Rosehall Run Vineyard
Black Bank Hill
Trius Winery
The Foreign Affair Winery
Domaine Queylus
Rosehall Run Vineyard
Prince Edward County, Ontario
About Rosehall Run Vineyard
Established in 2001 by winemaker Dan Sullivan, Rosehall Run was one of the earliest Prince Edward County wineries planted in the west central region known as Hillier. The 150-acre site was selected due to its proximity to Lake Ontario and the remarkable clay soil scattered with rock and shale fragments on a calcareous limestone base. Today there are 25 acres of thriving vinifera including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Muscat and Tempranillo.
Dan and his team manage the vineyards proactively, practicing sustainable farming through the use of integrated pest management and early identification and prevention of potential pests and diseases. These gentle, environmentally-sound grape farming techniques extract the optimum fruit from our unique Prince Edward County terroir year after year. A focus on state-of-the-art winemaking led to the design and construction of a 7,200 sq ft winery facility and gravity-fed barrel cellar blasted deep into the limestone foundation. Each barrel is selected by Dan to ensure wines are not overpowered by the oak that plays a supporting role in his portfolio. Prior to bottling each barrel is selected individually and blended through a series of trials resulting in the final blend. Minimal handling ensures that the wine has retained the natural texture and flavor that emerged from the barrel.
Visitors to Prince Edward County can enjoy Rosehall Run’s critically acclaimed wines in a modern Tasting Barn surrounded by glass allowing for an abundance of beautiful natural light and stunning views of the vineyard.
Representative Biography
Lee Baker, Associate Winemaker
Lee Baker, Associate Winemaker
Associate Winemaker Lee comes to the Rosehall Run team with almost 20 years of Canadian winery experience including the Niagara Region, the Okanagan and most recently as the Head Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at two acclaimed Prince Edward County wineries. Lee is also a graduate of Brock University’s CCOVI Honours program.
Lee has developed a significant following for his wines that show both elegance and depth, including experimental small-lot wines made with as few interventions as possible. He believes that ‘natural’-style wine can be clean, well-balanced, and still show exceptional character.
Dan Sullivan, Co-Owner, Winemaker
With over 30 years’ experience, Dan Sullivan is now recognized as one of the top winemakers in Ontario. After 15 years honing his craft as an award-winning member of the Amateur Winemakers of Ontario, in 2000, Dan embarked on his dream of growing and making estate wines in Prince Edward County.
Dan practices a hands-on approach to winemaking that begins in the vineyard. The wines he produces are balanced and elegant, a reflection of both terroir and vintage. Since his 2005 Pinot Noir debut which wine writer David Lawrason identified as one of Six Wines that Define Canada’s Future, estate grown Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays have garnered consistent local and international attention.
As an industry leader, Dan works with chefs, restaurateurs and fellow winemakers to raise the profile of Ontario's thriving local food and wine community. Dan is a founding member of i4C, a member of the Wine Council of Ontario Board of Directors, a member of the VQA Board of Directors and serves on the Advisory Committee for the Algonquin College Sommelier Certificate Program in Ottawa.
Why We're Cool
From our origin 17 years ago in Prince Edward County, Chardonnay has been the heart and soul of Rosehall Run Vineyards and the viniferous muse of winemaker Dan Sullivan for even longer. Dan has been making Ontario Chardonnay since his first crush 23 years ago.
Located in the most northerly DVA in Ontario, growing exceptional quality vinifera fruit can sometimes be daunting. Winter temperatures approaching -30 C can occur, necessitating vines and renewal canes be buried to overwinter under the soil. Mother Nature’s influence on the vines instills discipline on the grape growers of Prince Edward County. This influence extends into each bottle where the rocky calcareous limestone and lake moderated climate of our vineyard are evident. Rosehall Run has been producing racy, mineral-tinged Chardonnays since our first crush in 2004. For Dan, expressing the character and structure of the fruit is the highest homage that can be paid to the earth from which it originates.
Dan was an early champion of handling barrel fermentation and elevage exclusively in 500 L oak puncheons. By using this larger format cooperage and limiting batonnage, the fruit, acidity and nuance of our rocky soils are treated with the utmost respect. The results speak for themselves as our wines continue to be an iconic expression of what it means to be 'County' in the world of wine.
Today Rosehall Run offers three 100 % estate grown iterations of Chardonnay: Our traditional method Blanc de Blancs sparkler CEREMONY, our unoaked Hungry Point Chardonnay and finally our iconic barrel-fermented JCR Rosehall Vineyard Chardonnay, named for our co-founder John Campbell Reston. Each wine expresses the place first and displays the beautiful diversity of style that can be achieved with Chardonnay. We also produce the carefully crafted, exemplary value ‘Liberated’ Chardonnay available at the LCBO.
Black Bank Hill
Lincoln Lakeshore, Canada
About Black Bank Hill
Black Bank Hill is a vineyard and artisanal winery producing premium-quality wines from grapes grown on its own vineyard, made by hand, using traditional methods.
Winemaker Jonathan McLean crafts exceptional wines from this 20-acre vineyard nestled at the base of the Niagara escarpment in the Lincoln Lakeshore VQA. Established by vintner Taylor Emerson in 2017, Black Bank Hill’s vision and passion is to combine the art and practices of grape growing and winemaking at a small scale with an uncompromising focus on quality, to produce wines of character that uniquely express the vineyard, climate and culture of the people who make it.
Representative Biography
Taylor Emerson, Vintner
About Taylor Emerson, Vintner
Having been interested in food and cooking from an early age, Taylor’s full passion for wine developed in his early 30’s and continued unabated for many years. In 2016 at the age of 45, during a juncture in his career when looking to start a business of his own, Taylor took a little time to indulge his passion for wine with a WSET 3 course. During that course he discovered and then enrolled in Plumpton College’s Viticulture and Oenology program in Sussex, England, which resulted in his decision to pursue a career in wine and winemaking. In 2017 he purchased a 22-acre former fruit farm at the foot of the Niagara Escarpment that in 2018 became the Black Bank Hill vineyard.
For Taylor, wine is both a food and a creative and cultural act, an expression of place and identity. During the course of his studies abroad, it became central to Taylor’s winemaking vision that as a Canadian he return to Southern Ontario to express his creativity in wine and to participate in collective identity of the region’s terroir. Niagara’s cool-climate naturally produces wines that express Taylor’s preference for wines that highlight elegance, dynamics and nuance over power, concentration and weight.
A quote from Taylor: “My love for Niagara’s cool-climate Chardonnay is very simple: the best of our Chardonnays stand up amongst the best in the world.”
About Jonathan McLean, Winemaker
Jonathan joined Black Bank Hill in 2021 with over a decade crafting award-winning wines at top estates in the Okanagan Valley, including Cedar Creek, Tantalus, Le Vieux Pin, La Stella and Culmina. Previous to this, Jonathan’s career began in hospitality in Kelowna, and the exposure to wine culture while managing restaurants and bars led to his enrolment in Brock’s CCOVI degree program to fully commit himself to wine. His prior B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Dalhousie proved to be an ideal and serendipitous foundation for his new career in wine.
Jonathan’s experience working under a breadth of seasoned winemakers in the Okanagan, from France, North America and abroad, allowed him to absorb a variety of ideas, techniques, and approaches, internalize them, and develop his own practical and intuitive style of winemaking. As winemaker at Black Bank Hill, Jonathan is also responsible to manage the vineyard and crop, thus bringing to life the full circle of artisanal winegrowing by bringing a homogenous and consistent vision to the wine from vine to bottle, driven by an overarching pursuit of exceptional quality from vintage to vintage.
Why We're Cool
Black Bank Hill vineyard has a number of characteristics which uniquely influence the wines, as well as reflect some core Niagara qualities:
Location: seated at the base of the Escarpment just east of the town of Beamsville, it is very much an Escarpment site, supported by its warming influence in winter as well as acting as a shield from prevailing winds that provides for heat accumulation year-round. The vineyard is comprised of a consistent, gentle slope providing good drainage, and fully open to air-flow and sunlight without shadows and direct light late into the evening.
Soils: sitting at the lakeshore on the ancient Glacier Lake Iroquois lakebed, the heavy clay soils of the vineyard provide a number of unique functions: (i) high water absorption and retention, (ii) mineral retention and slow recycling, and (iii) limiting and balancing vine vigour to promote veraison and fruit ripening. The soil’s impact on the wines and palate is distinct, and as we continue to explore and understand the wines, quite special.
Viticulture: as winegrowers, our site management focuses greatly on cropping levels and balanced yields, with a focus toward fruit quality in the vineyard as the basis of all our wines. As sustainably focused farmers, we take a low impact approach in the vineyard, maintaining only necessary sprays, minimal tillage, and the allowance for cover crops to develop roots and flower and support biodiversity in the vineyard at all times. A tremendous amount of vineyard work is done by hand throughout the season, and all our fruit is hand-picked for harvest.
Winemaking Style: as traditional winemakers our approach to Chardonnay is based on the Burgundian technique of wild barrel ferments with long barrel aging on lees and bâttonage. Low cropping levels and slightly later picking dates strive toward concentration of flavour, good body and perhaps a slightly riper style of Chardonnay without diminishing the fundamental minerality and cool-climate profile of the wine. Balance, again, is the guiding principle with latitude to allow for the unique year-to-year expression of the wine due to vintage conditions which we embrace.
Trius Winery
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada
About Trius Winery
Trius Winery captures the essence of Niagara Wine Country with an extensive collection of terroir-driven wines made by Craig McDonald. Trius Winery Restaurant was Niagara-on-the-Lake’s first winery restaurant and Chef Frank Dodd prides himself on sourcing local ingredients. Enjoy a range of wines and food including the “Black Glass Dinner” tour and dining experience.
Representative Biography
Craig McDonald, VP Winemaking
Australian born Craig McDonald leads our winemaking team, crafting VQA wines for Trius Winery. Craig's talent in crafting premium wines has been honed over 28 vintages in a number of countries, including the U.S.A, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. He has devoted the last 20 vintages to creating award-winning VQA wines in Niagara, and was named Ontario Winemaker of the Year in 2008. Under Craig’s guidance, Trius Winery was named Ontario Winery of the Year in 2015 at the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada.
Why We're Cool
At Trius we work with some of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards and most experienced growers on the Peninsula.
With over 350 acres under contract and covering most of the VQA sub-appellations, our Winemaking and Vineyard teams work closely with key growers to nurture high potential sites and foster long term relationships.
Together we have established individual viticultural programs which balance the uniqueness of site and the nuances of vintage variation but always with the highest level of Chardonnay varietal expression top of mind.
The Niagara Peninsula is innately cool and with our extreme sites offering even greater challenges we have an opportunity for extended Fall ripening for maximum flavour development and full expression of site and season.
Sites such at the Oliveira Vineyard embrace these elements as of one of the coolest sites on the Peninsula and one which consistently resonates with our team year after year.
This Lincoln Lakeshore vineyard is nestled close to Lake Ontario and benefits directly from distinct moderating influences which provide both Spring frost protection and enhance late season ripening. Coupled with the impeccable viticultural attention the Oliveira family bring, we seek to amplify this unique ‘single vineyard’ site by utilizing native yeast and restraining the urge to guide and influence at the winery.
The Foreign Affair Winery
Niagara Escarpment, Canada
About The Foreign Affair Winery
Nestled within the heart of the Niagara Benchlands, The Foreign Affair Winery embodies a journey inspired by passion and tradition. Founded in 2008 by Len & Marisa Crispino, who were captivated by the allure of appassimento-style wines during their time in Italy, our winery has been a testament to their vision and love for winemaking.
Guided by a commitment to quality and innovation, our winemaker, Rene Van Ede, has meticulously crafted a portfolio that showcases the artistry of appassimento red wines, exquisite sparkling wines, and refined white wines.
In 2017, our legacy was embraced by Corby Spirit & Wine, yet we remain dedicated to preserving the essence of Len & Marisa's legacy, crafting unforgettable experiences and extending heartfelt hospitality to all who visit.
Representative Biography
René Van Ede, Winemaker
René Van Ede is a distinguished winemaker whose passion for wine was ignited while working in hospitality in the United Kingdom. Originally from the vicinity of Australia’s Hunter Valley wine region, René decided to pursue winemaking as a profession. He returned to Australia to earn his Bachelor of Wine Science from Charles Sturt University.
After gaining experience with a few vintages in Australia, René’s journey took him to Canada, where he joined the Tawse winery team in 2006. By 2007, he had become a permanent and integral part of the Tawse award-winning winemaking team. His expertise and dedication have contributed significantly to the winery’s success and reputation in producing organic and biodynamic wines in the Niagara region.
René’s career is a testament to his commitment to quality and his ability to craft wines that reflect the unique characteristics of their terroir.
René joined The Foreign Affair Winery in March 2020, bringing with him a wealth of experience from his previous role as Winemaker at Tawse & Redstone Winery. As a respected figure in the Niagara wine country, René is deeply passionate about showcasing the potential of Niagara’s fruit and is committed to producing high-quality wines.
At The Foreign Affair Winery, René is part of a team that is pioneering the use of the appassimento winemaking technique in Canada. This old-world style, known for producing Amarone wines in Italy, involves partially drying grapes to concentrate their flavours before fermentation. The result is bold, full-flavoured red wines and elegant white wines that have garnered attention and awards for the winery.
René’s expertise and dedication to the craft are evident in the winery’s diverse selection of wines, of which some are touched by the appassimento process. His approach aligns with the winery’s vision of blending Italian heritage with Canadian roots, creating a unique and memorable wine experience.
Why We're Cool
Our Crispino Vineyard in Vinemont Ridge is characterized by its south-facing slope, which benefits from early spring warming and hot summers, allowing grapes to reach full maturity by harvest. The soils are rich in clay loam till with a high water-holding capacity, ensuring a consistent water supply throughout the summer.
The soils of our Lincoln Lakeshore vineyards are diverse, with light sandy soils that warm early in the spring and heavier red clay loam that retains water well. This variability contributes to the complexity and character of our Chardonnay wines produced. The Chardonnay from our Lincoln Lakeshore are often noted for their floral honeyed notes, ripe fruits, and intense aromas.
Domaine Queylus
Twenty Bench, Niagara, Canada
About Domaine Queylus
Domaine Queylus is located atop the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario’s renowned winemaking region, the Niagara Peninsula.
We began our winemaking story in 2010 with our first vintage and opened our winery retail store and tasting room in 2014. Selecting only varieties which we have identified as perfectly adaptable to our vineyard’s complex soils and microclimate, we craft premium cool-climate wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.
Representative Biography
Kelly Mason, Winemaker
Kelly was born and raised in Montreal. Her winemaking career began in 2007 in the Carneros subregion of Napa Valley with an internship at Saintsbury Winery under a Burgundian winemaker.
She then studied Winemaking at Brock University before working first at Tawse Winery and then at Le Clos Jordanne, always focused on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. She also owns and farms the Mason Vineyard on the 20 Mile Bench, planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc.
Kelly joined the Domaine Queylus team in the summer of 2013 and became Head Winemaker in 2018.
“When you get the harvest date just right and take a hands-off winemaking approach, cool climate Chardonnay will express the vineyard site beautifully. It allows Niagara to showcase different Chardonnay profiles based on our appellations – what is sometimes referred to as boring varietal becomes complex and interesting as the terroir differs from one producer to the next.” - Kelly Mason
Brooke Husband, Assistant Winemaker
Brooke graduated from the Niagara College Winery and Viticulture program in 2018 and during her studies she worked at Domaine Queylus for her first harvest. She then worked in the Okanagan Valley at Black Hills Estate Winery. When she returned to Niagara, she knew her passion was wild fermented Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Brooke has worked at Domaine Queylus now for 5 harvests. In 2022 received the KML Top-30-Under-30 award for Hospitality in Canada, and in 2023 she was awarded The Paul Pender Rising Star Award from the Ontario Wine Awards.
Why We're Cool
The parcels of land selected for their Chardonnay plantings are their closest vines to Lake Ontario. With a terroir unlike the Bench, the sandier soil texture and temperate ‘Lake effect’ of the Lincoln Lakeshore sub-appellation imbues the resulting wines with a honeyed character, elegance and subtlety. The gentle warmth from Lake Ontario in autumn allows us to ‘hang’ the fruit a little longer to achieve complexity and ripeness without risking higher alcohol levels.
Both of their Chardonnays are single-vineyard wines, with the southern block (Clones 95 and 76) bringing a certain nobility, texture and citrus fruit flavour to the ‘Chardonnay Réserve,’ while the northern block (clones 124 and 548) gives the ‘Chardonnay Tradition’ a straightforward, textured fruitiness and backbone of acidity which highlights the minerality of this site. As their vines continue to come into equilibrium, they aim to craft barrel-fermented, Burgundian-style Chardonnays with understatement, subtlety and great texture, Chardonnays that showcase the potential of the relatively unknown Niagara Lincoln Lakeshore terroir.
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