We are a family owned garagiste winery. Our focus is handcrafting small batch ferments. We welcome you to enjoy our stunning views in a relaxed atmosphere with wine by the glass, craft beer, wood fired pizza, and wood fire grill meals. As well as purchase wine from the farmgate to enjoy in your own home.
Our family of seven moved into our home on 14.5 acres in 2009. It did not take long for us to realize that our fields were situated on a beautiful south facing slope. After testing the terroir and watching frost patterns we decided to plant vinifera grapes. Why not? We already spent our free time foraging, making maple syrup and working the great outdoors. The first planting started in 2011 with 500 Chardonnay plants and 500 Pinot Noir plants. In 2012, we planted the same number increasing us to 2000 plants. Once we decided that making wine would be our next move the succeeding steps were clear to oblige with government rules. A large tree line was removed to open up our fields, car size rocks were buried deeper into our ground to prepare the land for 6.3 acres of planted grapes. In 2013 we added Vidal grapes and trellis wire to keep the grapes happy.
This all came with a lot of support from friends and family and a very large learning curve. We are very thankful.
A labour of love is an understatement. It was a big job getting this far and now we had to get to the grind of learning and doing what it took to open a winery and make wine, but not just any wine. We wanted to create small batch, handcrafted, Burgundian style wines. They needed to be adored at first glance, smell, taste. As one open door lead to another Francois began working harvest seasons for Norman Hardie from 2011 onward. He is mentored by one of Ontario’s greatest wine makers. Anything Francois puts his hand to doing is of the highest quality and his passion is portrayed in his results. His wines are no exception, nor is his cooking! Our first vintage was from our 2013 Chardonnay in which we bottled in the fall of 2014.
This was a turning point in our business. Over the winter of ’14-15 we had taken a long term plan which included a grand winery facility with all the bells and whistles of a tasting room and indoor/outdoor dining and decided to humbly open our doors for wine bottle sales from our garage. A garagiste. This sounded way too cool and we dove right in. With all t’s crossed we opened our doors on August 28th 2015. By the second weekend we were serving folks wine by the glass and offering Bruschetta and Charcuterie so they could enjoy the spectacular views over Sand Lake and the rolling vineyard. We still offer folks the views as well as a walk about the yard through the sculpture garden but the dining experience has escaladed to wood fired pizza during any open hours and wood fire grill meals on week end evenings. We are honoured to offer Westport residents and visitors another place to enjoy good company, good food, beautiful wines and gorgeous surroundings.
