Essex County vineyards enjoying extended warm weather during grape harvest season
Wine makers in southern Ontario are in the homestretch of this season’s grape harvest with growers in Essex County enjoying a mild fall.
The majority of this year’s harvest began in late August and is expected to continue into November.
“It was looking a little iffy at the end of August with all the rain and cloud cover we had, but September saved the day,” said Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery wine maker, Tanya Mitchell.
According to Mitchell, a wide variety of grapes at the family winery were being picked by machine and hand, noting higher quality wines require handpicked varieties.
“We have quite a few,” Mitchell explained. “Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio. I'm playing around with a bit of Auxerrois on the on the white side. We have Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Baco Noir, of course we’ve always had our Merlo, but we just added on Marquette and petite Pearl, which are two new varieties we've been growing in our vineyard that are very promising,” Mitchell continued.
“They're sustainable and they last through the winter as well and they require less sprays and they're just altogether a better growing grape.”
Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery in Amherstburg, Ont. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)
Mitchell said the season started with record dry conditions followed by a wet summer, but believed a mild and dry September helped bring things together. Mitchell noted the region benefits from an extended growing season allowing the grapes to hang a little longer on the vine and let flavours continue to concentrate.
“As you progress and watching the grapes, you're checking for its sugar level, its pH and acidity,” Mitcehll said.
Mitchell added, “We are in a wonderful location in the world to grow grapes and we have the longest and warmest growing season in all of Ontario and I think Canada as well.”
Mean time, Pelee Island Winery’s Tim Charisse said a good vintage is expected from Canada’s most southern vineyard.
“An extended growing season is definitely better for sure,” Charisse said.
Pelee Island Winery & Vineyards in Kingsville, Ont. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)
Charisse told CTV News the island winery boasts between 700-800 acres of grape vines, with each acre yielding upwards of five tons.
“We had a really dry start to the growing season,” he explained. “Basically the opposite of what we kind of want for our growing season. We want a little bit more wet in the starting time and definitely dry in the end. So the grapes are bringing up the sugar level and getting ripe.”
Charisse continued, “The longer the lake stays open the better is for us. That means the grapes are more secured in the winter from frost.”
Pelee Island Winery is partnering with Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI), EPIC Wineries and Scotiabank to host the first ever EPIC Wineries Harvest Festival, on November 4 at their Kingsville location.
“You can get our wine in Quebec. You can get our wine in Saskatchewan. You even can get our wine in China,” Charisse said. “So yes, we are basically all over the world and trying to expand more and more and make sure people enjoy wine everywhere we can sell.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
'Repetitive partisan conduct': Conservatives to force vote on ousting Speaker Greg Fergus
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
Trial for B.C. man accused of killing, dismembering wife begins
The trial for a Langley man accused of killing his wife began Monday, with the prosecutor laying out a disturbing series of facts agreed upon by both Crown and defence.
Robertson's hat-trick drives Stars to Game 3 win over Oilers
Jason Robertson's hat-trick goal midway through the third period broke a deadlock and proved to be the eventual winner as the Dallas Stars beat the host Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to take a 2-1 series lead.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
Severe thunderstorms, tornado watch in some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind, severe thunderstorms and even snowfall across some areas of Canada.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
Israel close to approving Gaza reunification program before Rafah invasion: Miller
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Israel seemed to be on the verge of approving a program to get Palestinian relatives of Canadians out of the Gaza Strip before the country's invasion of the town of Rafah.