Riesling

The name Deiss may ring quite a bell for lovers of Alsacian wine, as Mathieu's father, Marcel, has managed to create quite a good reputation for his Domaine in Bergheim.

Today, Mathieu and uncle Jean-Michel are in charge of the vinification at the domaine, but luckily for us, Mathieu partnered up with a certain Emmanuelle in 2013.

François is determined to put Ontario on the world wide wine map as a serious player in the cool climate wine game! Learning his craft at some highly regarded domaines in Burgundy, he came home to Niagara and began making wine the way he believed it should be made. Everything is organic, although not certified, and the wines are allowed to flow with whatever nature throws at us. But that doesn't mean lazy winemaking - the physical processes are keenly monitored, and no flaws or impurities make it past François into the cellar.

Pierre Frick is a man before his time. Having already converted his vines to organic in the 1970's, he achieved biodynamic status in 1981, several decades before the 'movement' began. Pierre and his wife Chantal grow Riesling, Gerwurztraminer, Pinot Gris and a small planting of Pinot Noir. Several biodynamic preparations are made in accordance to the lunar calendar and the duo takes care to apply less than 1kg of copper per ha each year. The majority of the wines we carry contain no added SO2.

Cascina degli Ulivi or 'House of Olives' and it's owner Stefano Bellotti have built themselves quite a reputation in the world of Vin Naturel. Stefano began his path as a vigneron with only 1ha of organic parcels in 1977. The farm also had plantations of other agricutlural products such as cereals and vegetables, but he realised that these weren't thriving in the terroir and this shifted his focus to the vines. By 1984 Stefano was ahead of fashion, applying herb manure composts to the vines along with other biodynamic practices.

Hans Muller and Lotte Pfeffer-Muller are vignerons that have got it right in Rheinhessen. Their work shows commitment and respect for their terroir, even if it makes them stand out amongst their neighbours. They were certified Biodynamic in 2008 but in reality the vineyards have been farmed organically since the days of their parents in the late 70's. Even more impressively, they agreed to lower their SO2 levels to ZERO for their Riesling Trocken, Dienheim Riesling trocken, Scheurebe and Spätburgunder a few years ago, and we are so proud of having their wines in our stock!

Marc used to live in a cave set into the Vosges mountains. He began his journey into wine making as a lab technician for a company that controls appellations in France (INAO). He later moved further into the vineyard, responsible for selecting lieu-dits and potential grand crus. The job gave him good insight into who were getting things right and who were getting things wrong in the region. In 1993 Marc and his wife Anne-Marie established their own domaine, formed of plots previously belonging to their parents.