Countryman's Estate Winery opened its doors to the
public on June 10, 2006
Our New Wine Store
Yes, you can
also buy our wine
on-line and have it shipped
to anywhere in Canada
It is the first winery in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and
one of the first fruit wineries in Eastern Ontario. The winery
complements our existing market garden operation, which sells
strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, sweet corn, and other fruits and
vegetables grown on the farm.
The idea for a winery began in the summer of 2005 when we had a bumper
crop of strawberries to sell but unfortunately were not able to market a
significant proportion of them before they spoiled. We thought about
other ways we could convert a perishable product into a non-perishable
product and came up with the idea of making wine. While we had made a
little wine for personal use before, we had never thought of doing it
commercially. We conducted extensive research about what was required to
start a winery in Ontario and whether there would be a market for fruit
wine in our area.
Marsha Countryman at the new wine tasting
table at Countryman's Winery
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About our Wine
Bottles - Some New - Some Recycled
We think there is a great
way to save energy -- Donate your used 200 ml, 375ml and
750 ml wine bottles to Countryman's. We remove the
labels, sterilize the bottles and recycle them by
filling them again with Countryman's wine.
We
accept most used wine bottles from almost all brands of
regular shaped bottles.
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We discovered that fruit wine was a growing industry in Ontario, but
that there were no fruit wineries in our immediate area. We also
determined that there was a substantial untapped market, with large
centers such as Ottawa and Kingston just an hour's drive away. We
converted a storage facility into our winery. We built a wine retail
store and produce outlet using the existing bam and lumber sawed from
trees cut from the back of the farm.
Gene Countryman being interviewed for CJOH's
Regional Contact TV Show by host
Kathie Donovan
to be aired on Saturday October 18, 2008 at 6.30 pm
Watch the Countryman's on the "Regional Contact"
TV Show
Really
nice! Saw you on Regional Contact! - Jean Gilles, Monique & Josione
Laplante,
St. Albert, Ont.
The wine store has an antique, country-style decor, with local
historical artifacts hanging on the walls. The lighting fixtures were
made using antique milk cart wheels, which helped to inspire our wine
labels. The antique theme inside the store is complemented by an outdoor
museum of antique farm equipment in our front yard.
Fionnuala & Gabriel Raymond,
Montreal - "Very interesting and a lot of fun! Great Wines"
In terms of making the wine itself, we didn't hire a professional
winemaker to do the job. We developed our own recipes based on trial and
error. While we have made relatively common fruit wines such as
strawberry wine, we have also developed some unique wines made from
produce not normally associated with wine, notably our Tomato n 'Spice
and Garden Salad.
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Much of the wine is made using produce from
our own farm, or where possible, local growers. Hence we are
able to offer a market for local producers of cranberries
and apples.
As per the terms of our wine making license,
all of the fruit we use to make our wine is grown in
Ontario. We have attracted many new customers to our farm
and have received many compliments about our wine store and
the outdoor museum of antique farm equipment to our farm by
relatives and friends who want to show off the new winery in
their neighbourhood.
The addition of a winery is a boost for the 1000 Islands
tourism industry and thus stimulates to enhance the local
economy.
Gene and Marsha Countryman |
With just
the click of a mouse, what's unavailable at the LCBO stores
– niche appeal, – is delivered straight into your house
Order
Countryman's Wine On-Line
If you want to give a gift to someone and you don't
know what to buy.
Give them a Countryman's Gift Certificate.
They are available in any denomination at the Winery or the Cupboard
stores.
Yes, we make gift baskets with our own jams, jellies
and wine!
Some Other News Items
Ottawa Citizen Wine Review
Ottawa Citizen - 100-mile wine: Fruit-based vinos
from Prescott
are a tasty drink - February 26, 2009
Toll Free at1-877 448-1575 
