Henry of Pelham Winery
Encyclopedia
Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery is an Ontario wine
ry that released their first vintage in 1988. The namesake of the winery, Henry (Smith) of Pelham was an early settler in Upper Canada
’s Niagara Peninsula
. His father Nicholas, the first settler, was Pennsylvania Dutch
and a United Empire Loyalist who sided with the crown during the American Revolution
of 1776.
He was forced north from his home in Pennsylvania
and served as a soldier, bugle boy and Iroquois
translator with Butler's Rangers
during the war. After the war he was granted 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of land under the Kings' Grant as were many of his 14 children. This land became known as the Smith Family Community and it was his son Henry who built an inn, tavern and toll-gate along the old trail known as Pelham Road which ran across his property. When applying for his liquor license young Henry signed his name "Henry of Pelham", winking at the fact that the recent British Prime Minister was Sir Henry Pelham
. This became Henry's nom de plume and the name of the winery more than a century after he planted his first vineyards to native species of grapes.
and start the process of becoming a wine producer. Henry of Pelham is one of two vineyards who use the name as their appellation.
(VQA). The winery's focus is on Chardonnay
, Riesling
and Sauvignon Blanc
for the whites, and Pinot Noir
, Cabernet Franc
/Cabernet Sauvignon
/Merlot
blends for the reds. They are also well known for their Baco Noir
. Riesling and Cabernet Franc icewine along with sparkling wine
s are also in their portfolio.
Ontario wine
Ontario wine is Canadian wine produced in the province of Ontario. Wines made from 100% Ontario grapes can qualify for classification under Ontario's appellation system, the Vintners Quality Alliance , depending on the varietal, the wine-making techniques employed, and other restrictions...
ry that released their first vintage in 1988. The namesake of the winery, Henry (Smith) of Pelham was an early settler in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
’s Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
. His father Nicholas, the first settler, was Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
and a United Empire Loyalist who sided with the crown during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
of 1776.
He was forced north from his home in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and served as a soldier, bugle boy and Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
translator with Butler's Rangers
Butler's Rangers
Butler's Rangers was a British provincial regiment composed of Loyalists in the American Revolutionary War, raised by Loyalist John Butler.Most members of the regiment were Loyalists from upstate New York...
during the war. After the war he was granted 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of land under the Kings' Grant as were many of his 14 children. This land became known as the Smith Family Community and it was his son Henry who built an inn, tavern and toll-gate along the old trail known as Pelham Road which ran across his property. When applying for his liquor license young Henry signed his name "Henry of Pelham", winking at the fact that the recent British Prime Minister was Sir Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754...
. This became Henry's nom de plume and the name of the winery more than a century after he planted his first vineyards to native species of grapes.
History
In 1984 Paul Speck (Sr.), an educator who was originally from Niagara but lived in Toronto, and his wife Bobbi (Barbara) Speck, a book editor, enlisted their three teen and pre-teen sons Paul, Matthew and Daniel to remove the original vineyards and replant by shovel on the newly contoured, under-drained hills along the Short Hills BenchShort Hills Bench
The Short Hills Bench is a sub-appellation of the Niagara Peninsula .-Flora and fauna:A Carolinian Climatic Zone, the Short Hills Bench has been acknowledged for its unique soils, topography and climate by the governing body of wine production, the Vintners Quality AllianceOntario and by the...
and start the process of becoming a wine producer. Henry of Pelham is one of two vineyards who use the name as their appellation.
Grape varieties and wine styles
In the 1980s there were only a few estate wineries dedicated to producing premium wines made from 100% Ontario-grown grapes. The winery was a founding member, in 1989, of the regions' appellation of origin system the Vintners Quality AllianceVintners Quality Alliance
Vintners Quality Alliance, or VQA, is a regulatory and appellation system which guarantees the high quality and authenticity of origin for Canadian wines made under that system in British Columbia and Ontario. It is similar to regulatory systems in France , Italy , and Germany...
(VQA). The winery's focus is on Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, Riesling
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
and Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
for the whites, and Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
, Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
/Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
/Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
blends for the reds. They are also well known for their Baco Noir
Baco noir
Baco noir is a hybrid red wine grape variety produced from a cross of Vitis vinifera var. Folle Blanche, a French wine grape, and an unknown variety of Vitis riparia indigenous to North America. Baco noir produces a medium body, deeply tinted, acidic red wine which is fruit forward and often...
. Riesling and Cabernet Franc icewine along with sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
s are also in their portfolio.