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WINE COUNTY: IT'S BEEN TEN YEARS SINCE THE FIRST WINERY OPENED IN PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY.
July 09, 2010
IN THAT TIME, THE NUMBER OF VINTNERS IN THE REGION HAS FLOURISHED. NEWSWATCH'S ERIN HOWE TAKES US TO THE LATEST WINERY CELEBRATING IT'S GRAND OPENING. PKG
THE WINE IS FLOWING AT CASA DEA ESTATES.
DI PIETRANTONIO: "WE HAVE BOUGHT THIS PLACE FROM A PREVIOUS OWNER CARMELLA, AND WE HAVE MADE A BIG, BIG CHANGE."
THE WINERY HAS BEEN OPERATING SINCE LAST SPRING, BUT JUST RECENTLY HELD IT'S OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING.
DESPITE BEING A YOUNG WINERY - OWNERS HAVE BIG PLANS - HAVING JOINED FORCES WITH A MAJOR MARKETING FIRM TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT... WHICH HE SAYS IS UNIQUE, THANKS TO SPECIAL GROWING CONDITIONS.
DI PIETRANTONIO: "WE HAVE A SPECIAL STONE ON THE BOTTOM THAT GIVES US THE RIGHT ACIDITY AND THE RIGHT COMPONENTS TO GIVE US THE BEST WINE YOU CAN DRINK."
BATTILANA: "GOOD GRAPES ARE EVERYTHING. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T MAKE SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF SOMETHING THAT'S NOT SO GOOD. SO, JUST THE QUALITY OF GRAPES IS NUMBER ONE. SO, ALL OF THE WINE BEHIND US STARTS IN OUR FIELD."
AND IT'S FIELDS LIKE THIS ONE THAT HAVE HELPED THE COUNTY BECOME A HOT AREA FOR WINE MAKING.
WAUPOOS ESTATES WINERY WAS
THE FIRST TO OPEN IN 2000 - AND SINCE THEN, THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF GROWTH.
HOWE: "TODAY THERE ARE MORE THAN THIRTY WINERIES IN PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND BETWEEN FIFTEEN AND TWENTY GRAPE GROWERS LOOKING TO START NEW BUSINESSES."
PECK: "I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'RE GOING TO PEAK OUT. A LOT OF THE WINERIES OR THE VINEYARDS ARE VERY SMALL LIKE OURSELVES."
SALLY PECK REPRESENTS THE WINE GROWERS ASSOCIATION - AND ONE OF THE OWNERS OF SUGARBUSH VINEYARDS.
SHE SAYS COUNTY WINERIES OFFER ADIFFERENT EXPERIENCE FOR VISITORS THAN NIAGARA'S GROWING REGION.
PECK: "A LOT OF THE WINERIES THAT YOU VISIT HERE, YOU'RE OFTEN GOING TO SEE THE OWNER BEHIND THE TASTING BAR. WHICH YOU MIGHT NOT SEE IN NIAGARA."
DI PIETRANTONIO: "THIS PART OF THE COUNTY PRODUCES VERY, VERY GOOD WINE, WITH A LITTLE TECHNIQUE, I BELIEVE THAT ONE DAY IT'S GOING TO BE VERY RENOWNED ALL OVER THE WORLD."
AS WINERIES LIKE CASA DEA UNCORK POSSIBILITIES FOR MORE GROWTH IN THE FUTURE.
ERIN HOWE, CKWS NEWSWATCH, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY.
