Hernder Estate Wines is a Canadian
winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, ...
located in
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is an area of land lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie, in Ontario, Canada. Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula, it stretches from the Niagara River in the ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
.
History
The Hernder family is in its third generation of
viticulture
Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...
and is one of the largest family estate winery operations in Canada. Gottfried Hernder emigrated from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
to
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada†...
. In 1939, the family moved to
St. Catharines, Ontario, to a mixed fruit farm that included acreage of indigenous grapes. After the passing of his father, Fred Hernder purchased the family farm in 1968, and began the acquisition of others. Fred Hernder began selling grapes, juice, and winemaking supplies to the growing home market as well as wineries.
In the late 1980s Fred Hernder replanted his acreage with classic ''
Vitis vinifera
''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. There are curre ...
'' and
French hybrid
Hybrid grapes are grape varieties that are the product of a crossing of two or more ''Vitis'' species. This is in contrast to crossings between grape varieties of the same species, typically ''Vitis vinifera'', the European grapevine. Hybrid grap ...
varieties. This launched Hernder Estate Wines. The first vintage in 1991 consisted of 7,000 bottles of Vidal. On September 17, 1993, Hernder Estate Wines officially opened to the public.
Current production
Hernder Estate Wines presently produces more than 25 varieties of
V.Q.A. (Vintners Quality Alliance) wines from its of land spread between St. Catharines and
Beamsville
Beamsville ( 2021 Urban area estimated population 13,323) is a community that is part of the town of Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. It is located along the southern shore of Lake Ontario and lies within the fruit belt of the Niagara Peninsula. It co ...
. Current plantings focus on traditional ''Vitis vinifera'' varieties including Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot gris. Other varieties include varieties suited to cool climate such as Vidal, Baco noir and Maréchel Foch. Hernder Estate Wines also produces fruit wines and Iced Fruit Wines, utilizing Ontario fruits. All Hernder table wines are produced from 100% Ontario grapes, and all have attained the V.Q.A. status.
Awards
Hernder Estate Wines has won multiple awards from competitions such as Toronto Wine and Cheese Show; Ottawa Wine & Food Show; Chardonnay du Monde; Ontario Wine Awards; All-Canadian Wine Championship; Intervin 2003; and Canadian Wine Awards.
[http://www.canadianwineawards.ca/2007_results.php]
References
External links
Hernder Estate Wines{{coord, 43.1186, N, 79.3035, W, display=title
Wineries of the Niagara Peninsula