Inniskillin Winery -
Winemaking at Inniskillin

Experimentation has been done through the years to determine which vines grow best in which area. While they are producing Cabernet Sauvignon, "it is not a grape of the future here," explained Debi, because it does not have the sunshine available to ripen well. Vidal does grow very well, as does pinot noir, cabnernet franc, chardonnay, and riesling.

Vidal Grapes at Inniskillin Winery

A great deal of time and effort is put into caring for the grapes while they grow. There are boomers - machines that make noises like cannon firing - to help keep away the birds in a humane manner. There are propane powered windmills to help keep air circulating, to prevent an early frost from destroying the grapes before they can be harvested. These windmills can handle about 10 acres of wines apiece and cost about $25,000. Luckily, this area doesn't have many deer to add to the natural issues. Regular harvest season runs from mid-September through the end of October. The winemakers kept a careful eye to ensure grapes came in only at 18 brix (a measure of sugar content) or higher. Farmers only get paid in November after the harvest is complete, and are paid a bonus for high sugar wine. This helps to ensure that they focus on waiting for quality, not on rushing to achieve quantity. "A winemaker is not a magician," explained Debi. It is high quality fruit that leads to a high quality wine. Nature has provided both good and bad weather for the Niagara region since 2000. Up until that year, Inniskillin harvested about 2,200 tons of fruit from their vines each year. The three years of 2002, 2003 and 2004 all saw brutally cold winters which stressed vines to their utmost. When 2005 then had an incredibly hot summer to add to the stress, their yield dropped down to 400 tons. Through it all, they have persevered and created fantastic wines.

Ice Wine
Ice wine might be started as early as December, or as late as March. Legally, following VQA rules, ice wine can only be harvested when the temperature is at -8C to -12C, to ensure the grapes are fully frozen. Ice wine presents very specific problems. When winter comes along, birds are desperate for any food they can get, and eagerly go after the delicious berries. Wineries have to net the vines as literally thousands of birds descend to get a free meal. The nets are even tied at the bottom to prevent bunches which fall from the vine from reaching the ground, where eager birds would eat them. By the time of harvest, over 50% of the grapes are caught in those nets, saved from the wildlife.

When the grapes are picked, the winemakers have to move quickly. "You have to press at the same temperature you pick," explained Debi. This means that often they press at night, when the temperature is more likely to stay at one steady temperature. Inniskillin is even experimenting with a mechanical picker for ice wines - one with rubber flaps that gently shakes loose the hardened marbles of wine. As the bunches break up into their individual grapes, those slip through the holes in the net, to be gathered up by the harvester.

The Wines of Inniskillin
Inniskillin Winery History

Wineries of the Niagara region, Ontario Canada

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