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theCompass mobile application is a winery, brewery, and distillery locator for North America. |
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Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery
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Sunnybrook Farm’s Gerald Goertz was the first of a new crop of Winemakers in Canada who believe that fruit wine delivers the best that Mother Nature has to offer. Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery is Canada’s first Fruit Winery, specializing in wines made from 100% Niagara Peninsula grown tree fruit and berries.
Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery is owned and operated by Gerald and Vivien Goertz. Gerald was born and raised in Niagara-on-the-Lake and has been involved in fruit growing in Niagara-on-the-Lake all of his life, including involvement in his family’s tender fruit processing factory, Lakeshore Canning Company.
Sunnybrook Farm initially consisted of 35 acres of peaches, cherries, plums, pears, and apple along the southern shore of Lake Ontario at Four Mile Creek on what was once a large river delta. The deep sandy loam soil and the temperature moderating effect of the Niagara Escarpment is ideal for growing the over 20 varieties of peaches produced on the farm.
A devastating hailstorm on August 1st, 1986 destroyed the entire crop of fruit that year. There was no time to financially recover when more hail struck a few years later. The Goertz’s did not want to lose their land and so decided to diversify the farming operation, inspired by Niagara’s traditional grape wineries. Since Gerald is a fruit grower, it was logical for him to make fruit wine. The farm machine repair shop was modified and so Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery, Canada’s first fruit winery, was established in 1993. It was, and remains, a family affair. Gerald is the Cellar Master and Vivien manages the office. For the first few years the children helped with bottling and labeling. Gerald and Vivien are very pleased that their daughter Rebecca is now the winemaker.
Sunnybrook Farm currently produces about 3,500 cases of a wide variety of peach, pear, apple, plum, apricot, and berry wines, including distinctive iced fruit wines. The wines are true to the fruit that they are made from so, for example, you will taste the true peach character in the Peach wines, and true Cherry in that wine. The wines are light and balanced, naturally fermented, not fortified, and not grape based.
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Directions
From Toronto area:
Take the QEW towards Niagara.
From Buffalo:
Cross into Canada on the Peace Bridge.
Follow the QEW towards Toronto.
From Niagara Falls, N.Y:
Cross the Rainbow Bridge
Follow the 420 West
Take QEW towards Toronto.
From Lerwiston:
Cross into Canada on the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge.
Follow Hw 405 towards QEW Toronto.
From Detroit area:
Cross into Canada at Windsor or Sarnia.
Follow Hwy 401 East toward Toronto
Exit to Hwy 403 (east of Woodstock).
Exit to QEW toward Niagara (at Burlington).
After you exit the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) in the Niagara Peninsula, it is about a 15 minute (15 km) drive to Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery. Exit the QEW at Exit 38B Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Stone Road. Follow off-ramp to York Road. Turn left at the traffic light on to York Road. At the next road, Airport Road (Regional Road 90), turn right. There is a large building with an “Automotive Warehouse” sign on the building at this turn. Follow Airport Road to Niagara Stone Rd. Turn right on to Niagara Stone Road (Regional Road 55). Niagara District Airport will be ahead of you. Follow Niagara Stone Rd. to the Village of Virgil. At the traffic light in Virgil, turn left on to Four Mile Creek Road (Regional Road 100). Follow Four Mile Creek Road to Lakeshore Road. At the end of Four Mile Creek Road turn right on to Lakeshore Road. Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery is about ¼ mile from this turn, on the right side of the road.
View Map
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Apple
An off dry white wine made from 100% Niagara apples. A unique apple aroma with a touch mango. The blend of MacIntosh, Empire, and Golden Delicious apples creates a full-bodied, refreshing apple taste with a clean citrus finish.
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Apricot
An off dry white wine made from 100 % Niagara apricots. A bouquet of lilies and orange flowers with apricot overtones. Fresh, intense layered flavours - from the velvety skin, through the textured fruit, to the tangy flesh at the stone. Full body with a balanced finish.
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Black Currant
An exciting dry red wine made from 100% Ontario black currants. Intense black currant aroma with hints of jasmine, sweet woodruff and lush woodlands. The initial perception of sweet accelerates into a refreshingly acidic finish characteristic of black currants.
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Black Raspberry
An off dry wine made with 100% Niagara black raspberries. Elegant raspberry aroma with a bouquet of kiwi and plum, and hints of black currant and chocolate. A medium bodied wine with a hint of sweetness balanced with refreshing acidity.
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Blackberry
An off dry wine made from 100% Niagara blackberries. This wine has a silky mouthfeel and full body with a hint of citrus. It has a very pleasant, lingering blackberry finish. Blackberry is an exciting wine that completely captures the essence of blackberries.
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Blueberry
An off dry wine made from 100% Ontario blueberries. Distinct wild blueberry aroma and layered bouquet, with a hint of nutmeg and pineapple. This medium-bodied wine is bursting with blueberry flavour.
A dinner wine to serve with fowl, fish, roast beef, veal, lobster, cream pastas. It is especially nice with smoked salmon. Also cheeses such as Gruyere, Swiss, Cheddar.
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Bosc Pear
An off dry wine made from 100% Niagara Bosc pears. It has a fresh pear aroma with exotic overtones. This wine has medium body with balanced acidity and full pear flavour. It has a long, pleasing finish.
A dinner wine to serve with fish, ham, pork, stir fries, herbed chicken, or cream pastas. Serve with cheese such as Swiss, Cheddar, Gruyere, or Farmer.
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Cherry
A medium sweet red wine made from 100% Niagara tart and black sweet cherries. Intense tart cherry aroma. Smoky, toasted almond bouquet. The initial sweet black cherry taste finishes with the refreshing tartness of the Montmorency cherries. This is a wine for chocolate lovers- it is delicious with any chocolate dessert, especially those made with bittersweet chocolate. It is also nice with cheesecakes or used in a spritzer. Try it paired with cheeses like Gouda, Gruyere, Swiss or Cheddar, or meals with pork, poultry, fish, or grilled vegetables.
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Cranberry
A lively dry wine made from 100% Ontario cranberries. A vibrantly coloured wine with aromas of fresh cranberries and a hint of spice. The illusion of initial sweetness finishes in classic cranberry form with refreshing acidity.
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Damson Plum
A dry wine made from 100% Niagara Damson plums. Distinctive rich plum bouquet with banana overtones, a hint of raspberry and smokiness. Full body, dry silky mouthfeel, long finish.
A versatile dinner wine that can be served with cabbage rolls, beef, venison, or poultry, pasta, shellfish, grilled vegetables. Nice with any white fresh medium to hard cheeses. People who get headaches or allergic reactions from red wine may be able to enjoy this wine.
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Golden Plum
An off dry wine made from 100% Niagara Golden plums. Rich aroma with hints of honey, lemon, and tangerine overtones. The initial sweetness quickly becomes tangy, with a hint of spice and tartness. A pleasing finish that cleanses as it lingers on the palate.
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Iced Apple
A sweet dessert wine made from 100% Niagara Apples. The ripe fruit is picked in October, frozen, and then gently pressed. The resulting juice is sweet and bursting with the flavour of many different varieties of apples. The wine has a heady aroma of apples and a hint of vanilla and caramel.
Serve with desserts such as fruit tarts, angel food cake, or pastries. Serve with cheese such as a sharp Cheddar, Brick or Swiss.
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Iced Apricot
A sweet dessert wine made from 100% Niagara apricots. The ripe fruit is picked in July and frozen. The frozen fruit is then gently pressed. The resulting juice is sweet and bursting with apricot flavour.
Serve with desserts such as fruit flan, angel food cake, cheesecakes, or chiffon cakes. Serve with cheeses such as mild gouda, cheddar, camembert, or on it’s own.
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Iced Cherry
A sweet dessert wine made from 100% Niagara cherries. The ripe fruit is picked in July and frozen. The frozen fruit is then gently pressed. The resulting juice is sweet and bursting with cherry flavour.
Serve with desserts such as Black Forest cake, fruitcake, cheesecake, chocolate mousse, fruit, or Marscapone cheese. Or serve Iced Cherry alone as dessert.
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Iced Pear
A sweet dessert wine made from 100% Niagara pears. The ripe fruit is picked in September and frozen. The frozen fruit is then gently pressed. The resulting juice is sweet and bursting with pear flavour.
Serve with dessert, such as angel food cake with whipped cream, fruit flan, chiffon cakes. Serve with cheeses such as Cheddar, Swiss, Brie or on it’s own.
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Ironwood Cider
Ironwood Hard Cider is a lively off-dry beverage full of fresh apple flavour, crafted from a blend of 15 varieties of Ontario apples.
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Montmorency Cherry
An off dry red wine made from 100% Niagara Montmorency cherries. Subtle fresh cherry aroma with a hint of pink grapefruit. Palate cleansing natural acidity with almond overtones, a trace of black pepper and a smooth smoky finish. Serve with veal, pasta, pork, poultry or seafood. Pair with cheeses such as Monterey Jack, Roquefort, Brie or Goat.
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Nectarine
An off dry white wine made from 100% Niagara Peninsula nectarines. Soft tangerine and nectarine aroma with a hint of pineapple. The wine, like the fruit, combines the sweetness of a peach with the refreshing tartness of a plum. Light body, long classic nectarine finish.
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Peach
An medium dry white wine made from 100% Niagara fruit. Several varieties of peaches are harvested at their peak of flavour and then blended to create this wine. This full-bodied wine has an intense fresh peach aroma and flavour with a pleasing finish.
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Poire Sec
Poire Sec
A dry white wine made from 100% Niagara grown Bartlett and Bosc pears. The wine has a distinctive pear aroma and flavour with soft hints of citrus. It is a medium- bodied, balanced wine with refreshing acidity and a lingering finish.
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Red Raspberry
An off dry wine made with 100% Ontario red raspberries. A complex, layered wine with elegant raspberry flavour. A medium bodied, easy to drink wine. The refreshing acidity is balanced with a hint of sweetness.
Serve with cheeses such as Monteray Jack, Camembert, mild Cheddar, and Jarlsberg. Or with desserts such as chocolate, cheesecake, Angel Food cake, or fresh fruit tarts.
Serve slightly chilled.
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Redhaven Peach
An off dry white wine made from 100% Niagara Redhaven peaches, the most widely planted peach variety in the Niagara Peninsula. A fresh peach bouquet with a hint of pineapple. Full body and subtle delicate peach flavour with a light citrus finish.
A dinner wine to serve with chicken, quail, pasta dishes, light fish, salads, salsas, ribs, and cheeses like Jarlsberg, Montarey Jack, and Brie. Serve slightly chilled.
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Spiced Apple
An off dry white wine made from several varieties of 100% Niagara apples and a special blend of spices. Spiced Apple has an elegant bouquet of cinnamon and nutmeg. The wine has full body, fresh apple acidity, and a long finish.
Serve slightly chilled with ham, pork, marinated meats, lamb, tomato pastas, or soft cheeses. Serve warmed with apple pie or in a mug to cozy up a cool evening
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Strawberry
An off dry wine made from 100% Niagara strawberries. It has an intense fresh strawberry aroma with a hint if kiwi and marmalade. This wine has complex, full body, with a long strawberry finish.
A social wine to serve before dinner or with desserts, such as tortes, chocolate, trifles, tiramisu, or in a fruit salad.
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