Note: Press release issued by Pillitteri Estates Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake:
Pillitteri Estates Winery, owner and proprietor, Gary Pillitteri, takes great pride in planting the first Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara vines in Canada. “Saturday we planted these special vines and it was truly the realization of our entire family’s  accomplishment”, explains Gary, “I really believe that these varietals will make an impressive contribution to our grape and wine industry”.
These varieties are found in very few parts of the world and originated in Verona, Italy. The Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara vines which Pillitteri meticulously sourced and purchased for planting in Canada, came from a certified world renowned nursery that meets CFIA’s (Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s) vigorous, virus free standards. The vines were acquired from the research facility of University of California, Davis. Pillitteri Estates Winery is the first to negotiate the purchase of enough vines to plant one acre. These varietals will mature at approximately the same time as our very successful red vinifera Cabernet Franc.
There are many styles of wine making employed with these grapes, the most notable being Amarone. Pillitteri intends to produce a wine in the traditional Amarone style but of course will also break new ground in creating another unique Icewine. The introduction of these new varietals will give growers and wineries the prospect of new wine styles that will surely create exciting market opportunities.
Director of Viticulture and son-in-law, Jamie Slingerland stated that “the Canadian Wine Industry has been trying for over 12 years to introduce these varieties into Canada without success because of strict CFIA rules. We succeeded and are ready to share this with other Canadian Wineries.”
Pillitteri Estates Winery is a family run and operated business founded in 1993 and is situated on 100 acres of vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It currently exports to 29 countries and is the largest estate producer of Icewine in the world. Pillitteri has won over 400 international and domestic awards, reflecting the winery’s commitment to produce premium VQA wines.
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