Inniskillin

Last updated
Inniskillin Niagara
French Cask owned by Inniskillin.jpg
LocationNiagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Appellation Niagara Peninsula
Founded1974 (1975)
First  vintage 1977
Key peopleDonald Ziraldo, Karl Kaiser
Parent company Constellation Brands
Known forIcewine
Varietals Vidal (grape) , Riesling , Cabernet Franc
Website http://www.inniskillin.com/
Inniskillin Okanagan
LocationOkanagan, Canada
Appellation Okanagan Valley
Founded1994
Icewinevineyard.JPG

Inniskillin is a Canadian winery located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Inniskillin, which is mainly noted for its icewine production, has played an important pioneering role in the modern Canadian wine industry. Since 1994, Inniskillin also operates a winery in Okanagan, British Columbia (Inniskillin Okanagan) in addition to its original location (Inniskillin Niagara).

Contents

History

Inniskillin was founded by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser and saw its beginnings in 1974. Before embarking on the Innskillin project, Ziraldo was running a grapevine nursery and Karl Kaiser, a trained chemist, was a home wine maker. The first vines were planted in 1974, and since the duo had the ambition to make better-quality wines, their vineyard was planted with traditional European grape varieties, of the Vitis vinifera species, chosen from those cultivated in colder European regions. Their first vineyard, of 32 acres (13 ha) was planted with Riesling, Chardonnay and Gamay. [1]

At that time the wine industry in the Niagara consisted of five bulk wineries growing American ("non-vinifera") vines, and no winery licenses had been issued since 1929. Inniskillin's license in 1975, which Ziraldo successfully lobbied for, was therefore the first post-prohibition license issued in the region. The company Inniskillin Wines was formally incorporated on July 31, 1975, [2] and the first harvest occurred three years after their first vineyard was planted, in 1977. While waiting for their V. vinifera vines to yield grapes, they produced some wine from hybrid grapes. [3] In 1978, Inniskillin moved to its present location on the Brae Burn Estate. An existing 1920s barn, thought to have been inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was restored for the winery's use, and has become something of a landmark. [1]

The first ice wine produced by Inniskillin, a 1984 Vidal, was in fact labelled "Eiswein". Inniskillin Eiswein 1984.jpg
The first ice wine produced by Inniskillin, a 1984 Vidal, was in fact labelled "Eiswein".

The initial production consisted of white and red table wines, but another significant development started a few years later. In 1983, Karl Kaiser and three other Ontario wineries all left grapes on their vines in an attempt to produce ice wine, in order to put the harsh Canadian winter to good use. Inniskillin and their Niagara neighbour Ewald Reif lost their entire crop to hungry birds, while the two wineries Hillebrand and Pelee Island, situated in another part of Ontario, were able to harvest a minuscule amount of frozen grapes. [4] In 1984, Kaiser used nets to protect Inniskillin's grapes and were able to produce the winery's first ice wine. This wine was made from Vidal grapes harvested at the Brae Burn Estate and was in fact labelled "Eiswein", the German and Austrian wine term. Thus, Inniskillin was one of the first Canadian wineries to produce ice wine, and the first to do so in commercially significant quantities. The international breakthrough of Canadian ice wine came in 1991, when Inniskillin's 1989 Vidal ice wine won the Grand Prix d’Honneur at Vinexpo. [4]

The two founders of Inniskillin practised a division of labour. Kaiser handled the winemaking, and Ziraldo handled the marketing and was president of the company. Ziraldo was also instrumental in creating the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) and was the organisation's first chairman.

In 1992, Inniskillin Wines merged with Cartier wines (one of the old wineries of the region, founded in 1889) to form Cartier Inniskillin Vintners Inc. In 1993, Cartier Inniskillin Vintners Inc. merged with T.G. Bright & Co. Limited (founded in 1874 as the Niagara Falls Wine Company) under the name Vincor International Inc. [5] Inniskillin wines continued as a subsidiary of Vincor, with the wines labelled as before and Ziraldo and Kaiser in their old roles.

In 1994, Inniskillin started activities at a subsidiary winery in Okanagan, British Columbia, under the name Inniskillin Okanagan. After that, the original winery was referred to as Inniskillin Niagara. This winery was started in collaboration with First Nation locals, the Okanaqueen Tribe of the Inkameep people, which kept vineyards on their land and supplied grapes to Inniskillin Okanagan. [2] In 1996, Inniskillin expanded their Okanagan activities by buying an existing winery in Okanagan, Okanagan Vineyards, as well as the Dark Horse Vineyard. [6]

In April 2006, Constellation Brands bought Inniskillin's parent company Vincor International Inc., which became Vincor Canada. [7] Later that year Karl Kaiser went into retirement, but stayed on as a consultant for Inniskillin's ice wine activities, and Ziraldo left the winery and his position as president. [8] [9]

Wines

An oak-aged Vidal ice wine from Inniskillin. Inniskillin ice wine.jpg
An oak-aged Vidal ice wine from Inniskillin.

The icewine production, accounting for approximately 10% of the winery's output, is commercially significant to Inniskillin. [3] The parent company Vincor has singled out Inniskillin to be the group's primary icewine exporter, and Inniskillin icewines are therefore among the most distributed Canadian icewines in export markets such as United States, Japan and Europe.

All of Inniskillin's wines are VQA wines and most are varietal, and their range of table wines is marketed in five levels. [10] [11]

Vineyards

Inniskillin sources its grapes both from their own vineyards, and from some contracted neighbouring vineyards in the Niagara Peninsula. In Okanagan, grapes are also sourced from the vineyards kept by the Okanaqueen Tribe. The only non-vinifera grape grown is Vidal, used for icewine. The following vineyards are used: [6] [12] [13]

VineyardVQA AppellationVQA Sub-appellationSizePredominant grape varietiesAdditional information
Brae Burn EstateNiagara PeninsulaNiagara RiverPinot Noir, Riesling, VidalOwned. The site of the Inniskillin Niagara winery since 1978, includes vineyards dedicated to icewine production
Montague EstateNiagara PeninsulaFour Mile Creek100 acres (40 ha)Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Pinot Gris, RieslingOwned
Seeger VineyardNiagara PeninsulaNiagara River120 acres (49 ha)Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, VidalIncludes Inniskillin's original 1974 vineyard, which was sold to the Seeger family in 1977
Klose VineyardNiagara PeninsulaNiagara River15 acres (6.1 ha)Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon
Schuele VineyardNiagara PeninsulaLincoln Lakeshore170 acres (69 ha)Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Vidal
Dark Horse EstateOkanagan Valley23 acres (9.3 ha)Owned
Bull Pine VineyardOkanagan ValleyOwned
Discovery VineyardOkanagan Valley3 hectares (7.4 acres)Marsanne, Roussanne, Pinot Gris, Malbec, ZinfandelOwned. Dedicated to varieties not common in Okanagan
(First nations land)Okanagan Valley265 hectares (650 acres)

Related Research Articles

Riesling White grape variety

Riesling is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally pure and are seldom oaked. As of 2004, Riesling was estimated to be the world's 20th most grown variety at 48,700 hectares, but in terms of importance for quality wines, it is usually included in the "top three" white wine varieties together with Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. Riesling is a variety that is highly "terroir-expressive", meaning that the character of Riesling wines is greatly influenced by the wine's place of origin.

Ice wine A type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine

Ice wine is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing for a more concentrated grape juice to develop. The grapes' must is then pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet juice. With ice wines, the freezing happens before the fermentation, not afterwards. Unlike the grapes from which other dessert wines are made, such as Sauternes, Tokaji, or Trockenbeerenauslese, ice wine grapes should not be affected by Botrytis cinerea or noble rot, at least not to any great degree. Only healthy grapes keep in good shape until the opportunity arises for an ice wine harvest, which in extreme cases can occur after the New Year, on a northern hemisphere calendar. This gives ice wine its characteristic refreshing sweetness balanced by high acidity. When the grapes are free of Botrytis, they are said to come in "clean".

Jackson-Triggs

Jackson-Triggs is a Canadian winery with vineyards in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia and the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario.

Vintners Quality Alliance

Vintners Quality Alliance, or VQA, is a regulatory and appellation system which guarantees the high quality and authenticity of origin for Canadian wines made under that system in British Columbia and Ontario. It is similar to regulatory systems in France (AOC), Spain (DO), Italy (DOC), and Germany (QmP). The VQA system allows for sub-appellations, by which the grapes for wines are sourced from extremely specific geographical locations with different soil and climate. This is in accordance with the concept of terroir.

Jewell Towne Vineyards

Jewell Towne Vineyards is a winery in the state of New Hampshire. The property is located on the hills overlooking the Powwow River a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The property is the oldest currently producing winery in New Hampshire, and is seen as a leader in establishing northern New England cold hardy cultivars.

Vidal blanc Variety of grape

Vidal blanc is a white hybrid grape variety produced from the Vitis vinifera variety Ugni blanc and another hybrid variety, Rayon d'Or. It is a very winter-hardy variety that manages to produce high sugar levels in cold climates with moderate to high acidity.

Canadian wine

Canadian wine is wine produced in Canada. Ontario and British Columbia are the two largest wine-producing provinces in Canada, with two-thirds of the Canada's vineyard acreage situated in Ontario. However, wine producing regions are also present in other provinces, including Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Washington wine Wine produced from grape varieties grown in the U.S. state of Washington

Washington wine is a wine produced from grape varieties grown in the U.S. state of Washington. Washington ranks second in the United States in the production of wine. By 2017, the state had over 55,000 acres (220 km2) of vineyards, a harvest of 229,000 short tons (208,000 t) of grapes, and exports going to over 40 countries around the world from the 940+ wineries located in the state. While there are some viticultural activities in the cooler, wetter western half of the state, the majority (99.9%) of wine grape production takes place in the shrub-steppe eastern half. The rain shadow of the Cascade Range leaves the Columbia River Basin with around 8 inches (200 mm) of annual rain fall, making irrigation and water rights of paramount interest to the Washington wine industry. Viticulture in the state is also influenced by long sunlight hours and consistent temperatures.

Ontario wine Canadian wine produced in the province of Ontario

Ontario wine is Canadian wine produced in the province of Ontario. The provinces has three official wine-growing region, the Niagara Peninsula, the north shore of Lake Erie, and Prince Edward County, although wineries also exist in other regions in Ontario. Approximately two-thirds of Canada's vineyard acreage is situated in Ontario, with over 150 vineyards spread across 6,900 hectares. As a result, the province is the country's largest producer of wine, accounting for 62 per cent of Canadian wine production, and 68 per cent of all Canadian wine exports.

Henry of Pelham Winery

Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery is an Ontario winery that released their first vintage in 1988. The namesake of the winery, Henry (Smith) of Pelham was an early settler in Upper Canada’s Niagara Peninsula. His father Nicholas, the first settler, was Pennsylvania Dutch and a United Empire Loyalist who sided with the crown during the American Revolution of 1776.

Niagara College Teaching Winery

The Niagara College Teaching Winery (NCT), Canada's first commercial teaching winery, is located at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus of Niagara College within the Niagara Region of Ontario. Situated in the heart of Niagara wine country, the NCT is the centre for applied wine education for the Canadian wine industry. Officially opened in November 2002, the winery began production in 2001. With three on-site teaching and research vineyards, Winery and Viticulture students are taught the day-to-day responsibilities and inner workings of a winery, from planting grapes to selling wine. Students form teams dedicated to making a specific variety of wine. The Wine Business Management program provides students expertise in the business, retail, marketing and export aspects of the growing wine industry. The facility operates strictly on a non-profit, cost recovery basis with all revenue from sales re-invested into the winery program.

British Columbia wine Canadian wine produced in the province of British Columbia

British Columbia wine is Canadian wine produced in the province of British Columbia. Wines made from 100% British Columbia grapes can qualify for classification under one of British Columbia's two classification systems, depending on the variety, the winemaking techniques employed, and various other restrictions.

Pelee Island Winery is a winery in Kingsville, Ontario, Canada. They have over 700-acre (2.8 km2) of vineyards on Pelee Island, which is in the South Islands Sub-Appellation of the Lake Erie North Shore Appellation of Ontario along the shores of Lake Erie. https://www.vqaontario.ca/Appellations/LakeErieNorthShore

Reif Estate Winery Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

Reif Estate Winery is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Canada. Reif Estate is primarily known for playing an important in role pioneering the Ontario wine Industry, as well as planting some of the first Vitis vinifera vines in the Niagara region.

Nova Scotia wine Canadian wine produced in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia wine is Canadian wine produced in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia's wineries are primarily organized under the Wine Association of Nova Scotia, though not all wineries are members. The industry began in the late 1970s with the original Grand Pré Winery in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia.

Prince Edward County Wine

Prince Edward County Wine is produced in Prince Edward County (PEC) located in south eastern part of southern Ontario, the most southerly part of Canada. Prince Edward County was designated as the fourth and newest Designated Viticultural Area (DVA) in Ontario in 2007. A DVA is a wine-producing region for which rules and regulations are set down by the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) of Ontario. VQA Ontario is an organization officially delegated by the government of Ontario to administer and enforce the Vintners Quality Alliance Act, 1999 There are currently some 42 commercial wineries and over 50 wine grape growers in Prince Edward County, cultivating more than 700 acres of vineyard, producing 757 tons of grapes and 6130 hectolitres of wine annually.

Okanagan Valley (wine region)

The Okanagan Valley wine region, located within the region of the same name in the British Columbia Interior, is Canada's second-largest wine producing area. Along with the nearby Similkameen Valley, the approximately 8,619 acres of vineyards planted in the Okanagan account for more than 80% of all wine produced in British Columbia, and are second in economic importance for wine production to the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario. Some 182 licensed wineries existed from south to north in the valley in 2018, with many situated along the 135 km (84 mi)-long Okanagan Lake and its tributaries and downstream lakes, including Skaha Lake, Vaseux Lake, and Osoyoos Lake. The Okanagan has diverse terrain that features many different microclimates and vineyard soil types, contributing characteristics which are part of an Okanagan terroir.

Olmo grapes Variety of grape

Olmo grapes are wine and table grape varieties produced by University of California, Davis viticulturist Dr. Harold Olmo. Over the course of his nearly 50-year career, Dr. Olmo bred a wide variety of both grapes by means of both crossing varieties from the same species or creating hybrid grapes from cultivars of different Vitis species.

Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery

Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery is a winery in Rio Grande section of Lower Township in Cape May County, New Jersey. A family dairy and produce farm since 1940, the vineyard was first planted in 1997, beginning with Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery opened their doors to the public in 2009 with their first vintage in 2007, which consisted of the American Kestrel White, Red Table Wine, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Hawk Haven has 16 acres of grapes under cultivation, and produces 5,000 cases of wine per year. The winery is named for the large number of hawks that migrate to the farm every year. They currently have sixteen different varietals and all of the grapes are harvested, pressed, fermented, aged, blended, and bottled on site.

Donald Ziraldo

Donald J.P. Ziraldo is a Canadian winemaker and businessman, and a Member of the Order of Canada. He and his partner Karl J. Kaiser have often been cited as two of the most important figures in Canadian wine history. He and Kaiser have been credited with starting the first winery in Canada since Prohibition as founders of Inniskillin Winery in Niagara, Canada.

References

  1. 1 2 Inniskillin: History - Milestones Archived 2009-11-22 at the Wayback Machine , accessed on July 7, 2008
  2. 1 2 Inniskillin: History Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine , accessed on July 7, 2008
  3. 1 2 Wine Business Monthly, September 1, 2000: Inniskillin Leading Icewine Craze
  4. 1 2 Appellation America, December 26, 2007: Kings of the "Ice": Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser
  5. ↑ Vincor International: History Archived 2012-02-13 at the Wayback Machine , accessed on July 7, 2008
  6. 1 2 Wine X Magazine: Okanagan BC Archived 2007-10-19 at the Wayback Machine , accessed on July 7, 2008
  7. ↑ "Wine Spectator, April 3, 2006: Constellation Buys Vincor for $1.3 Billion". Archived from the original on September 11, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Wine Spectator, November 27, 2006: Inniskillin Winery Founders Call It Quits". Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  9. ↑ Inniskillin, October 30, 2006: Karl Kaiser eases into retirement Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ Inniskillin: Table Wines - Niagara Archived 2008-06-13 at the Wayback Machine , accessed on July 7, 2008
  11. ↑ Inniskillin: Table Wines - Okanagan Archived 2008-06-13 at the Wayback Machine , accessed on July 7, 2008
  12. ↑ Inniskillin: Vineyards - Niagara Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine , accessed on July 7, 2008
  13. ↑ Inniskillin: Vineyards - Okanagan Archived 2008-11-20 at the Wayback Machine , accessed on July 7, 2008

Coordinates: 43°12′38″N79°03′51″W / 43.2105°N 79.0641°W / 43.2105; -79.0641

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.