Looking out of the car window on an early
overcast summer morning, all that is visible is an endless mass of greenery and earth, an aggressive shock
to veteran urban eyes. Quiet, almost ominous, there is not much to see nor hear, but the richness of
colour that makes up the only surroundings almost begs to differ, enticing me to explore
further.
A drive along the Niagara
Peninsula in late August is capable of creating a desolate yet calming aura. Aside from the residual echo of
bird bangers and the rustling of various feathered flyers, there is not much that disturbs a visitor in
Ontario’s Niagara region.
With nothing but vineyards
and winding roads for miles, solitude is, ironically, your only companion. But to tour even a handful of the
region’s more than 80 vineyards will uncover the very opposite; a togetherness of families from lengthy
lineages following traditions of collective dedication to the earth and vine will greet you at every
stop.
With soil that is rich in
limestone, it’s easy to understand why many of these vineyards were once farms — many of which are still in
existence — while others have been converted into “multi-purpose” wineries, so to
speak.
Making my way into
Beamsville, a community in the town of Lincoln located between Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, I
stop off at Nicolette Novak’s own multi-purpose Good Earth Food and Wine Co. After deciding to take on
her father’s peach farm, Novak opened her own cooking school on the premises, the entirety of which has
now become quite multi-faceted: A farm, a cooking school, a garden, a vineyard and an orchard are what
make up this “food-first winery.” Touring the school’s quaint, pesticide-free garden, accompanied by the
winery’s food alchemist Patrick Engel, turns into a pick- and-eat tour: Mouse melons, sweet pea tomatoes and
nasturtiums (edible flowers), to name a few, are all on the menu.
Good Earth’s reputation in
wine country is one of duality; in addition to hand-pruning their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and
Riesling vines, this winery is equally invested in producing fresh, “farm-to-table” complementary dishes.
It’s no wonder they even altered “locus delicti,” Italian for “scene of the crime,” to create their own
motto, “Locus Delecti.”
Criminology aside, wine
country lends itself to another area of study — biodynamic methodology. Entering the lower region of the
Niagara Escarpment I stop off at the highly accredited, technologically advanced and environmentally
conscious Tawse Winery.
As I walk through the vast
vineyard with winery manager Brad Gowland, past the winery’s resident lambs — used to graze the bottom of the
vines to expose the grapes to more sunlight— I learn that Tawse uses natural gravity and geothermic energy to
produce its wines, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both of which the winery is widely known for.
Lending from the principles of Rudolph Steiner, Tawse believes in using as much as possible from the land in
the most harmonious of fashions, without interrupting any natural processes. This belief stems from Steiner’s
practice of using the moon cycle and the earth to help with the development of
farming.
During my walk I literally
stumble upon one method for maintaining the health of the winery’s biodynamic vineyards — rose bushes. Highly
susceptible to mould and mildew, rose bushes serve as an excellent indicator of the health of grape vines.
Because Tawse uses a combination of stinging nettle and willow (natural substances) to spray the vines
instead of chemical-ridden pesticides, I am able to pick grapes — though not fully ripe — right off the vines
for a snack while we walk.
I soon come to learn that
Steiner’s influence is quite widespread throughout Niagara, extending to Niagara-on-the-Lake, where I visit
Southbrook Vineyards. Appearing almost like a modern art gallery, the streamlined, modern-design building
takes me off guard as I pull up characteristically long driveway to the winery. It is here that I learn much
more about Steiner and his respect for the land, a kind of respect that I am beginning to realize is a
significant component of the operation of many wineries in the Niagara region.
It isn’t long after my
arrival that I am greeted by Southbrook’s Bill Redelmeier. “Plants are better when they have to search for
food in the ground,” he soon explains, then delves right into Steiner’s philosophy — Southbrook’s underlying
foundation — which, luckily, I just learned at Tawse. “What you drink when you drink our wine,” Redelmeier
shares, “is the rain, the soil and the winemaker’s art.”
In addition to their wine,
which is made by following the principles of organic agriculture and consists of six “families” including
Chardonnays, Cabernet Francs, Sauvignons and Merlots, even the modernly constructed winery itself harks
back to Steiner’s respect for the earth. Designed by Toronto-based architecture firm Diamond and Schmitt, the
winery was constructed with a floating roof, with the intention it would appear to be floating gently on the
land, not aggressively and disrespectfully penetrating the earth. LEED Gold-certified, the winery is green
throughout. From its wetland treatment system, to the white reflective PVC roof, to the bicycle racks
outside, it is easy to see how the building itself renders this winery unique.
Before it is my time to
depart wine country, I have one last stop. Obscured from the main road I am travelling and up a winding
path, tucked in behind forestry, stands Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery. Located within the Beamsville
Bench VQA sub-appellation and literally hidden from road view, Hidden Bench artisanal winery consists of
three vineyards: Locust Lane, Felseck and Rosomel. Rosomel, the oldest, is over 30 years old and home to some
the oldest vines in Niagara. Hidden Bench vineyards are composed of 53 per cent Pinot Noir, 26 per cent
Chardonnay, and eight per cent Riesling, and the winery uses only French oak barrels to ferment their wines,
save for the few stainless steel barrels used for smaller amounts of wine
fermenting.
In addition, as is
becoming the common denominator among Niagara wineries, Hidden Bench’s winery uses geothermal energy for
heating and cooling, rendering their practice highly sustainable.
After leaving the
farmhouse on Locust Lane, which was built in 1860 and is now used for wine sales and tastings, I head with
Hidden Bench’s Meg McGrath to explore the vineyards where I am introduced to the “girls” — the vineyard’s
resident chickens.
Not only useful for fresh
eggs, McGrath explains that chickens are chiefly used at Hidden Bench to break up the soil and dirt, as the
structure of their feet — much like the hooves of horses — is crucial for enriching the vineyard’s soil. In
addition, with the chickens eating insects and naturally fertilizing the soil, the need for pesticides —
which Hidden Bench doesn’t use — becomes further eradicated.
The time has now come to
depart wine country. There is something to miss about this place, chiefly its wine, but also its tranquility.
The wine is one aspect, and a key aspect at that, but the tranquil space, the peaceful partnership between
human and land that exists here, is not something you find in the bustling city. As I leave, I am left with a
more acute awareness of my natural surroundings, of the earth that I coexist with. If touring Niagara taught
me anything — aside from the difference between an oaked and unoaked Chardonnay — it reconfirmed a very real
relationship between myself and my natural roots. Wine making is a flavourful, creative and artistic
expression of that relationship, and even though I depart with my vitis vinifera fill, I leave thirsty for
the earth.
Recommended
Wineries
ROSEWOOD ESTATES
WINERY & MEADERY
Beamsville
Beekeepers for
over 70 years, the Romans are the sole producers of honey wine in Niagara with 15 acres of planted vineyard.
» rosewoodwine.com
FIELDING
ESTATE WINERY
Beamsville
Fielding Estate
Winery offers a unique Ontario cottage country feel with their cedar, stone and glass “wine lodge.”
» fieldingwines.com
CAVE SPRING
CELLARS
Jordan
Housed in a historic
building circa 1871, Cave Spring is home to the province’s oldest functioning wine cellars
» cavespringcellars.com
VINELAND
ESTATES WINERY
Vineland
Vineland Estates
was founded by German Herman Weis. He planted vinifera vines as well as a Riesling vine still
used.» vineland.com
COLANERI
ESTATE WINERY
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Colaneri Estate
Winery is run by the sons and families of Joseph Colaneri and his wife, Maria, who came from Italy in 1967.
» colaneriwines.com
PILLITTERI
ESTATES WINERY
Niagara-on-the-Lake
The world’s
largest estate producer of icewine, Pillitteri makes 14 different styles. » pillitteri.com •
Photos by Adeela
Ahmad
