Creemore Hills Winery
Creemore, Ontario
Vaughan - January 5th, 2023 - It is not without coincidence that I saved this spot as the first post of 2023. I visited this winery with my girlfriends in January 2022 which was the first trip of the year for me (and for us), and an amazing one at that. We booked a one night stay in Collingwood, but of course wanted to use the car ride up to have an adventure. Through my research, I found Creemore Hills Winery which was close enough to our path to stop on our way up north. So we did!
Now, let me tell you, I did not factor in inclement weather into the trip and the drive off of Highway 400 down County Road 90 and beyond was a little scary. But when we pulled up to the dirt road off of Fairgrounds Road South up to the stunning grounds of the winery, I knew it was worth it (though my heart didn’t stop rapidly beating until we parked out front the house). Upon arrival, we were greeted by Catherine - one of the two owners of the winery. She was so lovely and immediately made us feel right at home. Before entering the house where the tasting room lay, she walked us around the snow covered grounds and through the winery itself. That is where we met her partner in love and life Steve. After the tour, she took us into her beautiful home where we had an incredible tasting experience. We chatted, we laughed, we learned about their vineyard and winery, and we tasted incredible wines accompanied by a delicious personal charcuterie board each. After about two hours with Catherine in total, herself and Steve drove myself and my girlfriends back to the main road as gracious hosts who did not want us to fear the snow-covered gravel road.
Catherine and Steve’s story began in 2007 when they purchased their farm property in Creemore, which evoked for them Italy’s fabled Tuscany region. Despite their different professional and national backgrounds, they shared a vision for this wonderful 49-acre site and desired to transform the property into a winery and a place where people could take in the full vintner experience while savouring their wines and the magnificent countryside that produces them. Steve has a family background in farming in his native South Africa, coupled with working in the computer and renovation sectors in Canada. Catherine is a creative businesswoman who has had a successful investment career in Toronto and once explored partnering in a winery in Argentina. Together with their wine master, David Eiberg, they embarked on a wonderful journey. Now, they live on-site and work closely with their team to ensure their wine is made to their standards.
When they first started their vineyard, they consulted a viticulture professor at Brock University who suggested growing a hybrid grape that could tolerate temperatures well below zero. Since then, they have planted more than 5,300 vines, of which the main ones are Marquette (red) and LaCrescent (white). For blending purposes, we’ve also planted Frontenac gris, Oscedio Muscat, Swenson white, Frontenac blanc, St. Croix, Frontenac and Sabrevois. Their wines are made from pesticide-free grapes from their vineyard, and fruit sourced from sustainably farmed vineyards in the Niagara region.
Even better, we hope you’ll come visit us and our state-of-the-art winery and historical wine-tasting cabin and patio where we always enjoy welcoming people and sharing with them our love of this terroir and magnificent region. I myself took home their Creemore Hills 2017 Chardonnay - which is a medium bodied white wine with rich aromas of peach, apple, and apricot. It is aged 18 months in French oak to provide a subtle oak flavour that I absolutely LOVE.
Creemore Hills Winery also has an AirBnb stay on site - which I would absolutely love to experience in the summertime. Needless to say, I will be back! For more information, and to book an appointment (required to enter their grounds), visit their website.