The Citizen, 2019-04-25, Page 2PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019.
In a matter of weeks, Adam and
Carrie Durand will be launching
Cornerfield Wine Company just
south of Bayfield, becoming Huron
County’s third established winery.
Carrie is a Blyth native, the
daughter of Rod and Debbie Ansley,
who has worked as a dental
hygienist for years. Her husband
Adam is a developer who owns his
own business and it was a slow
summer five years ago that steered
them towards something new and
the world of wine.
The couple took notice of the
Huron County-commissioned wine
study penned by viticulture
consultant Richard Fitoussi and for
them it came along at the perfect
time. They were looking for
something new and it seemed as
though Huron County was also on
the cusp of its next horizon.
Not only did the Durands take
interest, but they also connected
with their own consultant from the
Niagara region about the potential
for grape-growing on their 130-acre
Bluewater Highway property just
south of Bayfield.
From there, it didn’t take long for
the Durands to get set up. They
planted 200 test vines to see the
results before they invested too
heavily. They liked what they saw
(and tasted) and continued to add
incrementally every year. Now they
have just over five and a half acres of
vines planted with their eye on
expansion if all goes well this
summer.
Adam says that he and Carrie
began the process on their own –
once they had received
consultation – but soon realized that
the project was bigger than them and
they needed help.
Working with Steve Byfield, a
winemaker out of the Niagara region
who has worked with Coffin Ridge
Winery near Owen Sound, the
Durands saw their project take on a
new life in the hands of an expert.
Adam and Carrie would handle
the growing and the harvest and then
essentially hand the crops over to
Byfield who would do the rest.
With all of the grapes now
harvested and through the
fermentation process, Cornerfield
will be bottling its first official run of
wine in the coming weeks and
opening to the public in early May.
Since the company is only
planning on 650 cases of wine, the
bottling process should only take
between two and three days, Adam
said.
For their first offering, they will
have six varieties of wine for the
public to try: three whites (a riesling,
a chardonnay and The Farmer and
Frenchman, a Huron County white),
two reds (a cabernet merlot blend
and a marechal foch) and one blush
(called a pale red).
Since they are bottling such a
small amount of wine for their first
time, they are hoping to get to
Thanksgiving, but also know that if
they are successful, that may not
necessarily happen.
The wine varieties will be the
product of grapes that are perfect for
the North American climates,
resilient to temperatures as low as
-30°C or -40°C. If Cornerfield were
to attempt to grow European grape
varieties, for example, the weather
this past winter would have
definitely killed off the crop.
As far as getting their product out
to thirsty Huron County residents
and tourists, the Durands are
planning to create a small
destination winery at their location.
They have obtained a by-the-glass
permit to sell wine at a small bar in
their facility, or allow visitors to tour
the vineyard or the rest of the
grounds. There aren’t currently any
plans to supply their wine to local
restaurants or sell at farmers’
markets, but those decisions will be
dictated by the season’s success.
The Durands say their hopes are
high. They have sampled what
they’ll soon be bottling and they feel
they have something special to add
to the burgeoning wine, beer and
cider culture in Huron County.
They also feel that they are lucky
with a great location to catch tourists
driving up Highway 21 between
Grand Bend, Bayfield, Goderich and
beyond.
And while the Durands have
chosen to name their wine
Cornerfield, they have an acclaimed
Scotch whisky to thank.
While attending a celebration of
Robbie Burns Night at the Black
Dog Pub in Bayfield, they tried a
Scotch from the Glasgow area called
Auchentoshan, which, when
translated from Gaelic, means
“corner of the field”. The couple
chose the name from over 30 they
had been considering.
As for the future, Carrie says she
plans on continuing her work as a
dental hygienist part-time, though
that may change depending on the
success of the winery. Adam will
continue with his development
work, as he is in the middle of a
large development in Bayfield.
For more information on
Cornerfield Wine Company, visit its
website at cornerfieldwineco.com.
Blyth native to open county’s third winery
A new beginning
Adam and Carrie Durand have been working for years on what will become Cornerfield Wine
Company, which they plan on officially launching in the coming weeks. They worked with
consultants to get the most out of their vine crops and now have what they think will be a great
addition to Huron County’s growing wine and beer landscape. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
A family affair
It was after a slow season with Adam Durand’s
development business that the family began considering
getting into the wine game. Now, they’re ready to open
Huron County’s third established winery. (Courtesy photo)
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#13
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The Citizen
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