D'Angelo Vineyards Estate Winery
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: D’Angelo Vineyards is owned by Salvatore D’Angelo who also owns a winery and vineyard in British Columbia. Producing quality wine is important for Salvatore. The D’Angelo Vineyards Ontario site focuses on dry red wines including Marechal Foch.
D’Angelo Vineyards is a boutique winery with the tasting room located at the front of the barrel room. Many of the winery’s visitors are from the US especially Ohio and Michigan. Antique enthusiasts will enjoy the display of old-time radios. Three floor models and two tabletop radios are on display.
Salvatore D’Angelo
Salvatore D’Angelo is the owner and winemaker. Salvatore was the first winemaker outside of Niagara to receive the 1999 Grape King Award. In April 2011 Salvatore was inducted into the Essex County Agriculture Hall of Fame. Besides this winery and vineyards in Ontario, Sal owns a winery and vineyard in British Columbia which had its first vintage in 2005. Chris D’Angelo, Sal’s son, is now the winemaker.
The first vineyards were planted in 1983 and today there are 40 acres of vineyards on the Ontario property. The oldest vines are Marechal Foch. Other vineyard varieties include Vidal, Chardonnay, Baco Noir, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Grapes are hand and mechanically harvested. At the time of our November visit, the mechanical harvester was harvesting grapes.
D’Angelo Vineyards is an estate only winery using only the grapes they grow to produce their wines. Artistic wine bottle labels are created by local artist Elio DelCol.
Wine tastings are conducted in the front of the barrel room. The room offers visitors an old world feel of tasting in a winery.
White Wines
Vidal 2009 was straw colored. The aroma was of floral orange blossoms and honeysuckle. The taste had apple notes. The finish was crisp with apple yielding to citrus with honeysuckle hints. Blanc de Blanc 2008 had a sugar number of 1. The wine was a very pale gold and the aroma and taste offered notes of apple and pear.
Red Wines
Pinot Noir 2002 was a dark ruby color. The aroma and taste were earthy with cherry notes. The finish had tannins and was fruity with some tobacco hints. Old Vines Foch 2002 was an inky dark color. The wine was a purple to black color with a ruby rim. The aroma and taste offered herbal and dark fruit notes. The finish had tannins and was spicy. Baco Noir 2008 was a dark purple to black color. The aroma was earthy and the taste was earthy with dark fruit notes. The finish had mild tannins with fruit yielding to spice. Old Vines Foch 2005 was an inky dark purple to black. The aroma had earthy and tobacco notes while the taste had dark fruit notes. Tannins were on the finish.
Dessert Wines
D’Angelo produces numerous dessert wines from sweet to fortified to Icewines. Fortified Foch 2007 was a port-like Foch. The color was dark ruby while the aroma and taste offered raisins and jammy fruit notes. The finish was smooth and fruity.
Iced Foch Vidal 2008 with a 13 sugar content had 9.2 percent alcohol. The Iced Foch Vidal is a best seller.
An unusual boxed bag is available. The boxed bag holds 20 liters, the equivalent of about 26 bottles. This size is available as a dry red wine blend, Vidal Sweet and Vidal Dry. The wine in the box has a long storage time once opened if kept in a refrigerator.
If you enjoy reds especially done in a bolder style as well as dessert wines make sure you stop at D’Angelo Vineyards Estate Winery.
D'Angelo Vineyards Estate Winery
5141 Con 5 North
Amherstburg, Ontario N9V 2Y9, Canada
GPS: N42º 07.097’ W083º 02.229’
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