By Rick VanSickle
There’s an old saying in the wine business, build it and they will come. But nothing is further from the truth, especially in Ontario wine country.
You can build it, all right, and you can make the finest wines in the world, but if you can’t attract customers to your winery or sell it beyond your cellar door, that hard work and expense will all be for naught.
The husband-and-wife team of Grant Westcott and Carolyn Hurst are a case study on how to navigate that road to success. It was 13 years ago that the couple made their first vintage of Westcott Vineyards wine in true garagistes style in the back of an equipment barn. And they haven’t looked back since. Their portfolio is now one of the deepest and exciting in Niagara, with a focus on single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, sparkling wines, Rieslings and other varieties that do well in the mineral rich soils of the Niagara escarpment.
Both Westcott and Hurst had enjoyed successful careers in banking and technology but weren’t ready to completely retire. With Hurst a native of the Niagara region and a passionate oenophile, and Westcott, a former cattle farmer and no stranger to working the land, purchasing and running a vineyard seemed like the perfect way for the couple to combine their passions. After consulting with local experts and winemaking trailblazers and being inspired by the cool climate Chardonnays and Pinots coming out of Bench vineyards, they searched for the perfect plot of land, planted 26 acres of grapes and were on their way.
They did everything right and benefitted from having their son, Garett Westcott, join them in the vineyard and Alain Sutre guide their viticulture practices the next year. Construction on the main building began in the fall of 2012. The tasting room was opened in July 2014 and their daughter, Victoria Westcott, joined the team to lead the customer experience. Jessica Ramage joined in 2017 as sales director and Casey Kulcyk (above) took over full-time winemaking in 2018. Also in 2018, Westcott “bet the farm” and bought Butlers’ Grant Vineyard, a prestigious property on the Twenty Mile Bench that allowed them to expand their portfolio to include old vine Riesling and Cabernet Franc.
Westcott Vineyards isn’t the kind of winery you just stumble upon. It’s a destination that is at the end of Seventeenth St. in Jordan Station, past the long-established Flat Rock Cellars and Sue-Ann Staff wineries. If you end up there it’s because you heard good things and wanted to be there. While the team at Westcott has put in added enticements — such as a food program by the talented team from the St. Catharines restaurant Bolete, comfortable Muskoka chair seating around the front lawn with spectacular vineyard views and tasting experiences — there were other considerations in building their successful business.
With an established, premium portfolio from the very beginning that was focused on estate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and bubbles from both from the Vinemount Ridge home vineyard, and later supplemented by old vines Riesling and Cabernet Franc from the Butlers’ Grant vineyard, Hurst quickly realized that they needed more than cellar door and online sales to be successful. You can only expect so many Toronto and other Ontario consumers to make the crowded drive to Niagara. They needed the province’s largest retailer, The LCBO, to carry their wines, but it had to be on their terms.
“Getting listed at the LCBO was 10 years of hard work,” Hurst says. While the vast majority of Ontario wines sold at the LCBO are in the sub-$20 range, Hurst didn’t want to play any part in the LCBO’s $17.95 solution. “We wanted quality and to focus on buyers willing to pay $30 for a bottle wine.”
Hurst gradually learned the ropes, played the game with the LCBO, and hustled to support any Westcott wines that were being offered at the monopoly’s bi-monthly releases. She knew that a wine that didn’t sell spelled disaster for future listings, so Hurst made sure her wines were backed up with smart, aggressive marketing and old-fashioned boots (usually hers and her husband’s) on the ground to educate product consultants and consumers wherever they were. Recognition of Westcott wines at LCBO stores meant a much broader audience and failure just wasn’t an option.
The work by Hurst, her husband and the team at the winery has paid off with regular listings that sell out. This year alone there are more than five wines coming to Vintages stores all priced between $22 and $48. Wines in Niagara has all five reviews for the upcoming Vintages wines below in this report.
Dealing with the often-frustrating mega bureaucracy at the LCBO is just one element of the wine business Hurst wasn’t prepared for. As chair of the board at Ontario Craft Wineries (OCW) for nearly eight years, she has been a constant link between the interests of member wineries and the association that promotes those wineries. It’s a constant yin-yang of conflicting opinions all working toward the same goal — to drive market share of Ontario VQA wines through turbulent times in the Ontario wine industry — but not always on the same wavelength.
It’s volunteer work that is not for the squeamish, but Hurst has taken it on with passion, dedication and likely great personal detriment. She can only do so much when there are so many factors standing in her way. Let’s face it, with 12.1% of all wine sold in Ontario made with 100% Ontario grapes, 32.3% of wine sold in Ontario being International Blends (IDB), made up to 75% imported grapes, and imported wines owning 55.6% of the market in Ontario, and less than 5% market share at the LCBO, it’s an uphill battle with concerning hurdles on the horizon.
With young people not drinking wine like other generations, the zero-alcohol market still heating up, RTDs flooding the market, foreign wine marketing regions with huge marketing dollars dumping cheap plonk into a receptive LCBO monopoly and limited funds in Ontario to fight back, it is no wonder Hurst has many a sleepless night.
I spent an enjoyable afternoon with Hurst, Westcott, winemaker Kulcyk and sales director Ramage recently talking politics, yes, but mostly getting caught up on the ever-growing and exciting lineup of sparkling wines, Pinot Noirs and various other wines (including upcoming wines coming to Vintages). This was a follow up to a deep dive into the Chardonnays produced at the estate last summer. It’s an impressive body of work as Kulcyk continues to impress with his low intervention style of winemaking and vision for the wines from top to bottom and vineyard to vineyard.
Here’s is what I liked. It should be noted that most of these wines were tasted in one sitting at the winery, but several others were from samples sent to my home.
The sparkling wines
Westcott Brilliant Blanc de Blancs 2021 ($48, 93 points) — This is the first 100% blanc de blancs from the Butlers’ Grant Vineyard (Twenty Mile Bench) and it was wild fermented in used oak barrels, spending 36 months on the lees. It’s a brut nature style, which means zero dosage (less than 1.6 g/l of RS) and topped up only with its own wine. Kulczyk notes that zero dosage allows him to make a wine that’s “more representative of where it’s coming from.” The nose shows fresh lemon, toasty/leesy notes, green apple, pear, lovely saline minerality with an elegant bead in the glass. It’s persistent on the palate with a touch of flint, salinity, brioche, apple, pear and lemon cream that’s bright and fresh through the lifted finish.
Westcott Brilliant Traditional Method Sparkling 2020 ($48, winery, Vintages May 10, 93 points) — This traditionally made sparkling wine is a blend of Pinot Noir (60%), Chardonnay (30%), and Pinot Meunier (10%) from the home vineyard in the Vinemount Ridge sub-appellation that is hand-riddled and disgorged. It’s aged on its lees for 48 months and finished with only 2 g/L of residual sugar, so a brut nature. What a lovely sparkling wine with an elegant bead that leads to a fresh, vibrant nose of green apples, pear skin, toasty brioche, lemon zest and hazelnuts. The bubbles are persistent on the palate with an intriguing core of stony/flinty/saline minerality giving lift to pear/quince fruit, lemon curd, creamy brioche notes and a long, finessed finish. Such elegance and poise in this lovely enticing wine.
Westcott Blanc de Noirs NV ($48, winery, 94 points) — This is a unique, traditionally made 100% Pinot Noir from the home vineyard in the Vinemount Ridge sub-appellation. It’s crafted as an infinity, or “perpetual” blend, of consecutive vintages. Each vintage is added to the base wine, which started in 2020, and a portion is taken for the cuvee. So, it’s a blend of several vintages labelled as a non-vintage sparkling wine that is a showstopper and also “a tonne of fun to make,” said Kulczyk. The nose shows a touch of reduction and saline that adds intrigue and complexity from the get-go, followed by brambly red berries, yellow apples, citrus, and fennel seed with a vigorous bead in the glass. The reduction notes are more integrated on the palate with notes of savoury red berries, lemon zest, apple pie, touch of toasty brioche, creamy texture, lively bubbles and a long, finessed finish. One of most interesting and complex bubbles tasted in Niagara recently.
Westcott Violette Sparkling Brut 2023 ($27, winery, Vintages April 26, 90 points) — This charmat style of sparkling wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Pinot Meunier. It shows energetic and persistent bubbles in the glass with fresh, vibrant pear, green apples, floral lift and lemon zest. It’s crisp and lively on the palate with pear, quince, citrus, a kiss of sweetness and sizzling finesse through the lifted finish.
The Pinot Noirs
Westcott Estate Pinot Noir 2021 ($32, winery, Vintages April 12, 92 points) — This is a wild fermented and barrel aged Pinot Noir sourced from both of Westcott’s sites, that sees 22 months in older French oak barriques. It shows good colour in the glass considering the vintage and has an intense nose of brambly red berries, earthy/spicy notes, a touch of anise, violets and subtle spice notes. It’s rich and savoury on the palate with ripe tannins, a touch of cedar and a melange of dark cherries, black raspberries, cassis, spice and a lifted, vibrant finish. Can cellar through 2032.
Westcott Carolyn’s Block Pinot Noir 2021 ($60, winery, 93 points) — This is typical of the meticulous winemaking that takes place at Westcott with 100% wild and whole-cluster fermentation in three open-top, one-tonne oak fermenters. It spent 30 days on the skins, was aged for 22 months in 100% French oak (no new barrels), and is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Such an enticing, personable expression of Pinot Noir from a single block at the home vineyard with a nose of brambly red berries, cassis, floral lift, umami/mushroom notes and savoury spices. The palate shows ripe tannins, juicy wild raspberries and dark cherries with underlying savoury notes, a touch of anise, subtle spices and a long, echoing finish with mouth-watering acidity. Can cellar through 2032.
Westcott Reserve Pinot Noir 2021 ($50, winery, 92 points) — The reserve Pinot from Westcott is sourced from the Westcott Home Farm Vineyard. 30% of the fruit is whole cluster fermented, with 100% wild malolactic fermentation, and aging for 22 months in 100% French oak (all used barrels). A compelling nose of black cherries, ripe, brambly raspberries and red currants with a touch of eucalypt and spice. The red berries on the palate are ripe and juicy and framed by polished tannins, a touch of spice and a vibrant, long finish. Lovely, friendly Pinot Noir that will benefit from some cellaring through 2030.
Westcott Butlers’ Grant Old Vines Pinot Noir 2021 ($60, 93 points) — The Old Vines Pinot comes from 35-year-old vines at the Butlers’ Grant Vineyard, from a single block over several picks. Like all the Pinots, it’s 100% whole-cluster fermented (in one-tonne open-top cuves) with wild malolactic fermentation, and aged for 23 months in 100% once-used French oak. This has a much purer, fruit-driven and generous nose of black cherry liqueur, wild raspberries, violets, and perfumed spice notes. Those ripe red berries carry to the silky palate with some added plums, currants, integrated fine oak spice and an incredibly long, fresh and finessed. Can cellar through 2030.
Other red wines
Westcott Gamay 2023 ($30, 89 points) — The grapes for the Gamay are sourced from the Vinemount Ridge but it’s not a grape grown at Westcott. “We only make this if the grapes are perfect,” says Grant Westcott. It’s fermented in stainless steel and aged for eight months in neutral oak. It has an inviting nose of plums, cherries, raspberries and subtle earthy/spicy accents. It’s bright and fresh on the smooth palate with juicy red berries, plums, a touch of earth and spice with a bright, lifted finish. No need to wait on this, it’s good to go.
Westcott Butlers’ Grant Cabernet Franc 2021 ($60, 92 points) — The Butlers’ Grant Vineyard is in a different sub-appellation, the Twenty Mile Bench, than the home vineyard, Vinemount Ridge, and it is where Hurst and Westcott live. It’s a gorgeous site and producing some stunning wines for the couple. The Cabernet Franc is aged in French oak (20% new oak) for 22 months. This is a woodsy/spicy take on Cab Franc on the nose with earthy red berries, cedar, sandalwood, black peppercorns, anise, herbs and black pepper. It’s meaty on the palate with dark berries, red currants, wild raspberries, polished tannins, mulled herbs, black licorice, dried tobacco, rich spice notes and a tangy, long finish. This is serious CF that will benefit from some cellaring through 2032.
Westcott Temperance Red Blend NV ($22, 92 points) — This a unique non-vintage blend of 50% estate Pinot Noir barrel aged for 22 months and fresh, unoaked Gamay. Because the two components were harvested from different vintages (due to the Pinot being aged for nearly two years) it is labelled as non-vintage. Kinda cool, when think about it. Also, all that aged Pinot Noir going into a blend that costs $22? That’s a no brainer and makes this fascinating wine such a good buy. Such a vivid nose of generous black cherries, purple plums, strawberries, some funky savoury/earthy notes and just a hint of spice. One sip on the palate it screams “drink me” with all that ripe fruit on a silky palate, uncomplicated structure and tangy finish. As the kids say, a banger that represents top-notch value.
Two white wines
Westcott Estate Chardonnay 2022 ($32, winery, Vintages on March 29, 92 points) — This ended up as a blend of mostly the Westcott Home Farm and a bit of Butlers’ Grant fruit. It was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed with no sulphur added at time of crushing and aged in 100% French oak (20% new) barrels for 10 months. Beautiful saline freshness on the nose with stony minerality, pear, bergamot, yellow apples and gentle spice notes. Turns richer and more luxurious on the palate with quince, lemon tart, wet stones, subtle spices and a long, echoing, crisp finish. Can cellar through 2030.
Westcott Butlers’ Grant Old Vines Riesling 2023 ($22, winery, Vintages June 21, 93 points) — This wild fermented Riesling from the oldest vines planted in 1980 at the Butlers’ Grant Vineyard is aged on its lees for six months and undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation. It’s finished at 7 g/L of RS and 9.5% abv. This is a personable and minerally laced Riesling that shows a nose of lemon-lime, white peach, apricot, floral notes, saline and trademark ginger notes. There’s subtle flintiness on the palate with lovely texture, ripe orchard fruits, zingy citrus, that trademark ginger note, a touch of honey and mouth-watering acidity through a lifted, fresh finish. Can cellar through 2035.
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