HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-10-16, Page 9The hidden
treasures along
Huron's west coast
Lakeshore Advance
Along the Lake lluron
shoreline from Port Albert,
north of ('ioderich to (rand
Bend there are 150 square
km that can become
Ontario's next big wine
region.
For the past four years
4( I lluron County's Economic
Development Department
has researched soil and
weather conditions between
these communitit's. This
40-klin stretch will support
150 square kin of wineries
and thousands of acres of
viniculture. It can he a multi-
million dollar industry that
will strengthen Huron's rich
record of agriculture.
The rich rolling hills peak
about three miles west of the
Lake I luron shoreline. 'their
highest point is higher than
the Niagara escarpment.
'Ihe lluron research results
rivals the renowned #1 wine
region of France that includes
Alsace. Champagne, north-
ern Burgundy and the Loire
Valley. Each of the French
regions produce world
famous wines with soil con-
ditions and weather condi-
tions that are similar to those
found in I luron County.
'lhe notion of viticulture in
t luron carne to Richard Fit-
oussi about five years ago. Ile
was driving near the village
of Bayfield when he saw rem-
nants of peach orchards. It
reminded him of a saying he
heard as a young elan living
in Alsace, France.
"If you can grow peaches
1 1,'hu can grow grapes."
Fifty years ago Lake
1 luron's shoreline had many
peach orchards. 'Today they
have given way to fields of
corn, beans and wheat.
Meanwhile, Fitoussi set out
to test the old French saying.
Ile liked the results. Ile found
soil and weather conditions
the same as Niagara and the
four famous regions of
France.
Ile also found one big dif-
ference between Huron and
Niagara. it was the price of
land. The price of Huron's
micro -climate land is typi-
cally less expensive.
In the Huffington Post last
week Jeffrey Rubin, one of
Canada's leading economists
wrote, "Farmland has
become hottest real estate
market.
"in sornee hotspots like
southwestern Ontario, the
price -per -acre has been
going up by 50 per cent a
year."
A report last month from
the University of Maryland
said a third of the existing
worldwide grape growers will
start losing their land for viti-
culture in the next 10 years.
Rubin says the farmland
shortage worldwide is caused
by climate warming and a
greater demand for food in
China, India and Africa. Also,
the wine appeal in these
same three regions is
growing.
"(:loser to home the US
Midwest has been grinding
through one of the worst
drought in more than half a
century." Rubin adds.
"Agriculture is 11uron
County's biggest asset'; says
Mike Pullen, head of I luron's
Economic Development
department. :'It has a signifi-
cant infrastructure for agri-
culture which makes for a
diverse rural economy which
constantly develops new
innovations."
The world-wide loss of
established wine land comes
at a time when worldwide
wine appeal is growing. Since
the vine life of viticulture lasts
40-50 years, new vines
planted in i luron will have a
sizable market advantage on
two fronts ---the shrinkage of
worldwide production and
an increasing worldwide
demand for wine.
lluron is at the embryonic
stage in its wine develop-
ment. Corporate develop-
ment and assembling share-
holder investment is taking
place. The corporate devel-
opment is attempting to
qualify for VQA status at the
outset.
Fitoussi says, "We are in
conversation with investors
who favor growing a mix of
hybrid and Vitis Viniferas
grapes so their wine will have
wide spread public appeal.
The four-year scientific inves-
tigation has produced some
wonderful encouragement.
"Today's profitable winer-
ies find they need to produce
around 20,000 cases a year.
Smaller wineries can he prof-
itable with focused
marketing."
r -
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Wednesday, October 16, 2013 • Lakeshore Advance 9
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