January 22 - Vintages

Creekside
Estate
L A K E O N T A R I O
Henry of
Pelham
P O R T
W E L L E R
S T. C A T H A R I N E S
T H O R O L D
N I A G A R A - O N - T H E - L A K E
Jackson-Triggs
Ontario’s
Niagara Peninsula
28 VINTAGES
S T. D A V I D S
N I A G A R A
F A L L S
N I A G A R A
R I V E R
Climate control
From the earliest days of Ontario’s wine renaissance, Riesling was
pegged as a natural in Niagara’s cool climate. In the 1970s, the
federal government even provided a grant to Hermann Weiss, to
plant the Weiss Riesling clone he’d developed in Mosel, Germany.
Weiss sculpted the land, planted the vineyard and built the winery
that became Vineland Estates. His assumptions about his version
of the variety were correct: it thrived in Niagara. Riesling ripens late,
so in all but the warmest years, Niagara’s climate accentuates its
brilliant acidity and piquant flavours. “2008 was a very good vintage
for Riesling,” says Jackson-Triggs winemaker Marco Piccoli. “Cooler
summer temperatures and cold nights during October created intense,
floral varietal aromas.”
Down to earth
Although other grapes, like Chardonnay, are very successful in
Niagara, Riesling’s purity of expression captures Niagara’s limestoneladen
soil perfectly, especially on “Bench” or Niagara Escarpment
sites. The limestone adds chalky, stony minerality to the brisk
acidity, creating some of the most vibrant, mouth-watering whites on
the planet. But as in Germany, different sites offer different nuances,
especially as vines mature. According to Matt Loney of Creekside
Estate Winery, the 35-year-old clay- and limestone-pebbled Butler’s
Grant Vineyard “creates a distinctive ginger note in Riesling. In the
Ontario’s cool climate is a natural fit for Riesling
grapes; breezes from Lake Ontario help make
the Niagara Peninsula a prime growing area.
LEFT: Henry of Pelham winemaker Ron Giesbrecht.
BELOW, RIGHT: Jackson-Triggs winemaker
Marco Piccoli. OPPOSITE, TOP RIGHT: The barrel
cellar at Henry of Pelham.