Apples To Oysters Ontario: A Midwinter Night’s Dream Margaret in the Winery

Henry of Pelham Estate Winery History Nicholas Smith, a Loyalist who served with the Butler’s Rangers, during American War of Independence was granted sixteen hundred acres for himself, his wife and fourteen children. Nicholas’ son Henry opened tavern here called Henry of Pelham. Paul Speck a descendent from the Smith’s buy’s last parcels of available in the Smith family. Paul Speck’s three son’s, Paul Jr., Matthew and Daniel worked first summer planting fifty acres of vines by shovel. In 1988 Henry of Pelham Estate Winery opens, year late Paul Speck Sr. becomes sick with cancer. Same year free trade ends tariff protection for Ontario wines and put them in competition with wines from California. Henry Pelham and several other start up wineries in Niagara removed Concord and Niagara grapes and planted Vitis vinifera grapes such as Riesling and Chardonnay Award winning wine maker Ron Giesbrecht and grape grower Matthew Speck make wines which speak of the land Matthew Speck helped develop guidelines for Sustainable Winemaking Ontario. Henry of Pelham was one of the founding members in 1989 of the regions appellation of origin system to VQA

Henry of Pelham Riesling Ice Wine ``Canada`s Little Ambassador`` Inniskillin brought attention to the Niagara wine region in 1989 by winning, Grand Prix d`Honneur Wineries experimented with many different kinds of grapes, however Vidal and Riesling remain classics. Henry Pelham prefers Riesling as it a cleaner, more citrus note, as they pick the grapes early in December. 1 Tonne of Riesling produces 150 Litres of Ice Wine Henry of Pelham picks graps in December if temperatures hold minus 8 degrees C or colder, as that is law to be called ice wine by VQA.

Henry of Pelham Estates Vineyards Sustainable Agriculture practises rather than organic. Grows crops of rye grass and daikon radish in between vines to breakdown and become organic compost and daikon roots punch in clay Uses chemicals sparingly and not at all two months prior to harvest. Works with consultant to choose chemicals which are gentler on the environment