In 1965 Enrico Barisél purchased a parcel of land in Canelli, a commune of the province of Asti, in Northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Over the next 20 years, he committed to restoring the vines and winery to produce his first wines in 1985. The 8-hectare property is ideal for viticulture, with a hilly terrain, calcareous soil and excellent sun exposure. Today the winery is led by Enrico’s son Franco, who maintains the quality of his wines through yield management and grape sorting at harvest. No chemical fertilizers or insecticides are used in the vineyard.

Cascina Barisél produces a range of wines from Barbera, Moscato, Dolcetto and Favorita, in addition to traditional method sparkling wines from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The 30 hectares of Domaine de Canta Rainette, located Provence, France, overlook the ancient red soil cliffs of Rocher de Roquebrune. The combination of bright sunny days, cooling and cleansing Mistral winds and clay/limestone soils of the area are ideal for viticulture. The vineyards have been managed by one family since 1958, with the company initially focused on supplying the local cooperative. When Edouard and Denise Castellino took the helm in 1990, they decided to highlight the quality of their grapes by producing their own wine. Thus, the award-winning Canata Rainette was established in 2000. The winery is named for the local tree frogs (rainette) who serenade the property every evening. Today the couple is joined by their sons, Mathieu who makes the wine and Christophe who oversees international sales for the winery.

Divergence is a collection of small-batch, single-vineyard wines crafted by award-winning Ontario winemaker Jeff Moote. Jeff’s engineering background becomes evident with wines that reflect his precision and attention to detail. With quality at the heart of every decision, each bottle expresses the unique origin of its hand-harvested fruit. The portfolio could be considered classic but certainly not mainstream. The wines are engaging and layered with flavour and texture, highlighting the potential for excellence in Niagara.

Domaine des Carabiniers is located on the right bank of the Rhône River near Avignon, in the Southern Rhône Valley. The founders, the Leperchoises have been grape growers since the 1930s. In the 1960s the Domaine’s winery was built and ten years later the family began to produce their own wine. Today the 5th generation, Magali and Fabien Leperchois oversee the estate’s 50 hectares producing wines from Tavel, Lirac, Côtes-du-Rhône and Pays d’Oc. A strong connection with the community is a core value at Domiane des Carabiniers. For example, the stonework in the winery was crafted by a neighbouring stonemason, and the resident fisherman has a stand to sell his wares on the property. The family also takes part in local events, often working alongside other wineries.

The Leperchoises have always believed in working with nature rather than imposing on it. This is one of the reasons that no oak is used in any step of the winemaking process. Thirty years ago, the winery was one of the founders of the Millesime BIO, at a time when there were only eight producers participating. Today, more than 1500 wineries take part in the show, making it the most prominent organic wine show in the world. Domaine des Carabiniers has been organically certified through Ecocert since 1997 and certified biodynamic through Demeter since 2009.

South Tyrol’s 15^th century Englar Castle has belonged the Counts of Khuen-Belasi for more than 400 years. While viticulture and winemaking have always been linked with the estate, the winery was re-established in 2012 after several decades of focus on grape growing. The highly allocated, internationally acclaimed Englar wines are made exclusively from the grapes of the property’s 10 hectares of vineyards. Growing at altitudes of 450 to 550 meters, the vines experience a high degree of diurnal variation allowing for optimal ripening of the fruit and the production of premium quality, terroir-driven wines.

The tradition of making wine in the Nizza family dates to 1957 when brothers Sandro and Alfredo first established the family winery in the hills of Santo Stefano Roero, Piedmont. In this dry continental climate, ideal for grape growing, the vineyards are planted with Arneis, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Birbèt on soils of sand, clay, limestone and humus. Today the domain is led by Sandro’s son Silvano, who combines tradition and innovation to realize his winemaking philosophy, “Quality is a choice.”

Osvaldo Barberis is an organic wine producer located in Dogliani, a high-quality appellation of Piedmont in Northern Italy. Osvaldo represents the third generation of his family to make estate-grown wine from their 11 ha of densely planted vines. Established in 1950, most of the property’s vineyards are dedicated to Dolchetto, the flagship variety of the region; however, Barberis also grows small parcels of Nebbiolo, Barbera, Pinot Nero and Nascetta. The fruit is grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and is picked by hand during harvest. To achieve optimal expression in the glass,the Osvaldo Barberis wines are left unfiltered.

The Prediomagno winery was established in 2015 by Emanuela Novello and her husband and Giovanni, east of Turin, in Northwestern Italy’s Piedmont region. The property can be discovered between the ancient hamlets of Montemagno and Grana Monferrato in an area treasured for its UNESCO sites: the Crea Sacred Mountain Sanctuary and the historic underground cellars of the Infernot. The jewel of the estate is its late 19th-century villa that overlooks the medieval Montemagno castle. When the family acquired the property in 2015, the surrounding rolling fields were abandoned and unused. Convinced that this arable land once supported a vineyard, Emanuela was determined to restore viticulture by planting the surrounding 25 hectares of land with indigenous vines of the region. At the same time, one thousand square meters of hidden cellars were extended below the original manor to elaborate the wine.

A fundamental value at Prediomagno is respect for the terroir. The use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides is not permitted in the vineyard, while lower yields, thorough thinning of the vines and bunches throughout the season, lead to increased quality. Harvest is always completed by hand when the grapes have achieved optimal ripeness. In the cellar, the fine wines of the Prediomagno collection are crafted by eminent Italian winemaker Riccardo Cotarella. The winery is certified for sustainable practice by SQNPI – the Italian National Quality System for Integrated Production.

The label that adorns each bottle has been designed to represent the breast feathers of the regional falcon to which the bottle is dedicated. The company’s logo holds deep meaning for the Novello family. The inspiration came from a jewel created by Master goldsmith Sergio Mazzola in the 1960s. Mazzola was a close family friend who trained with the internationally renowned sculptors, the Basaldella brothers. Master Mazzola’s art, which remains sought after today, was inspired by the Longobardian art of the 6th and 7th centuries.

Zoppi Cristina is an organic winery located in the heart of Monferrato in Northern Italy’s Piedmont region. The property’s 30 hectares of land, protected by surrounding woods and framed by walking paths, are divided equally among vines and hazelnut trees. Wildlife, from ladybugs to wild boar, is encouraged on the farm. The owners, Cristina and Ezio, take several measures, such as limiting production, reducing mechanical processing, lowering yields through pruning and the use of natural fertilizer to increase the quality of their wine. The Zoppi Cristina portfolio consists of Barbera d’Asti, Grignolino d’Asti, Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato and Monferrato Nebbiolo.