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"The 20-acre home farm that now supplies the raw material for some of Ontario's most exciting wines..." Konrad Ejbich. A Pocket Guide to Ontario Wines, Wineries, Vineyards, & Vines. McClelland & Stewart. 2005 |
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history William Lailey was a pioneer of Canadian viticulture. In the early 1950's he planted and propagated some of Niagara's first French hybrid varieties. In 1970, Donna and David Lailey purchased the land from William and Nora Lailey, David's parents. In addition to French hybrid grapes, the land was cultivated in pears, sweet cherries and peaches. Donna and David began a transformation of the 20 acre farm into a vineyard. In consultation with industry leaders, they planted vitis vinifera and French hybrids for the production of quality wine at local wineries. In 1991, Donna Lailey was crowned the first-ever Grape Queen of the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival. The crown is awarded to the best vineyard of the season. The crown is normally given to a King and the title is and was the "Grape King" until Donna insisted that she be called a Queen. Donna Lailey was also the only female founding member of the Vintner's Quality Alliance (VQA). In the spring of 2003, Lailey Vineyard acquired an additional three acres of land on the Niagara Parkway. The land has since been planted mostly in Pinot Noir; A clones from Burgundy. We planted small amounts of Petit Verdot, Semillon and Malbec out of curiosity and for blending purposes. We are excited about the new site for Pinot Noir as the soil in this vineyard is both heavy and well-drained. We expect to harvest the first crop for wine production in the fall of 2006. The vineyard is 3 acres and the soil is a heavy red clay. This small plot is close to the river and gains some length of season and winter protection as a result. Fans were installed at Lailey Vineyard in August 2004. Fans are used to lengthen the growing season by preventing frost damage. They are also used to take advantage of inversions that may be present during severely cold weather, thereby protecting the vines against winter damage. viticulture The name of the winery reflects the importance of the vineyard. A deep understanding of the best ways to grow grapes in our vineyard has been achieved through three decades of manual labour. Our viticultural practices my be labour intensive but we know of no other way to obtain peak ripeness and varietal character. herbicide free In the growing season of 2003, Lailey Vineyard eliminated the use of herbicides to control weeds. We now control weeds by mechanical and manual hoeing in spite of its being more labour intensive. We are convinced by research linking the relationship between healthy soil that is rich in microbial life to the resulting complexity of flavour in the grapes. We want all the flavour we can get our hands on, and it seems that "hands on" is the best way to get it. yield management Reducing the yield of all of our varieties is a disciplined practice at Lailey Vineyard. Spring, summer and fall thinning of the crop are standard operations and are important to achieving ripeness. hand harvesting All of our grapes are hand-harvested. This means that only a minimal amount of oxidation has occurred by the time the grapes reach the press, just minutes from the vineyard. soil The soil of Lailey Vineyard is comprised of a maximum of two feet of sandy loam in any one spot of the vineyard. The sandy loam covers 10 feet of clay. Below the clay we have found shale. The soil is a result of deposits from an ancient lake and the alluvium of a retreating river. Every year our soil is tested for pH and mineral content. We feed our soil according to the results of the test. |
Cabernet Franc Muscat Ottonel Cabernet Sauvignon Pinot Noir Chardonnay Riesling |
Gewurztraminer Sauvignon Blanc Merlot Vidal Zweigelt |