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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-09-09, Page 13Wednesday, September 9, 2015 • Huron Expositor 13 Maelstrom Winery has an eight -acre vineyard approximately 5 km from Seaforth. Jim and Catherine Landsborough opened up Huron County's first winery. Say hello to Huron County's first winery Shaun Gregory An experiment in 2009 to see if a test plot of grape vines could subsist in Huron County's cold climate com- manded not only the sur- vival of the plants, but also led to the first registered winery in the region and the only place in the province that produces a mutated cold hardy grape. To be successful in the wine production business, it takes time, effort and, above everything, a large investment of funding. Catherine Landsborough, who is settled between the South Maitland River and the Bayfield River approxi- mately 5 km from Seaforth, decided with her husband Jim Landsborough six years ago to take a chance and transform a once cattle pas- ture into something diverse. "The conservation area does not like you using that land for grazing because the risk of polluting the whole system, so we looked for something that wouldn't damage the ecosystem and vines were it," said Lands - borough, referring to the closeness of the river. After waiting patiently for approximately three to four years for the vines to pro- duce both viable grapes and a profit, the Maelstrom Winery is now fully func- tioning and harvesting. At the moment, the vineyard sits on eight acres of land filled with sandy hills We still get people saying well you can't grow that here (Huron County), yeah you would be surprised what you can grow here," —Landsborough said confidently followed by rows upon rows of grape vines. The property does not come cheap stated Landsbor- ough, with each acre cost- ing in the range of $25,000. To make things more diffi- cult, everything must be hand-picked because the landscape being jagged. Furthermore, this process is what Landsborough con- siders the best way to serve the community with supe- rior quality wine. The success of the only winery in Huron County did not come with positive feed- back when the project first proceeded. Subsequently Seaforth and the region receive bleak winters, which Landsborough calls a "death sentence" for the vines. Not everybody accepted the business venture with open arms. "We still get people saying Some of the grapes available at Maelstrom Winery that will eventually be turned into wine. well you can't grow that here (Huron County), yeah you would be surprised what you can grow here," Landsbor- ough said confidently. The Landsboroughs are going against the odds and proving that they can grow in Huron County, a land that some believe is an unbearable habitat for vines. That same land is what created Frontenac Blanc, a white wine that originally came from the University of Minnesota in their testing vineyard. This type of dark blue -fruited mutation makes the Mael- strom Winery the only place in Ontario to produce such vines. The Frontenac is cur- rently out selling Chardon - nay 4-1, a wine that is con- sidered to be the highest selling white wine in the world. Jan Hawley, Huron East's economic development officer, said the Maelstrom Winery will enhance tourism and, being the only one of its kind in Huron County, is another "dimension of agriculture." "It's very gratifying, we have our wonderful meats, cheeses and produce. What we have here right in our own backyard, you can all sit down and have a toast with Huron County wine," Hawley said. "Hats off to the Landsboroughs. This didn't just happen. Since 2009, they've been working on this." Next year, Maelstrom Win- ery plans to build a tasting room and are looking into potentially having an official grand opening party when harvest comes. For any questions or more informa- tion, go to the website www. maelstromwinery.ca