6 questions to Pillitteri Estates Winery
1. Please tell us something about Pillitteri When was the company founded and how has it developed over the years?
The story of Pillitteri Estates Winery begins generations ago in the heart of Sicily's ancient world. Viticulture was the livelihood of the Pillitteri family in Racalmuto. Our founder Gary grew up on the family farm and was soon responsible for helping his father and grandfather harvest and care for the vines.
In 1948, at the age of 12, Gary set off with his father to start a new life for the family in Canada. They settled in the Niagara region, and soon the rest of the family joined as well.
In the summer of 1957, Gary met Lena Agro, a young girl whose family came from the same town in Sicily as the Pillitteri family themselves. In the following three years, their children Connie, Lucy and Charles were born.
Gary and Lena Pillitteri and their family settled in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1965. They bought a small farm on Niagara Stone Road. The land was planted with tender fruit (peaches, cherries, pears, plums, plums, apples and grapes) and vegetables. In 1966, the family tried to sell their black tartar cherries to local markets and grocers, but the products were not accepted as the cherries only had a very short shelf life. Five-year-old Connie and three-year-old Lucy sold the cherry baskets for $0.99, creating the first Pillitteri fruit stand on the side of the road. In 1973, the family opened Gary's Fruit Market (which is still located in the east wing of the winery today).
Over the years, the market has become a popular destination for visitors to Niagara-on-the-Lake and locals. Interest in wine from Niagara also increased. Soon after opening the first Niagara wineries, Gary took the initiative and began growing grapes. He created the family's first vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
In 1988, Gary decided to produce an ice wine by producing a small batch of Vidal grapes. This was later submitted to a wine competition and immediately won the gold medal. The success solidified the idea of opening a winery in Niagara's newly emerging wine region. Over the next 5 years, the farm and market were changed several times to convert the property into a winery. On June 5, 1993, the winery was opened with a production capacity of up to 16,000 cases. Through hard work, the wines have won numerous awards, both nationally and internationally.
The grapes are harvested primarily from the family's 175-hectare vineyards planted with Vitis Vinifera and French Hybrid grape varieties. Since the opening of the winery, production in accordance with the demanding VQA (Vintner's Quality Alliance) standards has risen steadily and currently stands at just over 100,000 cases. The winery's production facilities have recently been significantly expanded. Our winemaker Aleksandar Kolundzic is known for producing fresh, aromatic white wines and characterful red wines, as well as world-renowned, award-winning ice wines in a variety of styles that delight every palate.
2.What does Taste of Canada mean to you?
As a family of farmers, Gary and Lena know how important it is to use high-quality, locally produced products. That's why Pillitteri Estates Winery has decided to produce 100% locally grown wines that come from grapes grown right here in our community. Pillitteri is very committed to promoting regional farming. All fruits used by Pillitteri are checked by winegrowing director Jamie Slingerland. This approach gives our wines an exceptional Canadian flavor.
3rd If you could invite a special guest to dinner at the winery, who would it be? And what Canadian-inspired dish would be served?
We would love to have dinner with Barack Obama. He is a very interesting person who has lots of great stories to tell. We would serve locally-sourced beef, paired with fried vegetables and our Cabernet Franc. For dessert, we would eat chocolate-dipped strawberries and enjoy a glass of Cabernet ice wine.
4th The grape harvest will start soon. Please tell us what is special about this time? And what makes for a good year?
A good year is made in the field. 2021 seems to be a great year. We had lots of sunshine and average rainfall. With a warm, long-lasting autumn, the conditions for a wonderful harvest should be met. In Ontario, the harvest goes from September to November, so beautiful fall weather is crucial. That's not the case every year, but we've been very lucky in the last two years.
5th Pillitteri is a partner of the Canadian Olympic team. How did this come about and which athletes particularly like wine?
Pillitteri has been a partner of the Canadian team since 2018, when we traveled to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang 2018 to serve our wines at Canada Olympic House. This was the start of our collaboration with the Canadian Olympic Committee. We are now a full sponsor of the team. We've worked with many athletes to promote the Canadian Olympic Foundation and continue to raise money to support Canadian athletes. We are looking forward to continuing this in Beijing 2022 as well.
6th Do you have a favorite wine in your portfolio?
The Exclamation Cabernet Franc is always one of our favorite wines. Each vintage of this wine just seems to get better and better. Our winemaker Alex Kolundzic loves working with this grape variety and seems particularly proud of the wines that are hidden behind our label. They represent the unique microclimate here in Niagara.
