Kacaba Vineyards
by
K. L. Sullivan
Summary: Kacaba Vineyards is a boutique winery focused on handcrafting small batches of quality wines. Outside the winery, you will see a large white pergola that adds a lovely ambience to the winery setting.
In 1997, Michael Kacaba and his family purchased several acres to start a winery. Today Dave Servos, retail sales manager and John Tummon, winemaker and general manager have an active role in Kacaba Vineyards. Small quantities of wine, often less than 500 cases, are produced. There is an emphasis on creating wine out of the Bordeaux reds and Syrah.
We met Dave Servos who gave us detailed information about the winery. Today the winery produces 3,000 to 5,000 cases yearly. The vineyards are home to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. The Syrah plantings are the oldest in Niagara. White grapes are from vineyards in the area. The onsite vineyards consist of 17 acres of grapevines and 6 acres are for the winery/tasting room area. The Kacaba vineyard has good air drainage and air flow. Since the vineyard is on a slope, cold air flows down past the vineyard.
The tasting room is of a boutique size and corresponds well with the boutique nature of the wines. Glass doors give a peak into the winery where gleaming stainless steel tanks hold hundreds of gallons of wine. Beyond the stainless steel tanks, oak barrels age wine. In 2006, the winery began to sell wine by the glass and that has been very successful. Tastings are done using good quality stemware. Different glasses are used depending on the wine tasted. The stemware is also for sale in the retail shop.
Dave introduced us to the wines at Kacaba. The Pinot Gris 2007 offered an apple, pear and some grassy tones on the nose. There were apples and citrus on the taste and the aftertaste was fruity. It was refreshing with a crisp finish. Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2006 was yellow with a first nose of oak and a second nose of apple and caramel. The mouth feel was very smooth. There was apple and peach with a bit of citrus taste. The long aftertaste began with citrus and changed to creamy butter.
Pinot Noir 2006 came from an offsite vineyard where two tons of grapes were harvested per acre. The nose was of cherries and warm spices. There was a tart cherry taste with a crisp finish. Cabernet Franc Reserve 2004 had a dark purple color. There were blackberries, spice and a hint of olives on the nose. It was very smooth with a blackberry taste. The aftertaste was of intensive fruit with soft tannins. This wine won gold at the Ontario Wine Awards. Proprietors Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 was a dark purple with a blackberry taste. The wine was smooth with intense fruit and the finish was crisp with tannins. Syrah 2004 was aged in French oak for 24 months. It had a dark ruby red color with blackberry nose. The mouth feel was smooth and the taste was fruit forward. It was crisp with tannins and an intense fruit aftertaste.
As we tasted wine, Dave talked about Kacaba Vineyards and wine in general. He said, “The 2007 vintage across the board will rival 2002.” Soon Kacaba will be adding Syrah grapevines to the vineyard to meet customer demand. Dave “likes that everything is quality controlled,” at the Kacaba Vineyards. Here bottles are hand labeled one at a time. The winery uses only natural cork for bottling wines.
A unique wrap-around label is on the 2006 Sur Lie Chardonnay. It shows a map of the world with a line drawn along the 43rd parallel. The line passes through the Niagara Peninsula. As you turn the bottle you'll see the line passing through Northern Spain, Southern France and Northern Italy. Some visitors to Kacaba Vineyards are surprised to see that the vineyards are on the same parallel as wine regions in Europe. When planning your visit to Kacaba Vineyards, plan to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy Kacaba wines by the glass or the bottle.
Kacaba Vineyards
3550 King St.
Vineland, Ontario, Canada
GPS N 43° 15.147' W 079° 40.074'
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