Invest in Nova Scotia Wines

Cuttings from the Vineyard

"Grape Expectations": Winemaking in Nova Scotia
Cheap land and climate change foster a fast-growing winemaking industry in Nova Scotia. By Andrea Jezovit

...Encouraged by (Roger) Dial, a few small wineries opened in the 1980s, growing mostly little-known varieties like l'Acadie. But they failed to build momentum until 2001, when the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. cut red tape that had held back would-be winery owners for years, and featured Nova Scotia bottles prominently on store shelves. The Winery Association of Nova Scotia formed the following year. Grape acreage also increased. The value of land for vineyards in the Annapolis and Gaspereau valleys, though still a bargain compared to that of Niagara and the Okanagan, has increased by 50% to an average of $2,500–$3,500 per acre in the past five years, doubling or tripling in some cases. Vintners are now beginning to plant in new areas like the LaHave Valley.

After four years of test crops at Benjamin Bridge, Brisbois and Gamble have been won over by Nova Scotia's potential. The vineyard has produced season after season of pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, varieties that had not done well in the province in the past, and they've met the same strict standards for ripeness and acidity as grapes in Champagne. It's something Gamble hasn't seen anywhere else in Canada, not to mention in the best sparkling wine regions of California. "Nova Scotia is unbelievably close to the climate of Champagne," he says. Tony Aspler, author of The Wine Atlas of Canada, says Benjamin Bridge is on the right track. "What can do really well in the region is sparkling wines, because you don't need the grape to be fully ripe," he says. "You need that good acidity."....

Read the complete article at CanadianBusiness.com

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What does it take to make superior ice wine?

"Timing and temperature, with Nature firmly of your side" says Hans Christian Jost.

To make ice wine you need juice pressed from grapes that have been subjected to temperatures of at least -8C for a couple of days.

In early winter 2006, a warm spell was causing serious concern for winemaker Hans Christian Jost's ice wine crop. Then a snap cold hit the province between Christmas and New Year's, enabling grape grower John Warner to harvest wine-ready grapes. The grapes were spectacular – flavourful and aromatic. They produced a superior ice wine for Jost, one that won a double gold at the prestigious Tasters Guild International wine judging competition – the highest award presented.

Knowledge and experience paid off, with help from Mother Nature, Nova Scotia-style.