Nova Scotia has a long history of grape growing; the earliest vineyards date back as far as the 17th century when French settler Louis Hébert planted the first vineyard in Bear River, Nova Scotia, in 1611. The governor of Acadia, Isaac de Razilly, documented the grape growing industry in a note that stated, “Bordeaux vines have been planted that are doing very well.”
The Beginning of the Nova Scotia Wine region
In 1980 and Nova Scotia’s first commercial vintage, Domaine de Grand Pré, opened and shortly after, in 1985, Jost Vineyards opened.
Sainte Famille made the transition from grape growers to a commercial winery in 1990. When owners Doug and Suzanne started, they were initially going to plant strawberries. Suzanne was a part of the Fruit Growers Association and saw that Rodger Dial was having success growing grapes in Grand Pre, and Hans Christian Jost was also having success in Malagash. Being wine lovers themselves, Doug and Suzanne saw an opportunity to produce something unique. They grew grapes for approximately ten years before deciding to open Sainte Famille Wines. It was a natural progression for the business.
The industry expanded slowly but steadily after, as Gasperau Vineyards and Blomidone Estate Winery both came onto the scene in the 1990s.
In 2000, Domaine de Grand Pré opened and changed Nova Scotia wine’s landscape by welcoming guests to a destination winery.
As a province that hadn’t established a commercial wine region before 2000, what inspired Domaine de Grand Pré to take the chance in the wine industry?
Jurg Stutz, the owner of Domaine de Grand Pre, says, “It was a combination of a few different things. From embracing the challenge of working with mother nature to starting this adventure together with family, but also creating a legacy while also making a difference in the culinary and experiential tourism sector in Nova Scotia”.
By 2005 there were nine wineries in operation and 125 acres of grapes growing across Nova Scotia.
The concept of Tidal Bay, Nova Scotia’s appellation wine, was born in 2010 and officially launched in 2012, propelling the Nova Scotia industry.
Nova Scotia Wine Today
Fast forward to 2020, and there are over 20 wineries located across the province and close to 1,000 acres of grapes planted. The industry has changed tremendously over the years.
“The wine industry has grown exponentially, we are one of the largest tourism sectors, and we are competing on the world stage with quality. Our uniqueness as a region, which was thought to be a weakness, in the beginning, is now our calling card. We now have an appellation wine, and we are known around the world for our white and sparkling wines,” says Lauren Lake, from Sainte Famille Wines.
As the industry grows, so does the professionalism surrounding it.
“With the industry’s growth, there has been a big leap in knowledge, and there are many well-educated folks that can stake a claim in shaping where the industry is heading. From the production side with growers and winemakers to the retail side with tasting room managers and sommeliers, it has been great to see how quickly people have taken it on themselves to constantly learn and improve. Simultaneously, the appreciation for a fine bottle of wine has grown significantly on the consumer side, which keeps the pressure on us to keep producing quality wines,” says Stutz.
Thanks to the growing and loyal local customer base and increasing national and international attention, there is tremendous potential for the Nova Scotia wine industry. “It wouldn’t be surprising if the number of wineries doubles over the next decade or so,” says Stutz.
From its humble beginnings in the 17th century to now, a vibrant and growing industry, the Nova Scotia wine industry continues to evolve.