Lundy Manor winery swings open its doors
Refurbished house on The Lane becomes home to estate winery
More often than not, success in business and most things in life is a product of preparation, lots of it and the staff at Niagara’s newest winery Lundy Manor Wine Cellars have been very busy making sure everything is a go.
Sure, there are some final touches, some landscaping to finish up, but they have hit the ground running since their opening in March of this year.
Meeting operations manager Mark Yuhasz and winemaker Adam Kern at the chateau explain that it’s been 0-100 km/hr since then.
Their station at the recent Cuvee was inundated with guests asking for information, tastings and their location.
Kern says the owners have been interested in starting a winery in Ontario, and to them, export and tourism is a big part of the business.
“They saw an opportunity being on Lundy’s Lane. You can draw from Niagara Falls with a seven-minute drive.”
“People that are in Niagara Falls can spend their day there and take a short trip here.”
The winery is west of Beechwood Road and many of us have probably passed the building over the years without much notice.
“It was someone’s house,” explains Kern. “In the late ’90s a German gentleman constructed the house, he did the work himself, he had visions of making it into a bed and breakfast maybe even a winery.”
The foundation and shell of the building were very well constructed, but it required a lot of remodelling.
“Orangey brick and stucco weren’t very nice,” says Kern.
“Rugs on the floor, wood panelling, it looked like a grandmother’s house.”
It’s taken over four years of renovations with landscaping and ponds and patios being added to elevate the sprawling estate from a former home to estate winery.
Kern, a Niagara college grad, recalls being the first employee, being in charge of the overall creation of the winery and estate. “It was exciting to do that.” A certified sommelier, Kern says it’s nice to have all the perspectives.
“If I’m making wine I need to understand every aspect of it. If I don’t know how someone is going to be serving it in a restaurant or enjoying it, then I’m missing out. I’ve got blinders on. That’s why I did that program.”
While they have 60 acres total, the existing Baco Noir had been neglected, so they’ve started the process of replanting some of the vines.
“It doesn’t match the wines the owners were used to drinking.”
So it’s Riesling and cold hardy varieties that will be able to survive, in one of the cooler areas of Niagara.
Kern looks forward to the fruit from the clay soil that dominates the property.
“Lots and lots of clay, but it tends to be one of the better soils in the region, great for drought tolerance.”
Even after those vines mature, they will still rely on the fruit from other farmers in Niagara.
“We’re trying to expand with good growers, and we’re proud we’re all Niagara fruit.”
“To get the quality we want, we have to draw from vineyards that have 20-, 30-year-old vines.
Currently, they have a modest portfolio of one red blend, three white wines and three dessert wines but expansion is planned with a vintage Sauvignon Blanc from what Kern describes as some of the best fruit in Niagara and expanding the red portfolio as well as a rosé.
But they’re willing to wait as some reds are mellowing out.
“We don’t want to rush the process.”
“At the end of the year, we’re excited with the reds.”
In the meantime, they pour samples of the 2016 Chardonnay.
Light yellow-gold in colour it comes across with a pleasant intensity on the nose.
While Kern says the wine spent several months in barrel it never comes across with the expected woody taste. Instead, it balances creaminess with lemony acidity to make a thoroughly enjoyable wine easy for lunch on the patio or late summer dinner.
Priced at $25.95 at the winery it should sell in droves as the spring and summer seasons arrive.
“We want people to come have a glass of wine and relax, we’re not pushing people to do flights, we have charcuterie and cheese boards to enjoy,” says Yuhasz.
“As magnificent as our chateau is it’s our hospitality that will make people comfortable.”