Ontario wine industry begins with the grape growers: meet the Wiley’s
Wine is, first and foremost, an agricultural business. For every glass of wine you drink, there is a hard-working farmer growing grapes used to make that wine.
In a way, these grape-growers are the unsung heroes of the wine industry. Without them, there would be no wine at your table.
Dave Wiley (left, the dad), me and Phil Wiley (right) at their farm near St. Catharines, Ontario
I recently had the opportunity to meet Phil and Dave Wiley, a father-son duo who are farmers and grape-growers based in Niagara. Dave, the father, also has a daughter who is a winemaker for Megalomaniac, a Niagara winery. I met the Wiley family at their farm near St. Catharines, Ontario. The Wiley’s may be best known for their popular Wiley’s Pure Juices product.
Wiley’s vines earlier this spring, before budding
According to the Grape Growers of Ontario, there are about 500 grape-growers in Ontario.
On their website, they provide some insightful statistics. The industry is much broader than the growers. There are suppliers for the vineyard equipment, trucking and shipping and warehousing the grapes. Also, consider there are many employees who work at the wineries, and beyond.
Here are some interesting numbers in Ontario:
- About 500 growers
- 18,000 grape-bearing acres, with nearly 14,000 acres in Niagara under vine
- Nearly 200 wineries
- Economic impact from tourism is more than $1 Billion
- 50+ kinds of grapes grown in Ontario
Ontario is considered a “cool climate” growing region (vs a warm climate such as Australia). There are certain grapes that do well here and that includes varieties. Some of the most popular grapes grown in Ontario include:
- White wine grapes: chardonnay and riesling
- Red wine grapes: cabernet sauvignon, gamay, merlot, pinot noir and vidal (ice wine)
For information about VQA Wines and Wineries, visit: VQAOntario.
Shannon Skinner is an inspirational writer, speaker and TV host and producer. You can watch her interviews at ExtraordinaryWomenTV.com and travel writing here on her blog, as well as other publications.
