Recent economic analysis from Deloitte highlights the scale of this ecosystem, describing Canada’s wine sector as a “wine supercluster,” a collection of regional wine economies that collectively function as a powerful engine for national growth.

Today, that supercluster contributes $10.1 billion annually to Canada’s GDP and supports roughly 99,300 full-time equivalent jobs across the country. Yet the most important finding is not the industry’s current size. It is the scale of the opportunity still ahead.

A supercluster built around place

Wine production differs from many other industries because it is deeply tied to geography. Vineyards require years to establish, decades to mature and generations of stewardship to thrive. Once vines are planted, they anchor investment, employment and economic activity in the communities around them.

For this reason, wine regions tend to evolve into clustered economies where interconnected businesses grow together. Vineyards supply wineries. Wineries attract visitors. Visitors create demand for restaurants, hotels, events and local food producers. Transportation services, educational institutions and cultural organizations then expand to support the growing destination economy.

Across Canada, these clusters have emerged in regions such as British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula, Quebec’s Eastern Townships and Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. Together they form an ecosystem that spans grape growing, wine production, distribution, tourism, hospitality and cultural programming.

The economic effects extend well beyond wineries themselves. Of the $10.1 billion in annual GDP contribution, approximately $3.2 billion comes directly from wine production, while the remaining $6.9 billion flows through interconnected sectors such as tourism, hospitality and transportation. In other words, the wine economy is not just an agricultural sector – it is a regional development platform.

The market share opportunity

Despite its economic impact, Canadian wine still accounts for a relatively small share of domestic wine consumption. Canadian wines account for about 28.8 per cent of domestic wine sales. By comparison, wine-producing countries such as France and Italy see domestic products dominate their markets. In France, roughly 83 per cent of wine consumed is produced locally.

Economic modelling suggests that increasing Canadian wine’s domestic market share could significantly expand the industry’s overall impact. If Canadian wines reached 51 per cent domestic market share over the next 15 years, Deloitte estimates that the industry’s total economic contribution could grow from $10.1 billion to $13.7 billion annually.

This growth would not be confined to wineries. Since wine operates within an interconnected cluster, each additional bottle of Canadian wine sold generates ripple effects across the broader economy. A single 750-millilitre bottle of 100 per cent Canadian wine generates an estimated $88.50 in economic activity when accounting for supply chains, tourism, hospitality and related services. Domestic market share growth, therefore, represents more than an industry goal; it represents a regional economic development strategy.

Strengthening the value chain

Wine production sits at the centre of a layered value chain that stretches from agriculture to tourism. At the beginning of the chain are vineyards, which require land preparation, irrigation systems, agricultural labour and specialized equipment. Grape harvests feed wineries, where fermentation, aging, bottling and packaging create additional manufacturing activity.

Beyond the winery gates, distribution networks, logistics providers, marketing firms and retail channels bring products to consumers. At the same time, wineries act as powerful tourism anchors. Visitors drawn to wine regions spend on accommodations, dining, cultural attractions and local experiences.

Economic modelling shows that more than 77,000 jobs are supported annually in wine-related industries, including food services, accommodation, recreation and transportation. In practical terms, a greater domestic market share would likely drive:

• Expansion of vineyard acreage
• Increased demand for Canadian-grown grapes
• Investment in winery infrastructure and equipment
• Growth in hospitality and tourism services
• Expanded distribution and logistics networks

These ripple effects reinforce both agricultural supply chains and service-sector economies.

Wine tourism and destination development

Wine regions have also become some of Canada’s most dynamic tourism destinations. Visitors are drawn not only by vineyards, but by the broader experiences that wine regions offer, such as culinary tourism, farm-to-table dining, cultural festivals, outdoor recreation and scenic landscapes.

Before the pandemic, Ontario wineries welcomed approximately 2.7 million visitors annually, generating significant economic activity across hotels, restaurants, transportation services and local retail. Globally, leading wine regions have embraced this connection between wine production and tourism. Governments in France, Spain and other major wine-producing countries have developed long-term strategies that integrate wine, gastronomy, culture and travel into co-ordinated destination economies. These approaches recognize that wine regions function as economic ecosystems, where agriculture, tourism and cultural identity reinforce one another.

Canada’s wine regions already display many of these characteristics. The opportunity lies in strengthening them further.

Building competitive foundations

While Canada’s wine industry has grown steadily over the past two decades, structural challenges remain. Deloitte’s analysis notes that Canadian producers operate within a complex policy environment that includes relatively high effective tax rates and regulatory fragmentation across provinces.

By contrast, many leading wine jurisdictions pair strong domestic markets with supportive frameworks designed to encourage long-term investment. These often include capital investment programs, market development strategies and policies that reduce internal trade barriers.

Such frameworks help wineries invest confidently in vineyards, facilities and tourism infrastructure; investments that can take decades to fully mature.

A long-term growth story

One of the most striking realities of wine production is how limited suitable vineyard land is. Globally, only about one per cent of the world’s arable land is suitable for wine grapes. Planting vineyards, therefore, represents a generational commitment. The investments made today in land, vines, infrastructure and brand development shape regional economies for decades.

Canada’s wine supercluster already supports nearly 100,000 jobs and more than $10 billion in economic output each year. If domestic market share expands significantly, that economic footprint could grow substantially, bringing benefits that extend well beyond wineries themselves. Those gains would appear in stronger rural employment, expanded hospitality and culinary businesses, deeper supply chains and more vibrant tourism destinations.

Seen through this lens, wine country is more than a lifestyle destination. It is a form of economic infrastructure, a rooted, place-based industry capable of driving regional growth for generations. As Canada’s wine regions continue to mature, the opportunity ahead may be just as important as the success already achieved.

This year’s distinguished award winners are:

• Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction – The Founders of Inniskillin
• Canadian Wine Industry Champion Award – Richard Linley
• The Karl Kaiser Canadian Winemaker Award – Thomas Bachelder

The joint winners of the Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction – regarded as one of the highest forms of peer recognition in the Canadian wine industry – are the founders of Inniskillin: Donald Ziraldo, Karl Kaiser, Gerald Klose and Debi Pratt.

Founded 50 years ago, in July 1975, Inniskillin made history as the first winery in Canada to be granted a winery license since Prohibition. Ziraldo and Kaiser planned and planted the winery’s first vinifera vineyard in 1974, at a time when Canadian wine production was limited to labrusca grapes. Pratt and Klose then joined them, respectively playing pivotal roles in marketing and sales, and in viticulture.

“The complementary skills and knowledge of these four visionaries laid the groundwork for what would become an industry-defining winery, which went on to gain international recognition,” said Dan Paszkowski, president and CEO of Wine Growers Canada. “Winning the prestigious Grand Prix d’Honneur at VinExpo in Bordeaux, France, marked a significant turning point for the industry, showcasing the world-class potential of Canadian winemaking.”

The Wine Industry Champion Award is presented to an individual who has provided exemplary support to the Canadian wine industry through media, research, policy, education or advocacy. The recipient of the 2025 Wine Industry Champion Award was Richard Linley. “[Linley] led industry association Ontario Craft Wineries for 10 years, contributing hugely to the success of Ontario wineries over that period,” said Paszkowski.

The Karl Kaiser Canadian Winemaker Award celebrates greatly talented Canadian winemakers, in honour of the legacy of the late Karl Kaiser, a Canadian wine industry pioneer and viticultural visionary. The recipient of this year’s award was Thomas Bachelder, an internationally recognized Canadian winemaker and the founding winemaker of Le Clos Jordanne.

“[Bachelder’s] exceptional experience and genius in the production of cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay has truly put him on the global winemaking map,” said Paszkowski. “Not only do his wines excel, but further, he is genuinely invested in equipping and mentoring the next generation of winemakers, having been instrumental in the establishment of Ontario’s International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) and always making time for fellow winemakers.”

To learn more about the Canadian Wine Industry Awards, visit winegrowerscanada.ca/canadian-wine-industry-awards/.

The sisters fell in love with Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., during their many visits as children with their family. “Given our European background – we’re Italian – we really connected with [Niagara-on-the-Lake],” said Angela. “We really love wine and food. Some of our most memorable moments with our family are being at a great restaurant, ordering a special bottle and enjoying a really good meal. I think we always knew that at some point in our lives, we’d be doing something related to wine, food and hospitality.”

In 2006, the sisters – who are only 19 months apart in age – heard about a peach orchard for sale next to the renowned Peller Estates winery. At the time, Angela was working in real estate and Melissa was an interior designer, but they knew the opportunity had arrived to create something new.

A year later, the first vines were planted. In 2010, just three years later, the first vintage was produced, focusing on Bordeaux varietals including Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. A few years after that, in 2014, Two Sisters Vineyards opened its doors.

Over the years, they gained land; they now farm more than 130 acres of vines in and around the Niagara-on-the-Lake region. They have also planted more varieties. In addition to the Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, they now grow Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. They make roughly 20 wines, including a Riesling icewine, a Cabernet Sauvignon icewine and four sparkling wines.

One especially popular offering is the Blanc de Franc, a traditional method sparkling wine made with 100 per cent Cabernet Franc, a red wine grape. Gentle pressing, however, leaves the wine with only the faintest trace of colour, and it then undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, aging for more than two years on lees.

Another customer favourite is the Eleventh Post, which they first made in 2011, a proprietary blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. And they harvest select lots specifically for making their popular Margo Rosé.

Wines are currently only for sale at the winery and online at twosistersvineyards.com, through their wine club, and from select LCBO locations and restaurants throughout Ontario, including Toronto. However, as Two Sisters Vineyards celebrate more than a decade in business, the sisters are looking to expand sales beyond Ontario and into other provinces. “There are a lot of regulatory restrictions in Canada,” said Angela. “But change is coming and I’m looking forward to it.”

Angela and Melissa work together as the winery’s co-proprietors, overseeing planning, product development and customer service. Angela ensures their standards are always met in the vineyard and in the production facility, while Melissa focuses on staff training and direct marketing initiatives for consumers, as well as product design, messaging, packaging, events and winery and culinary experiences. The winery’s on-site restaurant, Kitchen76, offers an Italian-influenced menu focused on the best regional ingredients.

“Guided by our belief that food and wine are inseparable, we envisioned a dining experience that would perfectly complement the Two Sisters Vineyards wine experience,” said Melissa. “Kitchen76 is built on a foundation of excellence in customer service, knowledgeable staff and a commitment to using the freshest local produce and highly respected purveyors.”

This year, Angela and Melissa are also opening Stone Eagle Winery, an estate set on a beautiful 30-acre plot of land. The new property’s vineyards – including some hand-harvested blocks – span across Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the new space features two underground cellar floors as well as dining experiences and a space for special events.

It’s hard to be high-volume and then scale to something premium. Just start with premium.

Angela Marotta

The Stone Eagle wines were originally sold as an ultra-premium wine line under the Two Sisters Vineyards umbrella, but the line will now become its own entity. All production for both wineries, however, will be done at the Stone Eagle property. Like many fine wineries, the winemaking process begins in the vineyard, where the team focuses on minimal-intervention practices that allow the unique terroir of the Niagara River sub-appellation to shine through.

“When possible, our many vineyard blocks are vinified separately to ensure we capture the difference in each unique block, and so we can continue to fine-tune and learn from each site,” said Adam Pearce, winemaker at Two Sisters Vineyards. “Our winemaking and vineyard teams work very closely together to create optimal growing conditions for our vines and we employ an array of sustainable vineyard management practices.”

The right equipment is important for the Two Sisters team, too. A Gregoire EcoProtect 3 row recycling sprayer allows them to recapture more than 30 per cent of spray drift in the vineyard, Pearce adds. “Our sprays are carefully selected to maintain the health of the vines while being mindful of sustainability,” he said. “Specific treatments vary each year as they are tailored to the changing weather conditions and natural needs of the vineyard.”

Later in the growing season, they use mechanical leaf removal around grape clusters to allow for sunlight exposure promoting ripening and flavour development.

“We recently purchased a Gregoire GL7 mechanical grape harvester, which allows for energy efficiency, minimized soil compaction and optimal harvest timing, allowing for harvest to happen when grapes are at their peak,” said Pearce, who is also a graduate of Niagara College’s Winery and Viticulture program. They use a Pellenc destemmer, while red fermentation takes place in LASI Mythos closed system fermenters. They have an extensive barrel aging program, too.

“We use an array of coopers of French and American oak barrels. These barrels impart distinct flavours and textures to the wines, contributing to the complexity and character of the final product,” said Pearce. “We are always trialling new products and equipment, looking for more sustainable and efficient farming practices and ways to reduce environmental impact.”

Indeed, taking care of the land for future generations is important for the team. The winery is certified sustainable by Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario, a program that focuses on three key pillars – the environment, economy and community – and helps to safeguard the province’s vineyards for future generations.

Giving back to the community is also a big part of the winery’s operations. The Marotta family pledged $10 million to help build the South Niagara Hospital, the largest financial gift in the Niagara Health Foundation’s history. They made a $15 million donation to St. Catharine’s Hospital (now the Niagara Health Marotta Family Hospital) in 2024, and in 2018, they donated $1 million to Niagara College for its innovation centre, now named the Marotta Family Innovation Centre. Gillian’s Place, an organization that seeks to end gender-based violence in Niagara, received a $1.5 million donation from the family in 2023 for the creation of the Marotta Family Centre for Violence Prevention and Outreach Support.

“We have poured our hearts into supporting the community that has supported us,” said Melissa. “We also keep our internal community strong at the winery, by promoting from within to encourage growth and staff retention.”

They are also proud members of Wine Growers Canada. “Their dedicated work with the government plays a crucial role in supporting the wine industry nationwide,” said Melissa. “Their efforts, especially in lobbying for interprovincial trade, help break down barriers, ensuring greater access and growth opportunities for Canadian wineries like ours.”

The sisters’ diverse backgrounds gave them good experience dealing with the public, plus sound financial sense and backing. However, the first few years weren’t without their challenges. “[We experienced] so many [challenges] – just finding our rhythm, testing experiences, figuring out what worked and what didn’t,” Angela said. “We had to learn where one door closes, another really does open. But you have to be aware of all the opportunities around you to make that happen.”

Nor is it easy, of course, to run a family business. The sisters keep things separate as much as possible between work and family. “Melissa has four kids, and I have three,” said Angela. “We have very busy lives, so we try to give each other a lot of space outside of work.” But they also communicate – a lot.

“We really make an effort to listen to each other. We listen, we talk things through and when there is a disagreement between us, we refer to our team and our lead staff to get their feedback,” said Angela. “They see things we don’t always see. It allows for a different perspective and helps make space for good opportunities.”

With more than a decade in the business, they have plenty of advice for those thinking of beginning something similar. “Start small and focus on quality, because quality is always appreciated and that gives you the longevity in this business,” Angela said. “It’s hard to be high-volume and then scale to something premium. Just start with premium.”

Listen to all customer feedback and react quickly when changes need to be made, she adds. If a wine event doesn’t result in sales, for instance, something isn’t working. “Every year, we change things a little bit with our wine education programs and tours, just to be sure we aren’t stale,” Angela said. “We are constantly observing and listening to what people have to say.”

The sisters have no intention of stepping back from the winery any time soon, but they also realize that as a family-owned business, there needs to be a plan for future generations. With that in mind, their children are already involved in many aspects of the business, working at the winery every summer.

“We intend to stay family-owned for the second and third generation and beyond,” Angela said. “This is a long-term game.”

Then he was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at a promising plot of land – gravelly, sandy loam soils – in Ontario. The winery wasn’t yet formed. It didn’t even have a name. However, the land, a beautifully-situated property in the province’s famous Niagara Peninsula region, was excellent. If he accepted the partnership, Morissette would have full control over what he made and how he made it.

“The offer was very enticing, very interesting,” said Morissette. “As a winemaker, I could do whatever I wanted.”

That’s pretty much all it took to strike a deal, and the winery was born. Located in the heart of Ontario wine country, near Jordan Station on the Niagara Peninsula, Pearl Morissette opened its doors in 2007.

The winery boasts a cellar and production facilities, a bakehouse and a multiple-award-winning restaurant on site. Canada’s 100 Best named the restaurant in Canada’s 100 Best in 2023 and 2022, and in 2019, it was named Canada’s Best New Restaurant by enRoute magazine.

The wines are for sale in select markets across Canada, including Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and, further afield, in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and several U.S. states, including New York.

The idea behind Pearl Morissette started in the early 2000s, when news broke that globally-renowned, Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry would be designing a winery in Niagara. Anticipating the potential of being close to such a landmark, Toronto property developer Mel Pearl decided to buy the land next to the Gehry project.

The Gehry building fell through, but since he now owned a vineyard, Pearl decided to create his own winery. He began searching for a winemaker and Morissette’s name came up.

Born and raised in Quebec, Morissette headed to Europe when he was 19 and didn’t come back to Canada for five years. Backpacking his way across Europe, he picked olives, worked with donkeys and then fell into the wine industry in France, almost by accident, spending a year at Domaine Alain Gras in Saint-Romain, a commune in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune.

Wine quickly became his passion. He returned to Canada and studied at École Hôtelière des Laurentides in Saint-Adèle, north of Montreal. He became a sommelier and worked at Laloux in Montreal and at Langdon Hall in Ontario.

However, the call of the vineyard was still strong, and in 2000, he moved back to France, working for top producers in the Cote d’Or including Frédéric Mugnier at Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier in Chambolle-Musigny, Christian Gouges of Domaine Henri Gouges in Nuits-Saint-Georges and Domaine Roulot in Meursault.

When Pearl approached him to talk about moving back to Canada, Morissette wasn’t convinced. At least, at first. “I was working with some of the world’s greatest red wine-producing soils,” he said. “And it’s very romantic, being in Burgundy.” However, he said, “There are also a lot of rules in Burgundy, a lot of hierarchy, a lot of limits.”

Ontario may have rules, but they aren’t quite as restrictive. A deal was made, and the winery’s name became a combination of their last names: Pearl and Morissette. There are about eight full-time staff on the winery team and about 60 staff in total, including seasonal workers.

“All winemaking comes from peasantry, and to be a peasant is to be in touch with what’s around you, to be as close as possible to the grapes in the field. Our wines are different because every single one carries this liveliness, this spirit. That is why we drink wine, right? Otherwise, we’d just drink grape juice.”

Francois Morissette, Pearl Morissette

With roughly 40 hectares of land, Pearl Morissette grows a variety of organic grapes, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Riesling and Cabernet Franc.

They make both single varietal wines and blends. The 2020 Furie, for instance, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, fermented with indigenous yeast in large concrete tanks and oak vats, then bottled unfiltered and unfined. The 2020 Irreverence is a white blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir and Riesling. The team’s first Meritage, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, harvested in 2019, is available now.

From the get-go, Morissette’s vision has been about following ancient winemaking techniques and sustainable practices.

“All winemaking comes from peasantry, and to be a peasant is to be in touch with what’s around you, to be as close as possible to the grapes in the field,” he said. “Our wines are different because every single one carries this liveliness, this spirit. That is why we drink wine, right? Otherwise, we’d just drink grape juice.”

While he believes in minimal intervention, he has limits. “It still takes some intervention to make good wine. If you leave it entirely on its own, you’re going to make vinegar,” he said. “You do need to understand how microbial life works and to be observant to what’s around you.”

One of the first vignerons in North America to use concrete eggs for fermentation, he also uses Qvevri, terracotta clay vessels first used in the Republic of Georgia thousands of years ago. Morissette has co-fermented Gewurztraminer and Riesling in Qvevri for six months, with excellent results.

Morissette has a collection of 30-some old foudres from Alsace; massive wooden vats that hold thousands of litres, some of which are as many as 80 years old. “They are like casseroles. If you cook the exact same food in different pots and pans, you’ll have slightly different results, but they aren’t going to make the food,” he said.

That’s what it’s like using the foudres. They are too old to impart much, if any, oak, into the wines anymore, but they are an important tool for what Morissette wants to achieve. “They don’t make the wine,” he said. “But they help me focus my vision.”

Within the first vintage, the team had the attention of sommeliers, media and wine lovers across Canada for their complex and unusual wines.

“His wines are both idiosyncratic and remarkable,” wrote wine critic Eric Asimov in The New York Times in 2018. “His Chardonnays tend to be rich rather than lean, while the Cabernet Francs are pure, structured and lovely. His Rieslings are bone dry and age-worthy.”

All praise aside, Morissette is quick to clarify that he doesn’t have a favourite blend or varietal. “I always compare it to my kids. What kid do I prefer? I can’t say,” he said. “But some of the vintages I am most proud of are the ones that are most difficult to make.”

Take 2021, for instance. The extremely challenging vintage was marked by a harsher-than-usual winter, even by Canadian standards, with atypical temperature swings, heavy rain and unseasonable heat.

In response, the Pearl Morissette 2021 Chamboule Pinot Noir was fermented whole cluster in concrete and foudre, and the Oxyde Riesling entered the press as whole bunches. Relying on indigenous yeast, it fermented in concrete and foudres without temperature control or sulpher, and was then bottled unfiltered and unfined.

“I stuck to my narrative: very low intervention, only sulphur, and as little as possible,” Morissette said. “I was taking a huge amount of risk. It felt like I had a gun to my head, but it worked out.

“They maybe aren’t the most complex and ageable wines, but they took everything out of me. I discovered abilities I didn’t know I had, and I was lucky: It worked out.”

Initially established in 1972 by Otto Rieder, the distillery was later acquired by John Hall in 1992. That same year, Hall re-opened the facility as a combined winery and distillery called Forty Creek, with the first Forty Creek whiskies hitting the market in the year 2000. In 2012, the winery was divested, and the focus turned to whisky.

Bill Ashburn, Forty Creek’s master blender, has been a part of the brand’s journey since 1987. Prior to Forty Creek, Ashburn had gained extensive experience in aged products, blending and product development while seconding the winemakers at an Ontario winery. He made the transition to distilling, pursuing his lifelong passion for distilled spirits.

Ashburn had the opportunity to learn the spirits blending process from start to finish under the guiding hand of a knowledgeable German master distiller. Six months into distilling, he had an “Aha!” moment – he was given the chance to run the stills on his own on the overnight shift and immediately felt a connection to the work.

He is passionate about uncovering new flavours and creating taste experiences that push the standards of Canadian whiskies to new heights. Each whisky Forty Creek offers is artfully crafted to the perfect blend. From carefully blending different batches to match each whisky’s classic flavour profile to creating an altogether new expression, Ashburn maintains the standard for these unique processes which set Forty Creek apart in the market.

When asked what his favourite product to enjoy is, Ashburn shared that his go-to is always Forty Creek poured over a single cube of ice. However, he also divulged he is known to enjoy a little bit of Forty Creek Original Cream in his hot chocolate or the Forty Creek Barrel Select with lemonade.

Using both traditional pot and column stills in the production of their spirits, one of Forty Creek’s key pieces of equipment is the oak barrels for their maturation program. Forty Creek specifically is a barrel-to-blend whisky. This means they focus on the innovative use of wood and artful blending to create a smooth flavour.

Typically, the distillation process is a single or double pass. The process begins with blending different batches of whisky from separate barrels into one product. Using mostly American White Oak, the barrels are a mix of new and seasoned ex-bourbon barrels mostly from Wild Turkey, Forty Creek’s sister company in Kentucky. They also have a limited number of Canadian Oak Barrels that are used specifically for Forty Creek’s Confederation Oak Reserve that were sourced from the Canadian Oak Barrel Company.

Each batch is carefully tasted and compared to ensure the whisky strikes the perfect balance of flavours and aromas before it is bottled. Whiskies can take years or even decades to mature. Each September, Forty Creek announces a special release.

No stranger to the podium, Forty Creek is a well-awarded brand, receiving a Gold Medal at the 2024 Canadian Whisky Awards for Forty Creek Barrel Select, and a Gold Medal from the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for Forty Creek Cherrywood Reserve.

The Gold Medal from the 2023 Global Masters Awards for Forty Creek Barrel Select is the award Ashburn is most proud of because a product that has been in the market for over 23 years and continues to win gold medals at international competitions is quite the feat. Another noteworthy product line is the Forty Creek Creams, with all three products, Original Cream, Nanaimo Bar Cream and Butter Tart Cream, winning at the Canadian Whisky Awards for seven of the last eight years. Sold across Canada, Forty Creek can also be found on shelves in the U.S. and select Asian countries.

In 2014, Campari Canada acquired Forty Creek, quickly becoming one of its cornerstone brands. Other brands under Campari Canada include Appleton Estate Rum, Grand Marnier, Campari, Aperol and SKYY Vodka, to name a few.

Campari Canada’s leadership is comprised of senior industry management across marketing, sales, trade marketing, human resources, finance and supply chain management. Campari Canada continues to evolve their product portfolio while ensuring that the existing product range remains consistent for their customers.

“In our forests, we nurture nature,” said Bruno Alexander Gantenbrink, owner of Auric Barrels, a company that balances its barrel-making operations with preserving the forest. “We only take what the forest naturally gives us.” 

For Auric Barrels, having patience for natural processes and prioritizing natural habitats is essential to their business operations. “Proof of this is a very healthy forest,” said Gantenbrink. “It’s full of a growing number of very large animals such as deer, wild boar, turkeys and partridges, wolves, foxes and plants that can no longer be found in other European forests.”

Auric Barrels has also positively impacted the local community, in addition to the environment. “It has been a positive example of good practices and co-operation through the provision of scholarships to students who want to learn a skilled trade in barrel cooperage,” said Gantenbrink.

While Auric Barrels can trace the use of Slavonian oak in architecture back centuries, its use for barrel-making began in the late-18th century. The Auric Group of Companies purchased the forest in 2011 and employed coopers from Đurdenovac, a municipality in Croatia, to create Slavonia Cooperage – now Auric Barrels – a few years later.

“About 50 per cent of the Republic of Croatia is a forest and the state owns almost 80 per cent of it,” said Gantenbrink. “So, this fact brings awareness to natural resource conservation. I should also note that the Republic of Croatia is the first country in the region to receive the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificate precisely because of their impressive sustainable forest management.”

The Auric Barrels’ forests are also FSC-certified. “We respect all the rules of forest management,” said Gantenbrink. “Our goal is to increase the percentage of forest quality areas through natural cultivation. The Auric Group of Companies is dedicated exclusively to the process of natural rejuvenation of our forest as a basic requirement to our sustainability and principles.”

Auric Barrels harvests it’s logs from over 15,000 hectares of the Auric Group of Companies’ privately-owned forests, including the Našice lowlands, Papuk mountain slopes and the Krndija Mountain Peaks. “All three areas are within a 50-kilometre radius of the cooperage, which helps lower our carbon footprint,” said Gantenbrink. “It also ensures a higher quality of product because it makes it easier to trace each log back to the Slavonian forest.” 

In our forests, we nurture nature. We only take what the forest naturally gives us.

Bruno Alexander Gantenbrink, Auric Barrels

However, not all logs from the Slavonian forest will produce the same results. “We divide our barrels into categories based on grain density that is influenced by the growth rate of trees,” Gantenbrink said. “The faster the tree grows, the lower density you will have.”

Grain density refers to the annual growth rings that become denser in wood from slow-growing trees and wider from fast-growing trees. “Trees that grow in the lowlands have a more fertile environment and grow much faster than trees on depleted soil or from more steep soil,” Gantenbrink said.

He says pedunculate oak grown in the lowlands produces a slightly lower grain density and sessile oak near the hilly, sunlit slopes produces a very high grain density. “We handpick the oak timber used for our barrels, so we’re quite familiar with their micro-climates,” he said. Auric Barrels offers four barrel types: standard, excellence, premium and premium plus. “The difference between each barrel type lies within the air drying process of the staves and where that narrow strip of wood came from,” said Gantenbrink.

According to Auric Barrels, regardless of the type of oak, the Slavonian micro-climate is one of the best regions in the world for growing oak suitable for producing wine barrels.

Papuk, the highest Slavonian peak, produces a high-quality sessile oak while Krndija, another mountain to the east, yields an exceptionally tight-grained sessile oak. The Našice lowlands, lying within the Pannonian Basin of the Drave River’s widest meander, bear a highly favourable area for pedunculate oak to mature.

Auric Barrels also toasts their barrels with barrel-specific terroir accents to flavour the wine. “Toasting is one of the most important factors in barrel-making,” said Gantenbrink. “More then 70 per cent of the flavour of the barrels comes from toasting.” He says it’s why special care is taken during this step of the production process.

“Each of our barrels has a specific toasting profile where you can measure the time and temperature that the barrel is being toasted for,” said Gantenbrink. “The whole process of toasting is computer automated, so it’s digitized for total control.” With this system, there is no chance of deviation from the default parameters. “Along with total traceability for each log, we can claim 100 per cent accuracy that guarantees our customers will have barrels with consistent characteristics on each order,” he said.

According to Gantenbrink, every temperature and duration of toasting forms different aromatic compounds in the wood. “Low toasting temperatures and shorter times yield just slight changes in primary oak compounds,” he said. “While the light toasted barrel is the most neutral barrel, allowing the primary varietal aromas of the wine to stand out more, the higher temperature and longer toasting time will start to form compounds like vanilla, sweetness, pepper, caramel, chocolate, coffee, brioche, and many other spices and aromas.”

Gantenbrink says not every toasting level will compliment every wine, though. “It’s similar to serving wine at the right temperature or decanting; choosing the right barrel and toasting level will compliment your wine and enhance its quality,” he said.

Auric Barrels extended its product to Canada in the last year. “We want to expand globally to every market where wine is produced,” said Gantenbrink. “Our authorized agent for Canada is Steve Kovacevic, who runs Wood Products of Croatia and supplies our Slavonian oak barrels. At the moment, we’re the biggest cooperage in Croatia who can supply the North American market with high-quality barrels made from 100 per cent Slavonian oak.”

So far, Auric Barrels has sold barrels to several wineries in the Niagara region of Ontario, along with many inquiries from neighbouring Prince Edward County and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

“Each winery needs six to 12 months or longer for testing the barrel to see what the impact will be on their wine,” said Gantenbrink. “So, 2023 is our first harvest in the Canadian market, and we need a bit more time to get first impressions from the winemakers who gave us a chance and put their wine in our barrels.”

Gantenbrink says Canadians can also look forward to new and innovative products from Auric Barrels. “We are developing one revolutionary product called Auric Infinity,” said Gantenbrink. “It will be a specially-made barrel that will let winemakers produce wine in wooden barrels in totally controlled conditions – no oxidation, evaporation or contamination.”

It’s a new approach in winemaking that allows the client to produce wine without preservatives or additives.  “We have begun test trials with Croatian wineries for the 2023 harvest and we plan to do the same with our foreign markets next season,” said Gantenbrink. “Hopefully, we will be able to present it to the Canadian market for the next harvest season as well.”

As a child, Tom Pennachetti never imagined that he would one day work at a winery – much less his family’s winery. “I worked in the vineyards growing up and I wasn’t so fond of it,” Tom said. “I wanted a job in the city. That was my big goal in high school.”

Tom’s brother, on the other hand, was interested in wine from a young age. As a child, Len Pennachetti worked alongside his grandfather Giuseppe Pennachetti, an Italian immigrant, helping him tend his vineyards and make wine every fall. As the family began to see the area’s winemaking potential, Len and Tom’s father, John Pennachetti Sr., invested in more land and, in 1978, planted some of the region’s first vinifera grapes.

In 1986, the family joined forces with their friend, Angelo Pavan, to create Cave Spring Vineyard. The property, now about 160 acres, is located on the Niagara Escarpment’s Beamsville Bench, in the heart of Ontario’s top winegrowing region.

Pavan became the winemaker, while Len handled the business side. Together, they oversaw the vineyards. John Sr., passed in 1985, just before the winery started, while mom, Dorothy, the family’s matriarch, played an instrumental role in the business until her death in 2011. Tom and Len’s brother, John Jr., has been a silent partner from the get-go and a key decision-maker at pivotal moments. Meanwhile, Tom followed in the footsteps of Len and Pavan, heading to graduate school to study philosophy.

Niagara’s complex soils, flora and fauna make ours one of the most biologically diverse wine regions in the world, enabling us to achieve full phenolic ripeness with moderate alcohol levels and brilliant acidity.

Tom Pennachetti, Cave Spring Vineyard

“When I came back from school, someone needed to market and sell the wines,” Tom said. “I had experience in the cellars and the vineyard, and we were making compelling wines, but someone had to convince people to buy them. So, I hit the road, getting listings in restaurants and LCBO stores. I quickly realized it was a natural fit for me. I found wine intellectually challenging, and communications and branding are in my DNA. Over the years, each of us found our niches within the company.”

These days, nearly 40 years later, Cave Spring Vineyard is one of Canada’s best-known and most celebrated wineries, with a global reputation for distinctive cool-climate wines, especially Rieslings.

“We aim to make authentic wines – meaning they reflect our terroir – maybe a little challenging in their uniqueness, and always delicious,” said Tom, now the winery’s senior vice-president. Others have recognized Cave Spring Vineyard’s authenticity. Accolades include being listed on Top 100 Wineries of 2018 by Wine & Spirits magazine and being nominated as New World Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine. The winery is a favourite of the Wine Spectator tasting team, too.

Housed in the former Jordan Winery, a historic estate with cellars dating back to 1871, Cave Spring gets its name from the land where the winery now sits, which early European settlers named after they found magnesium springs and limestone caves on the property.

Cave Spring Vineyard wines are for sale around the world, including 24 U.S. states, Japan, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. “We have always valued international distribution,” Tom said. “The wine market is global and enthusiasts everywhere are interested in tasting wine from emerging regions like the Niagara Peninsula.”

Eighty to 85 per cent of the grapes are estate-grown. The remainder come from the Andrewes Vineyard in nearby Lincoln Lakeshore, owned by Chris Andrewes, a grower whose Lincoln Lakeshore vineyards have been part of the winery’s stable of sites for three decades. “With the Lakeshore terroir, you get a little more plushness in the wines, compared to the mineral nature of the wines from the Beamsville Bench,” Tom said.

Nine different Rieslings make up 50 per cent of the winery’s production. Twenty per cent of their production involves other whites: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. Red wines – Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Gamay – make up the remaining 30 per cent. “Cabernet Franc is perfectly suited to our site and with the right vineyard work and cellar approach, we’re finding that it can age 15 to 20 years,” said Tom. “It has become our signature red grape.”

All wines are designated by variety and origin. The entry-level Regional Collection is made mostly with estate-grown grapes from vines that are 10 to 20 years old. The Dolomite Collection is named for the limestone that forms the Niagara Escarpment above the winery. The Estate Collection is produced from the top parcels (or crus) at the estate. The Proprietary Collection – including the legendary ‘CSV’ tier – is at the top of the portfolio, originating from the hearts, or micro-crus, of the best parcels.

The team at Cave Spring Vineyard practises what it calls “precision viticulture,” says Tom. “We farm every parcel for a specific wine,” he said. “We’re extracting every drop of terroir that we can, with the top wines made from the very finest slivers of vineyards on the estate.”

The first winery to be certified sustainable by Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario, Cave Spring Vineyard makes all of its wines using natural methods, with indigenous yeasts for all fermentations, minimal sulphur additions and neutral oak.

The team mixes many organic methods in the vineyards with practices that prevent rather than treat disease on the vine. “Niagara’s complex soils, flora and fauna make ours one of the most biologically diverse wine regions in the world, enabling us to achieve full phenolic ripeness with moderate alcohol levels and brilliant acidity,” said Tom. “We respect nature by being proactive and precise in our treatments. We don’t blanket an entire vineyard every time the spray cycle suggests intervention.

“It’s about achieving sound, ripe fruit in the vineyards with the greatest attention to detail and the least possible intervention; ditto in the cellars.”

Innovation is a big part of Cave Spring Vineyard’s philosophy. Winemaker and viticulturist Gabriel Demarco is even working with robotics these days. One application focuses UV light on specific, harmful weeds, burning them just enough to keep them at bay. Tom says this use of technology in the vineyard is all about bringing more sustainable, low-carbon solutions to vineyard management.

“I can see a time, maybe 10 years down the road, when robotics will be a significant part of vineyard management,” Tom said.

The team works closely with Brock University researchers and students on experiments in the vineyards. One ongoing project, which began in 2019, involves identifying wild yeasts. “We are constantly learning about the yeasts we have here,” said Tom. “We have found dozens of novel yeasts, previously undiscovered, and are experimenting with isolating some of them for specific vinification.”

Tom is especially interested in a project involving concrete, historically used in Europe to ferment and mature wine, bringing mouthfeel while maintaining freshness. Working with a concrete mason who lives at Cave Spring Vineyard, they’re developing their own concrete barrels from local limestone, each with about 210 litres of volume. They’re currently used at the winery, and the long-term plan is to scale up production for sale and for expanded use in their own cellars. “At this point it remains a trial project,” Tom said. “But commercialization is coming soon.”

Succession planning of course, is always a discussion at wineries. When Pavan started to talk about stepping back from winemaking, a replacement needed to be found.

Born in London, Ont., Demarco travelled the world in the Canadian Naval Reserve and studied theatre, working as an actor in Toronto. While working as a server at one of the renowned Oliver & Bonacini restaurants in Toronto, he discovered his true calling. He soon began a second degree at the Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., and then interned for a few seasons with the Cave Spring team. He joined the team as assistant winemaker in 2013 and lead winemaker and viticulturist in 2018.

“One of the things we liked about [Demarco] is that he had the desire to learn the vineyard side of things first,” Tom said. “Our mantra has always been that if you’re serious about making quality wine, you must begin in the vineyard. Our winemaker spends more time roaming the vineyards than tending the cellars.”

The Riesling vines the family planted in the winery’s early days came from clones imported from Weis Reben in Germany’s Mosel Valley. Convinced of Niagara’s potential for making quality Riesling, Herman Weis bought land near Cave Spring Vineyard and started Vineland Estates. His daughter, Anne, moved to Canada to help manage her dad’s winery and later married Tom.

When the founders of the winery’s Ontario sales agency, The Vine Agency, retired, Cave Spring Vineyard purchased the agency to solidify its distribution and create alliances with like-minded producers in Italy, California and France.

“There’s much to be said for exchanging ideas,” Tom said. “Oftentimes they learn from us. Recently, a northeastern Italian producer was looking to convert to ambient yeast fermentation, and [Demarco] guided them through the intricacies and pitfalls of the process. They were extremely appreciative.”

The Cave Spring Vineyard team has valued its Wine Growers Canada membership since Day 1. “Wine Growers Canada does some really important work for our industry,” Tom said. “It helps us get our wines in front of international buyers by facilitating the funding for international trade and media events, and is currently doing critical work on changes to label requirements for wines exported to the European Union.”

Tom and Len’s grandfather, Giuseppe, never lived to see his family’s success as winery owners. He passed in 1973, just as they started buying land. Tom believes his grandfather would be proud to see the accomplishments of his descendants.

“No doubt the concrete barrels would intrigue him, seeing as he came to Canada as a mason and made his living working with gravel, sand and cement,” Tom said. “Concrete — and grapes — are bringing our family’s history in this country full circle.”

Headquartered in Hamilton, Ont., with installations across Canada and the U.S., the company continues to solve many water-related crises facing the modern world.

“Our solutions are helping industries meet their environmental obligations, while growing their business and serving the local economy,” said Econse CEO Derek Davy. “Our team is deeply knowledgeable about not only the environmental challenges and regulations our customers face, but also the business challenges. This enables us to create innovative, effective and affordable solutions for onsite wastewater treatment.”

Davy says that not only does water intersect almost every business, it is a critical part of everything people do. “It is the missing link in the climate change story, but fortunately is one of the most actionable ones,” he said. “The more people understand the water crisis, the more we can all work together to help stop water pollution. And that creates a better environment for us and future generations.”

Treatment challenges

When it comes to wastewater treatment, every industry and business can pose its own unique challenge. The Econse team takes the time to learn about the specific needs and goals of each business before it recommends a treatment solution. Factors that must be considered include volume of wastewater, number of solids that need to be removed, chemical make-up, and whether the business is connected to a municipal water system or not.

“Ultimately, what we do is address the issue of water pollution by treating the problem at the source before contaminants get into our waters, lakes and oceans,” said Davy.

One of the companies that Econse recently worked with is Bench Brewing Company, located on eight acres of farmland in the Niagara Benchlands. The brewery is situated in the town of Lincoln, among some of Ontario’s finest agricultural land with orchards, vineyards and tender fruit farms that provide the ideal location for making premium beer.

“Our vision is to produce premium quality beer while embracing the local surroundings of Niagara’s Benchlands, including barrel-aged and mixed fermentation beers, as well as IPAs, lagers and pale ales,” said Matt Giffen, founder and owner of Bench Brewing Company.

With a focus on sustainability and stewardship, Bench Brewing Company is one of very few craft breweries that is both certified Carbon Neutral by Radicle Climate Smart and a Certified B Corporation. Due to its location in a rural area without access to municipal sanitation lines, the production wastewater required a treatment solution as it was not possible to discharge directly into a septic system or the environment. 

“Many traditional wastewater treatment solutions require a large footprint and come with high capital expenses and operating costs,” said Giffen. “These traditional solutions would not be suitable for a company the size of Bench Brewing Company,”

When Bench Brewing Company first approached Econse about their project, it became clear that the best solution would be to treat the brewery effluent for non-potable reuse for Bench’s hops and apples. All domestic wastewater is completely separated from brewery effluent inside the brewery and sent to an onsite aqua wetland, and then a Waterloo Biofilter System for treatment and discharge in an onsite septic bed.

The challenge for Econse was to provide a compact, modular solution that would provide a purification system able to repurpose all of Bench’s brewery effluent onsite for use in irrigation and fertilizer. Giffen says Econse’s approach for helping craft breweries combines an industry-specific education program on waste management with the equipment required to capture, treat and manage wastewater produced by the brewing process.  “This eliminates any untreated effluent leaving the brewery with all effluent treated and reused for agricultural practices, enabling Bench to be a zero-wastewater craft brewery,” said Giffen.

Compact system installed

The system Econse installed at Bench Brewing Company was originally designed to treat 25,000 litres per day and was upgraded to handle volumes up to 50,000 litres per day within the same footprint. The compact system includes a primary equalization vessel and processing tanks. Waste streams are captured and treated as they flow through the process.

“We treated and recycled all their production wastewater from the brewing process,” said Davy.

The system removes solids and organics, and treats and balances the water to a level suitable for non-potable reuse. “In this case, the water is used to irrigate several acres of hops and apples for use as ingredients in various Bench Brewing Company products,” he said. “Additionally, all the organic material is collected for compost. Everything is recycled and reused onsite. Nothing goes to waste.”

Giffen says the system’s real-time alerts and alarms will notify the brewery staff when the system is out of spec. “This helps prevent system errors from occurring and minimizes the operator’s time spent on wastewater management, while making reporting easy for staff and regulators,” he said.

By using the Econse system, Bench Brewing Company can focus on its zero-waste goals, reusing the collected wastewater solids for animal feed, compost, fertilizer and the non-potable reuse treated water for agricultural drip-irrigation.

Davy says Bench Brewing Company is unique in that they are “all in” on eliminating their waste footprint. “It’s one of the reasons they chose Econse – because our values around water and wastewater are perfectly aligned,” said Davy. “And now, thanks to the system we developed and implemented, they are one of very few breweries in the world who can claim zero wastewater. What makes that even more impressive is their size. They aren’t the biggest brewery, but they’re still able to accomplish big steps forward with Econse.”

Wastewater Award

For the work it did for Bench Brewing Company, Econse was recently awarded the Wastewater Award at the Canadian Water Summit for the most innovative and sustainable technology.

“Winning this award is a testament to the hard work, expertise and vision of our team, and our partnership with Bench Brewing Company,” said Davy. “We already know that we’re making a real difference, but it was still nice to receive this acknowledgement – and recognition – of our efforts to create a positive impact in the water sector. It demonstrates our commitment to preserving this valuable resource and providing accessible, real-world solutions for wastewater treatment.”

As for what the next few years holds for Econse, the company recently opened a new office in New York to better service the U.S. market. The company remains poised to continue growing its team and working with businesses across North America to help with onsite treatment solutions to help stop water pollution.

What many people don’t realize is that, within the world’s premier wine regions, the wine industry operates as the catalyst upon which economic fortunes rise and fall.

This is because wine industries serve as magnets for investment due to their ability to create and connect economic clusters of industries that thrive in their presence. Clusters are areas of intense economic activity made up of companies, academic institutions and non-profit organizations that boost innovation and growth in a particular industry.

All around the world, wine industries serve as the tide that can lift their local economies, providing an economic uplift to the industries that often cluster around them, which include transportation infrastructure, post-secondary education, housing and development, advanced manufacturing, farming and agriculture, tourism, food and hospitality, and culture and entertainment.

The range of climates and topographies that are required to grow grapes for premium-quality wine are so specific that only 0.53 per cent of the world’s arable land is used for vineyards. Coupled with the long-term investment horizon associated with winemaking (for example, it takes three years for a newly planted vine to become commercially productive), wine industries are effectively fixed in the regions in which they reside. Unlike automobile manufacturers, which can relocate production facilities with relative ease, when wine producers invest capital into their operations in the form of newly planted vines or winemaking facilities, those investments remain in the region for decades.

When people travel to places like Italy and France, it’s well understood by those countries that tourists are visiting to experience their wine, food and culture. As the wine industry grows, so does the number of restaurants and experiential offerings in the surrounding area. This growth, in turn, fuels more tourism and innovation, enabling wine producers to scale up their operations and increasingly hire the specialized workers needed for wine production.

The need for specialized labour then sparks the demand for industry-specific programs at post-secondary institutions, along with transportation infrastructure to facilitate more traffic to the region, and the development of housing for those who relocate to the area to live and work. On and on, this cycle of economic development goes, reaching its zenith when the private and public sectors within the cluster begin to collaborate on a holistic strategy for economic growth. With every industry in the cluster working in concert, the effect of the cluster intensifies, further accelerating the economic growth of the region.

This cluster concept had long been tacitly understood within Ontario’s wine industry. However, it wasn’t until this past year that it was credibly validated. Key leaders from across Ontario’s wine sector, including Wine Growers Ontario (WGO), Ontario Craft Wineries (OCW) and Tourism Partnership of Niagara, joined forces to partner with Deloitte on the development of an economic impact study titled The Niagara Cluster: Ontario’s Untapped Economic Engine to model and understand the growth drivers behind the world’s leading wine economies and how they could best be leveraged in Ontario.

In addition to the rare presence of farmland that’s suitable for vineyards, the Deloitte report’s global scan identified several other critical conditions that must be present for a wine region to thrive to the point where an economic cluster will develop around it. Referred to as “global best practices,” these conditions from the world’s premier wine regions include:

1. Domestic wines maintaining a dominant market share position compared to foreign wines.
2. A connected strategy between the wine and tourism industries that enables the development of world-class tourism offerings.
3. Tax policies that incentivize investment into the wine sector.
4. Capital support programs that incentivize investment into the agriculture and hospitality sectors.

“The most successful wine and tourism regions around the world are investing capital and growing their domestic share because their domestic industry is a priority and is supported by policies that incentivize investment,” said Paul Speck, president of Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery and OCW member.

“Ontario wines already compete and win on the global stage, so working together to turn Niagara into a world-class wine and tourism region to drive significant economic growth is within reach.”

John Peller, Andrew Peller Ltd.

In Ontario, the wine industry is on the precipice of transformational growth, but greater support is needed from the provincial government for this potential to be realized. For example, Ontario is the most heavily-taxed wine-producing jurisdiction in the world and is subject to tax policies that are not observed in any other wine producing region. This includes British Columbia, Canada’s other major wine-producing region. Just as critically, as opposed to championing local products, the policies that govern how alcohol is retailed in Ontario work to provide foreign wine producers with competitive advantages over domestic producers, making it more difficult for Ontario’s wineries to win in their own backyard.

“Ontario wines already compete and win on the global stage, so working together to turn Niagara into a world-class wine and tourism region to drive significant economic growth is within reach,” said John Peller, president of Andrew Peller Ltd. and WGO member. “What’s required are supporting policies and best practices that both B.C. and leading global wine regions adhere to and where Ontario needs to catch-up.”

Although there are interconnected pockets of wine-producing regions across southern Ontario, the vast majority of grape growing and wine production takes place in the region of Niagara, hence the title of the Deloitte report. As stated in the Deloitte report, should Ontario’s government work together with the wine industry to develop and enact the policy support that’s desperately needed for it to reach its full potential, the Niagara Cluster stands to benefit from an economic uplift of $8 billion in a single generation. As seen from the world’s leading wine regions, $8 billion is merely scratching the surface.

“Crush shows how winemaking can be a gruelling pursuit, both physically and mentally. It’s not for the weak-hearted,” said John Ferri, VP of programming and content at TVO. “Year after year, the winemakers featured in this documentary put every bit of themselves into their craft. Together, they’re creating a serious winemaking region from the soil up.”

“Winemakers talk about ‘a story’ in the wine, about patiently observing to see how that story unfolds in the cellar, knowing when to get out of the way and when to intervene – a process remarkably similar to long-form documentary filmmaking. Once I understood that, I knew how to make the film.”

Maya Gallus, Filmmaker

“All of the winemakers/winegrowers in Crush are stewards of the soil. Their commitment to the process is unwavering, and I was struck by their passion and evident love for what they do,” said filmmaker Maya Gallus. “Winemakers talk about ‘a story’ in the wine, about patiently observing to see how that story unfolds in the cellar, knowing when to get out of the way and when to intervene – a process remarkably similar to long-form documentary filmmaking. Once I understood that, I knew how to make the film.”

Crush: Message in a Bottle focuses on subjects who are bucking the industry norms of white male wine professionals. With Jamaican family roots and deep ties to the Niagara region, Ann-Marie Saunders has devoted herself to labour-intensive regenerative farming. A first-generation farmer, Kelly Mason works tirelessly to produce low-intervention, wild-fermented wines. Shiraz Mottiar is a winemaker who, despite his name, did not grow up in a wine-drinking family. Today, he is celebrated as the “King of Gamay.” He actively promotes diversity and sustainability in the industry. Crush also features Thomas Bachelder, who trained in Burgundy and now devotes himself to exploring the varying terroir of the Niagara region.

Crush is a testament to the passion and labour that goes into producing an exceptional bottle of wine in an inhospitable climate.