2022 Harvest & Winemaking
The 2022 harvest was a good one! Our grapes were harvested and processed from the vineyard and we also received shipment of our grapes from Niagara-on-the-Lake. Winemaking has been gong well. We were closed for November to work on the wines and we re-opened in December for seasonal celebrations featuring our mulled wines! Our 2022 white wines are now going through their cold stabilization phase with racking and filtering to begin in February. We will complete our bottling in March to ready for our very busy 2023 Customer season starting in May.
VINEYARD
Drive into our parking lot about 5 minutes from the 401 and Hwy 31 (Bank Street to Ottawa) and you will immediately see our 5 acres of cold climate vineyard to one side and the winery and tasting room to the other side. Our first experiences digging holes to plant trees and gardens on this property soon earned it the moniker “StoneCropAcres” and it’s been called that for the last 28 years. Luckily stones are great for vineyards! Norene will point out the grapes that you are tasting in your wine as they are growing in the vineyard off the patio. We grow our grapes and treat them like family. They are hand harvested by Norene, Marc and friends and family and crushed and pressed on site. Each of our wines is crafted in our own winery, just next door to the tasting room, in small artisanal batches and aged either in stainless steel tanks or French Oak barrels. You can stroll through the vines with a glass of wine and you may notice the three friendly horses just to the side of the winery and maybe even Millie, Finn and little Jeannie, Norene’s friendly black lab, border collie and little chihuahua/terrier who often sneak over from the house for pats and a nice sunny nap on the patio.
WINERY
Our family run vineyard and winery is all about connecting the wines to the vines. Stroll up the path to the tasting room and immediately take in the welcoming feel of the country sights and sounds. Pass through the “gate” of towering Norway Spruce trees to enter the tasting room through the rustic sliding wooden barn door (crafted from our weathered horse fencing). You’ll find Norene and Leslie at the large burnished wood bar pouring tastings for visitors seated on the patio overlooking the vineyard. There are authentic wine barrel and bistro tables, benches, picnic tables and even Muskoka chairs to relax on. This is a family friendly venue with a relaxed feel perfect for kids, adults and seniors. Tastings are affordable and we even do non-alcoholic tastings for children and non-drinkers! Wine is available for purchase by the glass or by the bottle. The winter seasons finds a cozy, intimate tasting room open on Saturday & Sunday afternoons just down the Hwy from McHaffie’s Flea Market and a short drive to Upper Canada Village. Spend a lovely afternoon with family and friends sharing a glass of wine and maybe some local cheese while the winds blow cold outdoors.
