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Our History
Joseph's
Estate Wines
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Joseph’s Estate Wines is a family-owned and family-run winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake with
a tradition of quality and excellence. We opened our doors in 1996, but
our history began long before that. |
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DR. JOSEPH POHORLY
Dr. Joseph Pohorly was one of the first winery owners in Niagara. He founded Newark Winery in the Village of Virgil in 1979, one of the three original cottage wineries that opened in Niagara in the ‘70s and laid the foundation for the growth of the new Ontario wine industry. Joseph himself was no stranger to wines. Born in Vineland, Ontario, he began life as a farmer’s son and learned how to grow grapes and other fruit crops from an early age, gaining an appreciation and knowledge of the land, of our geography and climate, and of the unique characteristics that make this viticultural area special.
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Joseph earned his living as a secondary school teacher for 20 years before pursuing another profession – that of civil engineer and architectural engineer. But not content to rest, and unable to stop learning, Joseph combined his skills and talents gained from teaching, building, farming, business, project design and home winemaking to convert the family farm on Niagara Stone Road to Newark Wines. In 1982, German investors saw an interesting opportunity and became involved in the winery, which was renamed Hillebrand Estates Winery.
In 1983, Joseph made the first
Icewine
for Hillebrand and, in the process, became of the early Canadian Icewine pioneers. By the following year, almost every winery in Niagara was leaving grapes hanging on the vines to create the luscious nectar that would become the darling of the industry.
After helping turn Hillebrand into one of the Canada’s top wineries, Joseph sold his portion of the business and left to pursue other interests. He designed and built the Colonel Butler Inn, a hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake that he ran for a number of years with his wife Betty. But the call of winemaking drew him back. In 1992, Joseph purchased a 20-acre fruit farm just down the road from Hillebrand and, with his entrepreneurial spirit and endless drive, converted the orchard to vineyards and launched Joseph’s Estate Wines four years later.
Today, we purchase additional vitis vinifera grapes from Niagara grape growers and produce approximately 32,000 cases of white, red, and specialty wines, including our award-winning Vidal Icewine and our sought-after fruit wines, all available at our wine boutique.
In 2003, the winery expanded with the addition of a new 10,000 square-foot building to house the winemaking operations. With associate winemaker Katherine Reid, Joseph produces a full portfolio of premium VQA red and white varietal wines, Vidal Icewine, unique fruit wines, specialty wines, sherry and port. Inside the retail area, the wine boutique was expanded to include a larger tasting bar for guests.
Joseph and Caroline work hand-in-hand to develop new ideas, create interesting visitor experiences and ensure the winery carries on the family tradition of producing award-winning, quality wines. Joseph, Caroline, and our dedicated and knowledgeable staff invite you to visit Joseph’s Estate Wines. We can help choose wines for your everyday or special occasion, suggest food and wine pairings, offer great giftware ideas and make your tasting and tour experience memorable and fun.
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Joseph’s daughter Caroline joined the business in 1998 after nearly a decade in the banking and business world. As Vice President of the company, Caroline is responsible for marketing, advertising, special events and retail operations. She expanded the winery boutique several years ago and is proud of how it has grown; offering visitors special wine-related glassware, unique giftware, serving pieces, and her sister Joanne’s line of wine jellies.
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Our labels
depict a stylized panoramic view of the Niagara River, which separates Canada
and the U.S., the Niagara Parkway and the famous clock tower of Niagara-on-the-Lake,
as seen from Queenston Heights. The original artwork for our labels was designed
by Dr. Joseph Pohorly. |
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Joseph and Caroline welcome you to Joseph’s Estate Wines.
See for yourself how our tradition continues . . .
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Joseph's Estate Wines Inc.
1811 Niagara Stone Road (Hwy 55) RR 2
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Canada L0S 1J0
Tel: 905-468-1259 Fax: 905-468-9242
Toll Free: 1-866-468-1259
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