noir. – Dennis Sanson has made a career of it. Sanson came out of the gates when the winery opened about 15 years ago with award-winning Baco in the first year of operations and continues to be a master at turning this lowly hybrid into a wine to enjoy with anything from burgers and simple pastas in red sauce to steaks, prime rib or even rack of lamb.

Winemaker: Dennis Sanson
Philosophy: Wine grown “gently in our backyard to be enjoyed in yours”

The dream of Gord Mitchell (President), his wife Hannah (CFO ) came true as they opened the doors to their winery in December 2006. They originally purchased the land in 1975 taking five years to make it vineyard ready. The vineyards were planted in 1991, the first 3 acres by hand. The grapes were sold to Colio and Pelee Island for years. As Gord and Hannah worked on building the winery daughter Tanya began training as a winemaker working in France, Australia and the Niagara region. In 2003 they started building the winery. Gord, a retired Daimler Chrysler plant manager, designed, and framed most of the buildings. Today a magnificent two story structure overlooks a 35 acre vineyard and Lake Erie.

This is a true family affair with sons  Stephen (Sales) and Jake (Media), daughters Marlaina (Finance) and Tanya (Winemaker). Family members use their background experience and education to contribute to the success of the winery.

Signature wines : Merlot and Cab Sauvignon

Winemaker: Tanya Mitchell
Philosophy: To produce a range of premium and ultra premium wines appealing to a wide consumer group

The work of producing fine quality wines began in the 2000 under co-owners and brothers Stephen and John Fancsy; the first vintage was in 2001. Viewpointe Estate Winery is made up of three parcels of land that produce a variety of vines, each influenced by the nature of its geography. When mature, the combined 42 acres produce 12,000 to 14,000 cases. At capacity, the production will be 25,000 cases. The location has conditions favourable to high quality wine grape production (soil and climate) as well as a breathtaking vista situated within a well recognized viticultural area. The winery provides a breath taking view of the lake and comprises a culinary venue (instruction) and rental hall.

Wine and Liesure.com wrote The winery is one of the most significant facilities in North America and is beautiful to look at. Proprietor John Fancsy has crafted a location, winery facility and wines that are second to none

Winemaker:John Fancsy.
Winemaking Philosophy: To express the best features of our fruit from each of our three vineyards

Wine style:
Red: Dry Bordeaux stylingWhite: Fresh and fruity some early to market, others with a minimum of 4 years to release and a few in between

 

Vivace Estate Winery stands at the western gateway to Southwestern Ontario’s premier wine country in the historic town of Amherstburg, Ontario. The name Vivace (pronounced vee vah chay) comes from music term, meaning “lively,” is an indication to play in a very quick, upbeat tempo. Vivace Estate Winery, owned by the husband and wife duo of Jean Qian and Max Wu. They purchased the former d'angelo winery.

The winery has 12 acres of vineyards and growing the following grapes: Marechal Foch, Vidal, Chardonnay, Baco Noir, Merlot, Marquette, Cabernet Sauvignon . They make a port style wine and a fortified Ice wine blend, we also plan on producing a new Ice wine 2021-22. 

Future Plans?
We are currently undergoing many renovations, we are hoping to have two new tasting rooms, and a fully functional kitchen for this upcoming summer depending on new construction  regulations set in place by the Ontario government.

 

Winemaker: Jean Qian
Winemaking Philosophy: Hand crafted small batches let us explore the possibilities and perfect each wine that we produce.

Wagner Orchards and Estate Winery began with the first planting of apple trees in 1986. Beginning as a small "pick-your-own" farm, it has expanded to become a family agricultural destination. The proprietors of Wagner Orchards are Harold and Janice Wagner. Harold is a 1981 graduate of the University of Guelph with a degree in agriculture and Janice is a veterinarian (OVC 1984) and owner of the Essex Animal Hospital. Harold and Janice, along with their children, Matt, Melissa and Katrina operate the farm.

They are located north of Lake Erie shore close to Lake St Clair.

Log House Red - Their first red wine, Log House Red is a smooth blend of Gamay and Zweigelt Grapes. They produce white and blush wines along with 4 fruit dessert wines They also produce a hard cider