Hot new winery in Nova Scotia

[AlexForbes]

Hi,

I'm writing a story on the burgeoning NS wine scene for a Montreal magazine,

and I heard, from local sommelier and wine pro Mark DeWolf,

that there's a new winery opening soon. Apparently it will be

called Benjamin Bridge, and will be supervised by

Canada's premiere winery consultant Peter Gamble and his partner Ann

Sperling. I'd like to confirm this information. Does anyone

know anything about this or know how I can contact either Gamble or Sperling?

thanks very much!

[merlin]

Alexandra:

Isn't Ann Sperling the winemaker at Malivoire in the Niagara escarpment region?

Perhaps she has since left.

[AlexForbes]

that's the thing: from what I've heard she has signed on to try to make a sparkling méthode champenoise in NS....

[docsconz]

Is Nova Scotia good terroir for any particular varietal or type of wine? What are they trying to produce? How is it similar geologically and climatically to Champagne? It is not an intuitive choice to me.

[AlexForbes]

To answer your question, here's part of an interview I did with Mark de Wolf,

local wine pro, who owns a wine tour company:

1- When exactly were the first vines planted in NS? What kind were they?

There are a couple answers to that question. Chris Naugler in his book

the Nova Scotia Winegrowers Guide (published by Blue Frog Inc., 2002)

reported the first fines were planted in Nova Scotia as early as 1611 by

early French settlers (namely Louis Hebert). These cuttings were from

Bordeaux. However, the modern era of the Nova Scotia wine industry began

when Roger Dial and Dr. Norman Morse began experimenting with growing

grapes at Morse's property in Grand Pre. The early cuttings were a mix

of Vitis Amurensis and French American hybrid grapes. Dial would open

Nova Scotia's first farm winery, and had early success with a Vineland

(Ontario) cross known in Ontario with the distinctly unglamorous name of

V53261. Dial would release a wine under the name L'Acadie Blanc, in

honor of the French settlers of the region. The name stuck and since

been registered as an officially recognized grape. Dial also had some

early success making red wines with Michurinetz, a Vitis Vinifera and

Vitis Amurensis hybrid. Michurinetz has faired less well in long run

compared to L'Acadie Blanc, but a wonderful Rose is made by

Sainte-Famille vineyards and Jost Vineyards 1999 Michurinetz was in such

demand upon release, the winery was forced to raise the price to

$39.99/bottle.

2- Can the Annapolis Valley produce wines of the same quality as

Niagara wines?

The Annapolis Valley can produce wines of similar quality to Ontario

albeit of a different style. Nova Scotia's growing season and overall

climatic conditions make it suited to producing wines that are

distinctly Nova Scotia. Namely, L'Acadie Blanc and New York Muscat are

becoming known as our signature grapes. While in Ontario, these grapes

perform less well, in Nova Scotia both are used to make wines of

impressive character. L'Acadie makes particularly fine dry white wines;

the best exhibit green fruit character, a slight herbaceousness not

dissimilar to Sauvignon Blanc, hints of white flower and a slight

minerally/salty note that is reminscent of the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

Some argue, L'Acadie has the weight to handle oak maturation, but if not

done with a delicate touch, the oak overpower the grapes' subtle

character. Another grape of note is New York Muscat. New York Muscat

wines are made in an Alsatian style. Rich aromatics of rose petal,

grapefruit and lychee fruit fool unsuspecting consumers into thinking

they will be drinking a wine with some residual sugar. However, the

palate of New York Muscat based wines are invariably very dry. The

intense aromatics of this style, fresh acidity combined with the natural

weight of these wines make it Nova Scotia's most versatile food wine.

Particularly adept at matching with local seafood cooked with Thai

ingredients and techniques. Of course, Nova Scotia Icewine is on par

with the best of the world. Particularly version utilizing New York

Muscat and Vidal.

[docsconz]

Thank you, Alexandra. I will have to keep a look out for some of these wines. Do you have any idea where they tend to be available besides Nova Scotia? I would think I might be able to find some next time I am in Montreal.

[AlexForbes]

Hi again,

well, I found Peter Gamble, so i will soon know more about this new winery. NS wines rarely leave the province, because production is too small. Their biggest and best-organized winery is Domaine de Grand Pre - maybe they have something for sale at the SAQ?

cheers,

A.

[Shaya]

Hi,

I am Michael (Shaya's hubby) owner of Winemakeri Inc (NS), supplier to micro-wineries and home winemaking supply stores.

Just filling in some information that might be helpful:

1. Grand Pre is NS's 2nd largest winery; Jost is the largest.

2. Benjamin Ridge, owned by local lawyer and junior mining entrepeneur (Etruscan Resources TSX: EET), is set to open soon. Peter was involved as a winery consultant, and I believe Ann may also have been involved as a consulting winemaker (I know both well).

3. Three other wineries that recently opened in the last 1-2 years (but were generally overlooked by the media) are Gaspereau (owned by Jost) Petite Riviere and Bear River.

4. Correct on the whites mentioned as being most promising. L'Acadie Blanc is a favourite of mine and pairs extremely well with Atlantic shelfish. Promising reds include the French hybrids Marechel Foch, Lucy Kuhlman, and Leon Milllot (my indiginous favorite).

5. NS Wineries Link

6. NB is also active with several wineries up and running, although it is too early to tell which varietals will prosper. NB Wineries Link