Cave Spring Vineyard
FORGING NIAGARA’S NEXT FRONTIER
For Cave Spring Vineyard, the compounding effect of four decades of carefully considered decisions has earned our winery the reputation of a proud pioneer, brave enough to try new things, and patient enough to await the rewards revealed with every passing vintage. At Cave Spring Vineyard, every decision we make is measured against a single question that serves as our collective compass: Does this choice enhance our ability to create wines that capture and express the terroir of our vineyards?
Continually asking ourselves this question guides our evolution, from the selection of the cool-climate varieties we grow to our rigorous commitment to sustainability, the utilization of exclusively indigenous yeasts and neutral oak in the cellars, and our constant crusade for more demanding industry standards.
How has Cave Spring Vineyards helped establish Niagara on the world wine stage?
Grounded by their vision to establish Niagara as an internationally recognized wine region, the Pennachetti family and winemaker Angelo Pavan joined forces to make the inaugural Cave Spring Vineyard vintage in 1986, almost a decade after having planted their first vinifera grapes. Those first bottles only strengthened the team’s collective thirst to make a name for Niagara as a respected wine region.
The potential of the 1986 vintage made it clear that there was a distinct need to distinguish the quality of Cave Spring wines from the mass-produced Niagara labrusca and hybrid blends that dominated at the time. Two years later, Len Pennachetti co-founded the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA), a voluntary association of wine growers created to guarantee the origin and quality of wines made from 100% Ontario-grown grapes. After carefully studying the great appellation systems of Europe, he wrote the first set of regulations ensuring consumers could trust that a wine bearing the Niagara Peninsula VQA appellation was made from 100% vinifera grapes grown according to the strictest standards in the vineyard and cellars. Len’s vision and diligence paved the way for the Niagara Peninsula to find its rightful place on the international wine stage. From those initial appellations, Len would go on to create an intricate set of Niagara sub-appellations, including the Beamsville Bench, that today provide the framework for understanding the nuances of the region’s terroir.
How have early decisions made by the Pennachetti family impacted Niagara’s wine industry?
In 1978, against the advice of experts at the time, the Pennachetti family chose to plant some of Niagara’s first European vinifera vines, including Riesling and Chardonnay. That choice, motivated by the family’s unwavering belief that the future of the Ontario wine industry lay with more noble varieties, would fundamentally alter the trajectory of the Canadian wine industry. In time, they would expand their vineyards to include Gamay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc, all well-suited to Niagara’s cool climate and offering a level of wine quality comparable to the finest European examples.
The decision to focus on core, cool-climate vinifera varieties wasn’t the only discussion around the family dinner table in those early days that would shape the winery and winemaking in Niagara for decades to come. Opting to plant at densities of 3,600 vines per ha (1,455 per ac), which was unheard of in 1978 and is still higher than the regional norm, continues to pay dividends for ripening and vine health. Opting for vertical shoot positioning, which was novel in Niagara at the time, was another family-driven decision that has only become standard practice in the region much more recently.
3836 Main St #5
Jordan Station, ON
L0R 1S0
(905) 562-3581