Canadian Wine Insider – December 2024

The Fourteen Most Promising New Canadian Wineries in 2024

By David Lawrason

Each June at the National Wine Awards of Canada, I spend time in the back room among the 2,000 entries — snap tasting and snapping labels I have never seen before. Many are new brands, or graphic remakes, from existing wineries. But I only log those that appear to be new wineries, virtual or otherwise. In 2024 there were 39, from across Canada. In the weeks that followed I visited as many as possible in B.C. and Ontario. This end of year wrap-up is focused on the most promising, based on medal performance at the National Wine Awards, and my own tastings. In alphabetical order…

1 Mill Road

Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley. B.C.
2 Gold, 2 Silver NWAC 2024
1 Mill Road leapt off the page as I watched results of the National Wine Awards roll in. It is a highly pedigreed project owned by veteran Australia-trained Ben Bryant and partner, Katie Truscott. Bryant came to the Okanagan in 2017 as head winemaker for Mission Hill, while Okanagan-raised Katie returned home after a career in wine journalism in South Africa, to work at Kitch Wines in Kelowna. The winery is located in the cavernous Naramata wine vault and it was previously owned by Cynthia and David Enns, formerly of Laughing Stock. It is singularly focused on pinot noir, from two Naramata sites, the Home Block, a tiny 1.5-acre site planted in 2013. It is indeed the essence of the place and the best wine in the portfolio — a delightful and serious pinot. The Block 2 site is adjacent to the former Paradise Ranch and produces a slightly riper style. I also really like the 2023 Pinot Noir Rosé. What’s most interesting about this project is the minimalist approach, with all wines under 13% alcohol. The balance and flavour profiles are exemplary and bang-on for B.C. There is no tasting room. Sales are an online only.

3Benches Estate Winery

Keremeos, Similkameen Valley, B.C.
3 Bronze NWAC 2024
Teresa Crockett is very proud of the three bronze medals awarded during her family winery’s debut at the WineAlign National Wine Awards. She is a very switched-on wine student-advocate-sensory driven WSET Diploma grad. She is also a lawyer employed by the Canadian government, commuting often between Ottawa and her family’s generational organic orchard and vineyard in the Similkameen. It is adjacent to fine sites like Clos du Soleil and Corcelettes. The 21-acre property, organic since 1980, cascades down three shallow benches to the valley floor, with vines planted on all three stages. Teresa and her winemaker brother, Jon (OK College, UC Davis), manage the property, winery and tasting room, with wine being a focus since 2018 when the family passed it on. But due to Covid the winery only opened in 2023. The range encompasses the mainstay B.C. varieties, with NWAC bronze medals going to riesling, pinot gris and pinot noir. My favourites while tasting https://ailmestate.com/with Teresa were the Benchmark Bordeaux reds, informing and confirming my impression that the Similkameen benches are a special place in Canada for reds based on merlot and cabernets. There were some experiments with gruner veltliner, malbec and viognier from vineyards that did not make it through the January 20 freeze out. But 80% of their organic vineyard survived. “We are farmers,” she said, “so we hunker down.”

Ailm Estate

South Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, B.C.
Did not enter NWAC 2024
Ailm is an important project from a large vineyard in south Kelowna owned by the Stewart Family, which also owns Quails’ Gate. In the works for years, its first releases are available right now, with three wines out of the gate. The 2021 Blanc de Blanc is a delightful, fruity and rich yet elegant 100% chardonnay that took best of show at the Calgary Canadian Culinary Championship qualifier in November. The two other wines include a structured, complex Blanc de Noir 2020 — 82% pinot noir, 19% chardonnay — and the Connemara 2018, a prestige and very profound merlot-cabernet-syrah blend that moves over from the Quails’ Gate portfolio. The wines are made at Quails Gate by Kailee Frasch. The back story on the Irish heritage and unusual name — pronounced ahh-lim — are explained at ailmestate.com.

Birch Block Vineyard

Kaleden, Okanagan Valley, B.C.
Did not enter NWAC 2024
Birch Block Vineyard was the surprise discovery during a Thanksgiving tour of new B.C. wineries. I spied and purchased the Pinot Noir Rosé at Cask & Barrel in West Kelowna (always my first stop for what’s new). I was so impressed that I followed my nose to a tasting with Murray and Sarah Bancroft at their Okanagan home and four-acre organic vineyard in Kaleden, on the benches above the west shore of Skaha Lake. Murray is a chef, product development and culinary marketer; Sarah is a media professional. They have spent time in Champagne, Burgundy and California and have applied their collective talents and taste to a fine portfolio of texture-first wines based on pinot noir. In my five days in the Okanagan I tasted this rose three times, drawn to its subtle, complex flavours, and textural integration of richness and freshness. This also carries into their Endless Summer Rosé sold in a can, two pét-nats including one from cab franc, and two pinot noirs. And even a 9% alcohol piquette, a category that had not previously rung my bell. Murray draws his winemaking inspiration from Blue Mountain, purchasing cuttings to start his vineyard in 2016, and purchasing neutral barrels from the iconic Okanagan Falls estate. He is making wine as food. “I have been drinking wine with meals all my life,” he said, “a daily event that informs what I do.”

Gneiss Wines

District Wine Village, Oliver, B.C.
1 Bronze NWAC 2024
Gneiss is a particular soil type composed of quartz, granite and feldspar, found in the landmark McIntyre Bluff in the Okanagan Valley. Gneiss, the winery, put a toe in the water at the NWAC 2024, taking bronze for a pinot noir. Enough to pique my curiosity and pay a visit in October where I discovered that was the tip of the iceberg. It is one of several micro-wineries housed in the District Wine Village north of Oliver. It was launched by Okanagan Falls friends Max Brock and Matt Kenyon, the latter having deep family wine roots in B.C. Max however, passed away shortly they founded the winery. Matt then sought out Mike Daley, a veteran winery operations manager who is also one of the creators of the District Wine Village. On my visit, I discovered a range of very good bright, varietal whites and profound reds. Among whites I was most impressed by the dilly/grassy Sauvignon Blanc 2022 and a complex, structured pinot gris from Naramata. The aces in the hole, however, are the big Bordeaux reds sourced from the Inkameep Vineyard on the eastern benches of Oliver. The Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is one of the ripest, best cabs I have experienced from the South Okanagan; the merlot-based blend called The Chief is not far behind. Here’s hoping they are submitted to the NWAC in 2025.

The Grange of Prince Edward

Hillier, Prince Edward County, Ont.
1 Silver, 3 Bronze NWAC 2024
A rosy revival is afoot at The Grange of Prince Edward. This historic Victorian barn winery on Closson Road near Hillier somehow embodies Ontario’s Prince Edward County. It was among the pioneers when it opened in 2003, with serious ambition and certainly the largest vineyard at the time, daringly planted to Burgundian varieties like pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris and gamay. The Granger family made it happen, helping fuel my interest in moving to the region in 2005, if only for five years. Quality of viticulture and winemaking, however, began a slide in the 2010s. But the winery is being reborn. County-raised Mike Peddlsen returned in 2022 to refurbish the vineyards he planted 20 years earlier. Equally County experienced winemaker, Jonas Newman, of neighbouring Hinterland, is updating the winery and classic barrel cellar beneath the magnificent barn. Sommelier and marketing pro, Marlise Ponzo, is applying a brand-new face. The 2023 Estate range of pinot, chardonnay, gamay, cabernet franc and rosé features wines that are vibrant, a bit edgy and impressive. Foremost, they express new confidence, with classic County energy and minerality. And that is heartening for this long-time observer, and for the County as a whole.

JoiRyde Winery

Oliver, Okanagan Valley, B.C.
1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze NWAC 2024
Best friends and business partners Daphne Scromeda and Stacey Allen were at loose ends when Covid shut down their spin studio. Over a bottle or two of wine they hatched a plan to launch their own all-women winery. With a background in wine marketing, Scromeda built a plan to lease space at the District Wine Village winery incubator, purchase grapes and hire winemaker Calli Bailey, a graduate of the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute in Niagara, Ont., who has experience in New Zealand and top Okanagan wineries. JoiRyde opened in 2023, entered the NWAC in 2024 and struck gold with the 2022 Syrah from Golden Mile Bench. They are also making pristine sauvignon, pinot noir rosé and several red Bordeaux blends. With the 2023 vintage, from old-vine fruit at the nearby Inkameep vineyard, the merlot, cabernet sauvignon and a blend called Chancellor are excellent. In the fall of 2024 they, like many others, were off to purchase fruit in Washington. What struck me most was the energy behind this JoiRyde. Glad I am not in their spin classes!

Lakeboat Vineyard/The Wine Umbrella

Kaleden, Okanagan Valley, B.C.
1 Gold NWAC 2024
Elegant Lake Okanagan steamers were the main freight and passenger link between Kelowna and Penticton from 1882 to 1973. Tara Mathison’s fascination makes them the motif of her winery in Kaleden, a small, sub-appellation (not yet VQA official) with about 300 acres on the benches and in the gullies above the western shore of Skaha Lake, south of Penticton. She purchased maturing vineyards and buildings from Top Shelf Winery, renovated the facilities, and opened Lakeboat in 2021. She hired sommelier and wine educator Mireille Sauvé as winemaking consultant. Sauvé is known for her one-wine-per-vintage bottlings under The Wine Umbrella, which raises funds for Les Dames d’Escoffier’s Scholarship Fund. The Lakeboat wines are flavourful and well balanced, with the pinot gris shown here getting closest to defining a firm, even Kaleden style, along with a fragrant, deep Merlot 2021. The three-acre merlot site on the property succumbed to the January 20 freeze and will be replanted. Sauvé’s Wine Umbrella bottlings are more idiosyncratic, with her superb Co-Syrah 2020 taking a NWAC gold, and an intriguing 2023 Carmenere in the wings.

Last House Vineyard

Prince Edward County, Ont.
Did not enter NWAC
Last House is actually the first house (and vineyard) on Huyck’s Point Road, and one of the latest wineries to chase serious pinot noir and chardonnay in the limestone soils in Prince Edward County. A small one-plus acre plot was a hobby project for retired grocery executive Andre Gagné and his family in 2015. It sits right on the Lake Ontario shoreline, delaying bud break and extending the fall ripening season. He added four more acres in 2018 and partnered with PEC pioneer Geoff Heinricks as winemaking consultant. Fermented with wild yeasts, unfined and unfiltered, these are complex, well-structured and concentrated wines that immediately join the best in the County. Labeling is unorthodox, well actually Burgundian, as Gagne does not name grape varieties, instead using place — Hiller Blanc and Rouge. His childrens’ names designate the older vineyard, and Petit Hillier wines are from the younger block. Scintillating traditional method sparkling, skin-fermented chardonnay and estate ciders round out the range. Visits and sales are by appointment only, but well worth making.

Liebling Wines

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Did not enter NWAC
Though they launched their first vines this year, the Oppenlander siblings Jess (winemaker), Alison (marketing), Aaron, Michael and Danny (viticulture) did not enter the National Wine Awards. I discovered Liebling Wines when their very good 2022 Riesling showed up at Vintages in November and so I paid a visit. The wine is made within an enterprise called Colab, wherein virtual labels are made by different winemakers at Marynissen winery. I liked the sauvignon blanc and particularly the Cabernet Franc 2022. Not only is the winemaking promising, the Oppenlanders have a world of fruit to select from. Father Mattias has created one of the largest, most efficient growing operations in Niagara. The family owns or oversees over 1,500 acres, largely in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The name Leibling is the nickname their oma gave her favourite son. It means “the darling one.” The wines are sold online and at the Marynissen retail store.

MW Cellars

Niagara-on-the-Lake. ON
4 Silver, 1 Bronze NWAC 2024
MW is Marty Werner, whose name also appears at the end of this piece as the owner of York Vineyards. Werner is a Niagara veteran at the peak of his game. He made his name as the winemaker at Ravine and has recently founded importer Northern Wine Merchants. He recognized that Ontario restaurants need a line of high-quality, lower-priced Niagara wines to pour by the glass. Thus, MW Cellars was born. As I tasted the range of usual suspects like sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, gamay, pinot noir and cabernet franc, I was stunned by the value quotient. I was also intrigued by a trio of less-seldom-seen whites that brimmed with vitality and varietal authenticity — an aligoté, pinot blanc and semillon. The secret here is not just Marty’s winemaking ability but his access to mature vineyard sites, largely in Niagara-on-the-Lake. His relationship with these growers has prompted him to make a series of higher end one-off wines under the League of Farmers brand. The wines are sold online, direct to restaurants, and available in a retail space shared with Ironwood Cidery on the Lakeshore Road near Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Stoss Lee Wines

Prince Edward County, Ont.
1 Silver NWAC 2024
The County keeps attracting the dreamers, creators and can-doers. Brother and sister Kyle and Zoe Marshall Nares have planted a small vineyard and apple orchard on Gilead Lane near Bloomfield, complete with a charming outdoor picnic area. They do it all themselves, and their energy and authenticity are apparent in every glass of their Stoss Lee Wines and Stock & Row Cider. The site sits on a rare south-facing glacial drumlin planted in 2020. The winemaking is sustainable and low-intervention. Estate production is tiny (only eight barrels in 2022, doubling in 2023) so they have purchased grapes from the mature Cuesta Vineyard on Niagara Twenty Mile Bench to amp up, and the wines are excellent. The 2022 Cuesta Chardonay silvered at the 2024 National Wine Awards of Canada. Fine 2023 cabernet franc is coming soon. The easy transference between wine and cider seems so au naturel, an expression of place. I love the Stock & Row Lime Crush cider and others that can found at some LCBO stores. Kyle is a chef in Montreal, so the marketing focus is skewed to Quebec for now. Hopefully in future they can supply markets east and west on the 401 corridor. But you can drop by the bucolic farm property anytime to experience and purchase.

Watchful Eye Winery

Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula. ON
1 Gold, 2 Bronze NWAC 2024
It is a curious name for a winery. But a visit to this family farm and winery — it sits dramatically on the bank of Lake Ontario — reveals the truth in the name and ethos. The George family has lived here for eight generations, with the land granted to them by the English crown in 1796. So watchful pride of heritage indeed. Ninety acres are under vine, with the family managing another 110 acres. Cousins Will George and Chris Barthen kept their day jobs in the viticultural world while launching the brand in 2023. The wine is made under contract at a nearby winery. They entered the NWAC for the first time and took gold for their Cabernet Franc 2022. There are only five wines currently on the docket, with a sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, two cabernet francs and a rare deeply hued rosé from the dornfelder grape. The retail space is closed for the winter, but wines can be ordered online.

York Vineyards

St. David’s, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
Did not enter NWAC 2024
The stone house, built in 1818 on York Road east of St. David’s, seeps structure and history. With a six-acre vineyard gently running uphill from the road to the forested escarpment, it feels like a soul spot for Niagara wine. Martin Werner (see MW Cellars above) has restored the house and opened an appointment-only tasting room that showcases the sparkling wines that he has been in the making since 2013. They have been developed with Peter Gamble, Canada’s leading winery start-up consultant with at least 10 wineries in Ontario, Nova Scotia and B.C. under his belt. As Gamble puts it, “a lot of years, tastings, details and passion have gone into that opening line-up.” There are five traditional method wines being released, with two less expensive brut non-vintage based on pinot gris, including an amphora-aged 2018. The more expensive chardonnay and pinot-based tier begins with a 100% pinot Brut Rosé, a Brut Reserve Blanc de Noir led by wood-matured chardonnay and pinot noir with five years on lees and a no-dosage 100% chardonnay Blanc de Blancs aged 10 years on lees. These the highest-priced sparkling wines ever made in Canada. So clearly ambitious, but sure to help put Niagara sparkling on the map. This year the Brut Reserve won Decanter magazine’s top prize in a competition of sparkling wines from the Americas.

And that’s a wrap for 2024. Clearly, great confidence in Canadian wine continues to build. The most glaring proof is the number of quality-focused new wineries detailed here. I know there are more that I have not covered above, and I urge you to be in touch.

From January 30 to February 1, 2025, I hope to be highlighting several of these new Ontario wineries at the Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa — a great wine winter weekend in the nation’s capital. Visit http://greatkitchenparty.com/ca. And bring your skates!

David Lawrason