Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Willow Springs Winery, Stouffville, Ontario

In Stouffville ... 5572 Bethesda Road ... It's true. Founded by Mario and Julie Testa, Willow Springs Winery is a "bunch" of grapes (11 acres of them) behind the beautiful winery atop the Oak Ridges Moraine.


They grow and are harvested to make red and white wine. (The Icewine comes from the Niagara Peninsula where grapes are grown to leave out all autumn ... not so in Stouffville where it is cold.) 





They press the wine on site in big vats in the basement of the winery and store it in barrels and stainless steel containers. The Testa version, requiring a VQA certification, is aged in oak for a period of 12 months in French barrels for added complexity and body.  

The vats and barrels


This is ready to go! All the Willow Springs  bottles ...