Our Love of the Land
Establishing the Creemore Hills Winery has been a labour of love for us on many levels, as much an affirmation of our connection to its idyllic rural setting as our passion for the vintage we’re producing.
Nestled in the beautiful Creemore region in central Ontario, our winery and vineyard are surrounded by scenes of uplifting nature where each of the four seasons is a treat to the senses. From the moment we first set eyes on the property, we fell head over heels for it. With its sweeping Tuscan-like views and rolling hills, we were smitten.
From the outset, we knew creating a winery from scratch would be challenging. While the site could be made more conducive for growing grapes, there was nothing we could do about the unforgiving winter conditions.
As a first step, we had a viticulture professor at Brock University come to the property to examine the soil and weather conditions. He suggested we grow a hybrid grape developed by the University of Minnesota which can tolerate temperatures well below zero.
With that hurdle overcome, we next had to prepare the fields. To that end, we did a massive cleanup, clearing out the tangle of hawthorn bush that had spread throughout the property. To put in drainage, we had to dig four feet down and lay tiles ahead of planting grapes. Since then, as part of the transformation, we’ve planted more than 5,300 vines, of which the main ones are Marquette (red) and LaCrescent (white). For blending purposes, we’ve also planted Frontenac gris, Oscedio Muscat, Swenson white, Frontenac blanc, St. Croix, Frontenac and Sabrevois.
At the same time, we’ve had to pound hundreds of posts and string miles of wire trellising, to say nothing of the countless hours spent pruning, weeding and ozonating the site.
All that work increased our knowledge and deepened our relationship with the property. In the process, it made us feel increasingly as stewards of the land, which is an inspiration and a source of pride. It’s also a responsibility we take seriously.
