Westcott Vineyards Pinot Noir

Having enjoyed global careers in banking and tech, Grant Westcott and Carolyn Hurst knew they weren't the retiring kind. With Carolyn being a native of the Niagara region (E.L. Crossley High represent!) and a passionate oenophile, and Grant being a former cattle farmer in his younger years and no stranger to working the land, purchasing and running a vineyard seemed like the perfect way for the couple to combine their passions and finally bet on themselves. Initially thinking they would grow grapes and sell them to other wineries, they started with a vision of the type of wine they would love to help to create. After consulting with local experts and winemaking trailblazers and being inspired by the cool climate Chardonnays and Pinots coming out of Moira Vineyard at Malivoire, 13th Street, Flat Rock and the Le Clos Jordan vineyards, they planted twenty-eight acres of grapes and were on their way!

As time went on, however, they realized that they wanted to produce their own wine under their own Westcott Vineyards label. Winemaker Arthur Harder joined them to take their precious grapes and create their first vintage in 2012. In true “garagistes" style, their first wines were made in their equipment barn while the pair worked their way through the permit process for the main winery building.

They continued their study of cool climate viticulture and were fortunate to have their son, Garett Westcott, join them in the vineyard and Alain Sutre guide their viticulture practices the next year. Construction on the main building (which features a reclaimed 200-year old timber frame and foundation from a barn several kilometers away) began in the fall of 2013. The tasting room was opened in July 2014 and their daughter, Victoria Westcott, joined the team to lead the customer experience.

Grant and Carolyn are excited about the promise their wines are showing and strive to improve every year, constantly growing and listening - to the earth, the grapes, and their customers. They are at 3180 17th Street, in Jordan Station, waiting for you to join them and share a glass of wine.

Pinot Noir,

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Earth, woodsy and smoky, this delightfully rich update on our earlier vintages greatly benefits from our whole cluster native fermentations. The oak is muted encouraging fresh fruit flavours of blackberry, violet, sweet spice and black liquorice to tantalize the palette, while pleasant tannins and bright accents of vanilla, toast and dark berries ensure things finish on a high note.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight on the Red Wines of the America’s Blog

For our final wine of the America’s, we head to the Northernmost country on the entire landmass, Commonwealth member Canadia. Sorry, Canada. With all of the political turmoil in the world stemming from largest economy in the America’s, we have been getting asked more and more for non-US wines and fitting the bill, Westcott winery has been one of the winners of the boycott.

Canadia isn’t the first place you would think of for wine, but they do make it and what I have tried has been very good. Sorry, Canada, it just hasn’t got that ring to it. Despite its huge landmass, Canada only produces a volume comparable to 2% of the wine flowing from the US. A lot of the production is based on crisp Rieslings, punchy Cabernet blends and the ever rarer ice wines. We currently haven’t got any of these styles from Canada so the choices are limited, Here is a Pinot Noir that should scratch the itch for an Oregon or maybe even a leaner Santa Barbara style Pinot Noir.

Westcott Vineyards are based in Niagara, just across the bay from Toronto. This is the most prolific wine producing region in Canada, centred around the Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario. These large bodies of water are essential for quality viticulture, the climate here is continental with red hot summers and freezing winters. The Niagara Escarpment, where Westcott’s Vineyards are located, is a limestone ridge that runs through the area, shelters vineyards from colder influences from the south, and instead the vineyards enjoy a long, sunny growing season.

The Westcott operation was started up by Grant Westcott and Carolyn Hurst. This pair had previously been in banking and tech before making the transition to vineyards. Though this may sound like an odd switch, this is how a lot of North American wineries come about. Carolyn is from Ontario and is a self-described wine fanatic whereas Grants early years were spent working the land as a cattle farmer, so the pair weren’t complete strangers to the world of farming and wine. The original aim of the vineyards was to grow grapes to sell to other wineries which started with a vision of the type of wine they would love to help to create. It was not long until the pair were making their own wines instead with winemaker, Arthur Harder, joining the team and releasing their first vintage in 2012.

This Pinot Noir is sourced from Westcott’s Home Farm Vineyard with the fermentation carried out by wild yeasts, capturing the pure essence of the Niagara terroir. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 22 months in old French oak to preserve its elegance and structure. The result is a cherry tart scented wine with enough opulence to match BBQ ribs, the savouriness to match mushrooms and the acidity to cut through lamb fat.