Between the Lines Family Estate Winery
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Between the Lines winery is a small boutique winery operated by two brothers. Visitors will find a warm welcome when visiting. Between the Lines wines are sold at the tasting room. Look forward to hearing more about Between the Lines Winery as it continues to grow.
Wine enthusiasts to the Between the Lines Family Estate Winery will discover the winery location between Line 5 and Line 6 in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The winery is located in a small red barn. Inside, the winery is divided into three main rooms. Vineyards are located behind the winery.
The parents of Greg and Yannick Wertsch moved from Germany to Canada in 1998 buying a vineyard. This was a significant change for the two brothers who were use to life in the city. For a while Greg and Yannick considered careers not related to the vineyards. Eventually Greg studied viticulture and wine economics while Yannick went to school for winemaking.
Vineyards
Greg wants people to know that the winery started from the wine grower perspective. The brothers know the vineyard well, having spent their youth working in vineyards.
The vineyards consist of 45 acres planted with Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Lemberger, Vidal and Chambourcin.
The Name
The name “Between the Lines” refers to the winery location. Current plans are to sell out of the tasting room. In order to do that, people needed to find the winery. People would call to ask them what lines (roads) they were between. They would say they were between Line 5 and Line 6. It just made sense to call the winery “Between the Lines.” The wine bottle labels show a map of the location of the winery between the lines. GPS coordinates are also part of the label design.
The Winery
In 2009, the brothers started the winery and began with 1,500 cases. In 2012, they are producing 3,500 to 4,000 cases and Greg noted, “Everything is snowballing.” However he said, “It’s challenging to sell wines as a small winery.”
Various sizes of stainless steel tanks fit into one area of the renovated barn. Oak barrels, stacked up to four high, are between the tanks. Greg also noted that the winery showcases many styles of Ontario wines. The wines are reasonably priced so that people can enjoy them everyday. We tasted several wines with Greg.
Between the Lines Wines
Vidal 2010 was a light yellow color with a floral aroma. The taste offered peach and citrus notes. The finish was smooth and fruity with a long aftertaste where the fruit yielded to honeysuckle. It was suggested to pair this with garlic shrimp on skewers or to enjoy by itself. Gewürztraminer 2011 was a pale golden color. It was aromatic with honey and honeysuckle notes. The taste included honey, fruit-peach, and honeysuckle. Rosé was produced with Pinot Noir. The aroma had a hint of perfume. The taste was crisp with a hint of strawberries. The finish was dry with fruit nuances.
Pinot Noir 2011 was a ruby color with aroma and taste notes of cherry. The finish had tannins and cherries with a bit of spice. A suggested pairing was with lamb. Izumi Red was a ruby color with an aroma of cherries and a taste of cherries and vanilla. The finish was fruity with tannins. One dollar of every bottle sold of the Izumi Red goes to Fishing Forever, a non-profit organization, working to preserve and renew Ontario’s fishing resources. Cabernet Franc 2010 had notes of red fruit. The taste was smooth with nuances of fruit and spice. The finish offered tannins and fruit notes with a long aftertaste.
Enjoy a visit to Between the Lines Family Estate Winery. It is an easy winery to locate just between the lines.
Between The Lines
991 Four Mile Creek Rd., RR 4
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Canada, L0S 1J0
GPS: N43º 11.630’ W79º 06.321’
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