Westcott Vineyards

Niagara has become one of the most exciting cool-climate wine regions outside Europe, and Westcott Vineyards sits firmly among the producers helping build that reputation.

Founded by Carolyn Hurst and Grant Westcott, the family-run estate specialises in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines grown on the Twenty Mile Bench in Ontario. The winery is based around a beautifully restored nineteenth-century Mennonite barn, though thankfully the wine receives at least as much attention as the architecture.

The focus throughout the range is very much on site expression. Chardonnay remains a standout, often showing citrus, orchard fruit, mineral character and the sort of freshness that cooler growing regions do particularly well. Pinot Noir follows a similar path, balancing bright fruit with structure and elegance rather than excessive weight.

Small-lot production plays an important role, with careful vineyard work sitting at the centre of the winery's philosophy. The limestone-rich soils and moderate climate help create wines that feel more Burgundian in spirit than many people expect from Canadian wine.

Ontario wine still surprises plenty of people. A bottle from Westcott usually helps explain why that surprise tends not to last very long.