ONTARIO’S FIRST SUB-REGION CLASSIFICATION
by Professor Hrayr Berberoglu.

February 7, 2007


Before the VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) was created in early 1980’s, there were no rules or regulations for wine production in Canada.

Once the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) was signed, Ontario wineries feared for their very existence and felt quality is the only solution to liven sagging sales. This realization prompted the need to create sensible rules and regulation in an attempt to produce wines of quality and standards on which consumers could rely. Viticultural area boundaries were established in the Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore, and Pelee Island. Niagara Peninsula is the largest and most famous of all with the most diverse soil and climatic conditions.

In the last decade another region started to plant grapes, the acreage of which has now grown to approximately 200 hectares (500 acres). The Prince Edward County on the northern shores of Lake Ontario will eventually be granted a regional recognition.

For a few years now winemakers of the Niagara Peninsula wineries realized that the region requires sub-classifications modeled after the French appellation controlee rules.

The Wine Council of Ontario was successful in obtaining research funding from the provincial government to determine boundaries of sub-appellations of Niagara Peninsula.

Last month, at long last, the government published the names of these sub-regions determined by a climatoligst.

They are:
Niagara Lakeshore
Niagara River
Four-Mile Creek
St. David’s Bench
Creek Shores
Lincoln Lakeshore
Beamsville Bench
20-Mile Bench
Short Hills Bench
Vinemount Ridge

As of yet, labels will not show above designations as wineries have been blending wines from all areas of the Niagara Peninsula.

Sub-appellation wines must be made exclusively from fruit grown within the boundaries set, and it will take at least a few years to establish a recognizable style. Niagara’s Beamsville Bench, Niagara Lakeshore and St David’s Bench have been producing remarkably stylish wines for some years now, and in my opinion the sub-appellations should have been established along these lines, rather than into 12 small and organoleptically difficult to determine areas.

French have determined sub-appellation boundaries by taste-testing wines. Winemakers treated fruit originating in these parts wine due respect and differently to stress and emphasize their particular flavour profiles.

It is hoped that these new sub-appellations will soon evolve the same way as Beamsville Bench and others.

Hrayr Berberoglu took early retirement after lecturing on restaurant management and conducting wine, beer and spirits seminars for over a quarter of a century.

Now he consults and writes to increase wine, beer and liquor awareness. He conducts seminars and would be pleased to consider your requests. To peruse the list of his published books and order please contact him at hirayrberberoglu_3@sympatico.ca

Hryar Berberoglu www.littlefatwino.com