CRAFTSMANSHIP KEY TO YORK WINERY
YorkRegion.com
May 31 2012
Ontario, Canada
If, as novelist Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94) once quipped, wine
is bottled poetry, the Nersisyan family of King Township is authoring
a collection of classics.
Penning the tale is Roland Nersisyan, 48, a lifelong vintner whose
Armenian ancestors have grown grapes and produced wines on tracts of
fertile homeland for millennia.
Arriving in Canada in the 1990s, the brawny man with the easy smile
and lyrical accent became a partner in a Niagara winery. After selling
his share, he sought a tract of suitable soil closer to home.
Some of life’s most pleasant surprises are discovered accidentally,
he said. That was the case during a casual drive on Keele Street
north of Davis Drive. A parcel of farmland, most of it ramshackle
and derelict, caught his eye and spoke to his heart.
“I felt connected to it right away,” he said.
Soon after, the 22 acres were his and Roland’s vision of a vineyard
and winery fusing old world tradition and artisanship with modern
technology was becoming a reality. Add the construction of a
magnificent post and pine beam building, complete with lab, fermenting
and bottling plant, retail shop and warehouse, fairy-tale landscaping
and an initial six-acre vineyard, and Holland Marsh Wineries was
founded in 2008.
The quaint winery, nestled on the lush marsh, grows four varieties
of grapes that ultimately become six Holland Marsh Winery brands,
refreshing whites, hearty reds and exquisite blends.
Beginning later this month, another five acres with additional grape
species will be planted. The 9,500 vines will produce 1,500 12-bottle
cases yearly.
“There are three ways to name a wine on the label,” Roland said. “By
the type of grape, a made up brand or by the geographic region. I chose
Holland Marsh because we’re proud of the region and being Canadian.”
Helping maintain the vintner’s traditions are his sons, Norie, 23,
and Narek, 21. On this May day, Narek is on site, where he serves
part-time as a tour guide, informal sommelier and vineyard worker.
The congenial young man with the Sean Penn vibe is a business student
at Ryerson Polytechnic University.
“I was raised on this,” he said, surveying the meticulous rows of
vines. “I’ve seen it all from vine to bottle. I love wine and love
working here. Being here soothes the soul.”
It shows. His knowledge of viticulture, the cultivation of grapevines,
is professorial.
Father and son are justifiably proud of the property. Next to the
vineyard, a bucolic pond with rustic gazebo and deck awaits guests,
many of whom use the winery for special occasions or corporate events,
managed by staffer Linnea Whitcroft.
The 3,000-square-foot Wine Club House, available to members, is
an airy, sunlit architectural wonder crafted entirely of pine from
neighbouring Innisfil.
The cavernous back rooms are clean, clinical and functional, complete
with a lab where staff test constantly for alcohol, acidity and pH
control levels. A brix hydrometer scale measures the sugar in the
fermenting wine.
“We’re very old school with 21st century technology,” Narek said amid
the large stainless steel fermenting vats and bottling stations.
“We’re traditional.”
Corks are 100 per cent natural. That’s best for aging and allows for
micro breathing, he added.
Open year round, the winery’s harvest season is from August to
October, later for ice wine. Family and friends are joined by
seasonal workers. Grapes are picked, stems are removed and the fruit
is crushed. Subject to the wine or blend, the skin remains for reds
and whites use juice only. Fermentation begins as the wine is racked,
a process to remove sediment, then placed in the vats with imported
oaks added. The wines are allowed to age, often for years, until
perfection, Roland said.
“If you want a baby, you wait nine months,” he said with comedic
timing. “If you want a good wine, you have to wait three years.”
Many centuries worth of knowledge and experience go into every bottle,
the patriarch said.
Patience and persistence is also part of a good vintners’ arsenal. The
new vineyard will require gentle care until grapes are ready for
processing in 36 months. Sturdy, cold-tolerant grapes must be sourced
and nurtured and vines must be covered when temperatures dip.
The location is ideal, Narek said.
“The sandy soil next to the marsh muck is good,” he said. “It’s windy
and that keeps bugs away and keeps things dry and eliminates mould.
That allows us to be more organic.”
The Nersisyans’ goal is to produce excellent York Region Canadian
wines with Eastern European techniques and traditions.
“As Armenians, we bring passion and skill to wine making,” Roland
said. “But this is a Canadian winery and, as Canadians, we’re proud
of that. It’s important for us to bring the old world to the new. We
feel like we’re Holland Marsh pioneers. That’s our legacy.
People who love what they do and life itself are like fine wine and
will age well, Narek contends.
Their creations, only available that their retail store, tend to
support their philosophy.
The red cuvee has a deep, rich burgundy colour with notes of dried
plum, cherries and cedar. Full-bodied with flavourful tannins, there’s
a velvety warm finish and after-notes of vanilla and plum compote. The
dry white has a vibrant light yellow colour and captivating aromas
of pear, lychee and grapefruit and a refreshing finish.
Wine is genuine and one of mankind’s most ancient beverages, Narek
said. It’s virtuous, good for digestion, its antioxidants promote
health and is a complement to meals and conversation.
“Like books to a library, we want to add wines to our collection,”
Narek said.
For more information, visit the winery’s website.
http://www.yorkregion.com/news/article/1365212–craftsmanship-key-to-york-winery