Canada's hidden treasure

Just a few minutes' drive from Windsor, Ont., an industry that is considered a gem hides in plain sight. Lush vineyards slope gently to Lake Erie glistening to the horizon. Further inland, the rows of vines fan out between farm fields and woodlots of the Essex County heartland. With hope and heart and pride in each bottle, winemakers here craft stunning wines, coaxing the best from their skills and soils.

More than 1,200 acres straddle Essex County at the same latitude as Europe's finest wine regions, producing rich, ripe, full-bodied wines, reds and whites, icewines and fruit wine and an apple icewine, too. There are 12 area wineries, family businesses and large corporate enterprises such as Colio Estate Wines and Pelee Island Winery, both ranking among Ontario's top five wineries by volume. Striking chalet-style buildings rise up from the landscape. And passionate winemakers reach across the tasting bars, pouring glasses full of home-grown taste and pride. Welcome to our version of Napa Valley North,

They are Canada's most southern wine regions, designated Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island.

"It's a terrific area," says Konrad Ejbich, an acclaimed wine writer who's written an authoritative guide to Ontario wines and visited Essex County's wineries and swirled and sipped the vintages.

Both wine regions offer potential, Mr. Ejbich believes, adding the winemakers bring passion and skill to the effort, producing red wines especially with ripeness, freshness and fullness. The warm climate offers a long growing season and the wines taste ripe and full-bodied. "The wineries can grow varieties that ripen late," Mr. Ejbich says.

Their vintages continue to compete on the world's stage, winning critical acclaim and international awards and recognition. One out of every two bottles of Ontario VQA wines sold in Ontario LCBO stores are from Essex County. VQA refers to the province's regulated wine standard, Vintners Quality Alliance.

With one of the best, longest and warmest grape-growing climates in the country, the region is especially known for cabernets, Merlots, and Shiraz. Wines include icewines and fruit wines, as well as Baco Noirs and Pinot Noirs and whites such as Chardonnays, Rieslings and Sauvignon Blancs.

Area wineries employ, by one industry estimate, more than 400 people. The economic impact continues to grow. Colio counts upward of 100,000 visitors each year. Pelee's winery in Kingsville and its island visitor centre receive 150,000 visitors a year from all corners of the world.

All of the area wineries remain an integral element of this region's tourism industry, ranking among the top five main attractions used to help promote the region.

Tourism has become so important, wineries increasingly invest in services and facilities to accommodate visitors. A fall festival toasts the area wineries, celebrating local vintages. In four years, the Shores of Erie International Wine Festival in Amherstburg has grown to rank among Ontario's top 100 community festivals, attracting thousands. Together, Pelee and Colio have combined annual sales of more than $20-million, and they've quietly helped create an industry that rivals other area agri-businesses.

Ontario grape growers count more than 17 million vines on 15,000 acres in eastern, southern and southwestern Ontario. The organization Grape Growers of Ontario considers viticulture well established in the designated wine regions, with focus on growing premium vinifera and French hybrid crops. And the organization believes the industry's success continues to draw more people into grape-growing and winemaking. This creates opportunities to showcase an outstanding 100% Ontario (VQA) wines around the world, the Ontario grape growers organization explains.

The grape growing industry in Essex County and across the province reaches farther, creating jobs and opportunities in such diverse segments as manufacturing, tourism and education. Ontario's grape-growing organization maintains that for the first time in 30 years grapes have become the most valuable fruit in Ontario in terms of farm-gate value. In recent months, Essex County winemakers again proved their skills. Ten area wineries took home 20 medals from Canada's prestigious and oldest wine competition. Based in Windsor, the 28th annual All Canadian Wine Championships attracted 152 wineries from across the country. Three dozen judges scored 1,045 entries. The area's wine industry has come full circle: Winemaking in Essex County dates back to the 1860s, when Canada's first commercial operation began on Pelee Island, with vineyards overlooking Lake Erie.