Wow! You Want to Own a Winery

Wait not so fast owning a winery may sound exciting and luxurious but It is a great deal of work. The major of winery owners are hard working farmers.. they till the land, grow grapes, harvest the grapes and struggle to make money. If you want to be a successful wine owner its best to start rich and many do.

It also helps to hire an experience winemaker, even a consultant with a great reputation and vineyard manager is also required. You also require the help of other wineries, especially if you plan on doing all the jobs by yourself. 

Then, how are you going to sell your wines where is your market. Most likely its only the province your located in. But even getting your wine beyond your own gate is not easy. There are so many wineries out there and more coming.

To become VQA certified you have to pay for this honour. Getting restaurants, pubs ,and liquor stores to carry your wine, a most difficult task. Canadian restaurants don't have a passions for listing Canadian wines on their wine list. Is that the consumer fault? 

So what are you left with, selling your wines on site. Can you afford a tasting room? Can you afford to staff it. You cannot sell, your wines outside of your own winery and tend to your tasting bar at the same time.

Winery owners are finding the industry is much more difficult than they anticipated 

In the last few year we have seen the number of new wineries triple if not more. However numerous wineries are for sale and some have even declared bankruptcy

So lets support our local Wineries. But wait the majority of the population does not live in Wine country. In Ontario its only 2 hours to the Niagara Peninsula In BC its five hours ( those of you who say you can do it four your away over the speed limit) from Vancouver to the Okanagan. To the Island wineries a rather expensive Ferry ride.

Also there is the cost factors, wines in Canada are over taxed and cost too much!You can buy a good wine in USA for $6.00 in Canada finding one under $15.00 good luck. If you wish to bring box wines into the picture and other cellared in Canada wines remember those grapes are not grown in Canada It is economically challenging for Canadian vineyards to grow grapes at the price and quality needed to compete with the low priced imports that are flooding our wine market. Check it out for your self what are people buying in your local store. The big bottles from foreign markets I bet.

Many wineries sell limited quantity wines selling for $35.00 and up. Great but they better be way beyond good. Even if they are you need to find a way to let the consumer know and once again find away to sell them

For over thirty years now we have promoted the wineries of Canada her wines. Yet many wineries totally ignore our request for information. 

AVAs like the Okanagan relay deeply heavily on tourist to purchase wines directly from the winery. That is one reason our website features a tourist section. We also believe we live in a great country and wish to brag a little. 

Icewine was Canadians biggest selling wine product Thanks to a very strong Chinese market. However only a few wineries have access to this rich market. Due to the high price Icewines do not sell well in Liquor stores. In fact I could find only three bottles of Icewine in our Local store. Some wineries in Canada produce only icewine. That's a gamble. If the weather is too warm there is no harvest.

Do not forget climate change that in its self bring new challenges to the vineyard.

As exciting as it sounds, buying and developing a profitable vineyard is a complex proposition.Do a thorough research on the land and grape varitials before you buy any plot. 

Do you still want to own a winery?

and then you have California 

California wines continue to grow in popularity with both trade and consumers in the Canadian market," according to Rick Slomka, Wine Institute Trade Director for Canada. "Some of the recent growth comes from new brands with eye-catching labels and clever names. Also contributing to this growth is the ongoing strength of the Canadian dollar which has made California wines more competitive compared to wines from other major wine regions. Our continued success with premium wines in the Quebec market and in LCBO VINTAGES, indicates that Canadian consumers see good value in California at all price points," said Slomka. 

Canadian wines are world class yet consumers still flock to the wines of California and the old world.

We would like the hear your thoughts winebob49@gmail.com 

 

Complications of Wine Language

Have you ever found yourself surround by friends or even strangers and been asked "how do you like the wine" Your mind searches for those wine terms, the wine language you read about in wine reviews. 

"I like the rich fruity black cherry and smokiness in the nose and the even bitter finish." Is this the description that flashes through your mind. You want to say. "It's Good I like it." Well go ahead, say it! Wine tasting does not have to be complicated. You do not have to extend the boundaries of the English language to describe the wine. 

I have never understood "bright black fruit with anise dill and leather notes." Bright is a term that describes light not taste, anise dill I understand, anise can be described as having a licorice flavour, leather denotes hmmmm okay. What if someone described the wine " with a touch of olive and saddle leather" Would you know if it was good or bad. Is a wine supposed to have a leather flavour?

What about tobacco? Descriptive term, used by some, to describe a flavor component resembling the taste of raw tobacco leaf in the finish of certain red wines. Seems to mainly apply to Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux, France or the Napa region of California. " Cigarbox " is a common term often used as a near synonym especially if a cedar-wood note in the aroma is detected. (Non-smokers may have trouble with this word and its implication). 

Perhaps I'm just a simple guy who likes his wine and prefers to say.. I like this wine. Its good. Most enjoyable. an easy drinking wine with fruity flavours 

Don't be intimidated by the language of wine. Simply describe the wine as it tastes to you. Allow your senses to react to the wine. Wine is to be enjoyed. The wine language is unique but you do not have to know it or refer to it in order to enjoy the wine tasting experience. 

The following article from the Wines of Michigan * website

The Simple Pleasures of Wine by Joe Borello 

The topic of wine is fascinating and often times emotional. It is a simple agricultural product, yet many have a tendency to shroud it in mystery and complexity. It is important to realize that wine has been placed on dining tables for centuries as a natural beverage that serves as a pleasing and logical companion to food. 

Few other products offer as much diverse subject matter as wine. Interests range from cultivating personal vineyards, visiting the actual property of a winery, collecting wine labels, building a wine collection of fine wines, to simply taste-testing different wine styles with friends. 

Wine also combines instinctively with an interest in food. Many professional and amateur chefs are wine hobbyists because good cuisine demands wine both as an intricate seasoning ingredient and as a basic component of the dining table. Keep in mind that like food, it is important to create a point of reference for what you may like in wine. As time goes by and your tasting experience grows you will notice subtle differences in your preferences, It is helpful to seek information from others, but don't be intimidated by their opinions. 

Although many hours could be spent studying the finer points of wine, it is best enjoyed as an uncomplicated subject. So, what is the best way to enjoy and learn about wine and food? The experts tell us there is no substitute for personal tasting experiences. Through taste comes the acquisition of knowledge. What better way to acquire knowledge then by visiting local wineries or gathering with a group of friends for a wine and food tasting? As you taste and compare wines you will find that not all are pleasing to you. Wine, like food, is made in many different styles to satisfy different tastes. It is up to the individual to choose the wines that best suit a personal palate and pocketbook. In North America we are fortunate to have over 900 winery tasting room facilities in which to experience a variety of tastes and styles of wine. Many of these wineries have educational tours and videos of the facilities and the winemaking process. Knowledgeable winery representatives then guide visitors through enchanting tasting tours of nature's fruit of the vine. 

 

It is not an easy task to find a bottle of Ontario wine in BC. In fact, even the liquor store manager was unaware of the wine. So, of course, I had no choice but to purchase the wine.

I bought the wine home with the intention of sharing it with friends. The plan was to get together between Christmas and the New Year.  However, they chose to go to Hawaii instead. Their loss!

So I kept this bottle of Baco Noir VQA from Henry of Pelham on the shelf. The day will come.

As the days passed. I could see the bottle lying in the wine rack. There was an urge to open it.

Henry of Pelham is a renowned family winery located in the Short Hills Bench app It was established in 1988 by Paul Speck Sr. Baco Noir is its flag ship wine.

The wine would not lay on the shelf much longer. I was ready to open it. So mark the date January 15th 2026. Ontario cones to White Rock, British Columbia. 

On a scale of one to ten the wine was a 9.. A full body wine with aromas of Blackberry Vanilla beans, and white chocolate. On the palate silky tannins, black fruit berries with  slight touch of sweetness.

More Please!

 https://www.winesofcanada.com/best_winery_visit2026.html

 https://www.winesofcanada.com/bestwinerieswatch2026.html

 Here is the List of the Best Wineries to Visit in 2026

Canada

The Best Wineries to Visit in 2026

 There’s no single “perfect wine”—( maybe) A “perfect” wine often earns a 100-point score from critics, but what truly makes it perfect is how it captivates your senses and fits your taste and occasion. I have been tasting Grape wines , fruit, wine, ciders and Meads since 1992. 

I have enjoyed some amazing wines of the years and a few that well were not really up to par. Listed below are two wines that have received top score 

Festina Lente Vinmum Regum Reserve

An Extraodinary mead, 3 months in first-run Kentucky Bourbon barrels. 100% honey as a fermentable sugar. Aged 1 year before release Lifespan: 50 years Closure: Nomacorc Envirocorc (compressed sugar cane). Its a sweeter wine busting with flavour with a lovely honey finish , phenomenal. 99

Nagging Doubt -2021 Sallow Road Vineyard off dry Siegerrebe -

This is an amazing wine. Not may people do a Siegerrebe. This one is perfection in a bottle. The wine is intensely aromatic – an extremely complex profile of flowers, lychee, tangerine, spice, and citrus can be detected. But that extra bit of sugar has allowed the wine to undergo a second fermentation in bottle, which means it has a sparkly effervescence. Note this wine was not subsequently filtered so will throw some sediment. Best Siegerrebe in years!! 98

You will notice the first one from Festina Lente. Its a Mead! Bill Townsley, co owner ( along with his wife Teresa) and mead maker. Have inded master the art of making Meads! 

They presented me with a bottle of Bacchvs Rosevs (un released) that will absolutley dazzel your senses. It is a pyment style honey wine, blending honey with grapes creating very unique flavours. The wine off dry yet a gentle touch of honey floral notes. Is this the one that geta 100.

All I will say is I drank the whole bottle myself! Thank you Bill and Teresa. 

Festina Lente Bacchus Roseus
Merlot Pyment

A unique combination of honey and grapes Presenting a history in a playful and subtle wine. Light and floral with red berry notes with balanced acidity and subtle tannin Rose style

The name Festina Lente—Latin for “Make Haste Slowly”—reflects their philosophy of thoughtful, deliberate craftsmanship in both winemaking and business .