The Eureka moment hit Drea Scotland while the winemaker was tending to two different grapes at a vineyard in Prince Edward County: one famous and one you’ve probably never heard of.
The famous grape, Chardonnay, is native to France but now grows from California to New Zealand and beyond — it is the most-planted white wine grape in the world. The Chardonnay growing in this particular Ontario field, however, was struggling.
A growing number of winemakers are turning away from the better known grape varietals in favour of lesser-known hybrids — or different fruits altogether.
More cold-tolerant European varietals would require more spaying and chemicals to be viable.
Revel Cider’s Tariq Ahmed is focused on representing the entire biodiversity of Ontario. His business ferments as many as 200 drinks a year.
One criteria for achieving a VQA designation is which grape varietals are used, a list that skews heavily European.