It's the spice of life. So, why drink it in all at once?

I was inspired to create a single varietal Petit Verdot by its intense and powerful fruit and was challenged to discover its potential as an elegant wine.

Petit Verdot is usually the spice in the highly coveted red wine blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, traditionally less than 2%. It brings the beautiful color and flavors of blueberry and plum, with powerful tannins and structure that allow it to age beautifully in barrel for one to two years.

It's a very whimsical and sometimes difficult grape to handle, so strong management in the vineyard is essential, one shoot, one cluster is the rule. It's about quality, not quantity.

My wines - including the 2017 Petit Verdot - are a tribute to my "winemaking brothers" here in Niagara who encouraged me to take the first step in my wine journey. It was produced from grapes grown on their farm and in the heart of Niagara along what locals call "Creek Road", where a micro-climate its terroir allows the fruit to ripen in perfect conditions. The result is highly aromatic fruit with rich flavors.

A classic Petit Verdot, the fruit was harvested at 23 Brix, then gently crushed and de-stemmed before fermentation, where yeast was selected to bring out rich fruity characters. Hand punch-downs twice a day resulted in a rich inky textured wine which was then moved to Italian-coopered French oak barrels for 18-months to age and integrate, as I have had to do in many moments throughout my life.

Aromas of ripe black fruit are heady and rich, followed by lush blackberry and red currants. This bold wine delivers a true complexity and expression of the varietal, including spice and tar.