Rosewood Estates Winery
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Enjoy a visit to Rosewood Estates Winery where you will discover traditional wines and mead from the winery’s own vineyards and beehives.
At Rosewood winery we met Krystina Roman who provided us with a delightful tour of the winery and property including views of the onsite beehives. We also enjoyed a special tasting in the winery’s barrel room.
History
In 2000, Eugene and Renata Roman purchased 40 acres of land in the Beamsville Bench Appellation. The first harvest for the Roman family was in 2006 and the Rosewood Estates Winery opened to the public in 2008. Eugene’s father was a beekeeper. A sculpture of a bee greets visitors on the way to the tasting room. A honeycomb theme is apparent in the tasting room and the Rosewood Estates portfolio includes meads.
Tasting Room
The white wood tasting counter has a granite top and a bee-like honeycomb wine bottle holder behind the tasting counter. Another bee-like honeycomb display has beeswax candles, handmade onsite. Visitors should also view the real honeycomb display.
Rosewood Vineyards and Beehives
The winery’s viticultural team and students tend the vineyards all year. Work in the vineyards is done by hand, Krystina noted, “We listen to the vineyard and do what it needs us to do.” Located near the winery and pavilion is a test vineyard.
The Rosewood property consists of 18 acres of vineyards that include Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling Semillon and Pinot Noir as well as many beehives. Rosewood also has another property in Jordan, Ontario that occupies 30 acres. An outdoor gazebo nestled among vines and landscaping provides an escape for wine enthusiasts.
Krystina’s brother William is a beemaster who maintains the many beehives. He has nine beehive sites with a total of 300 hives. Twenty plus beehives are located in a nearby ravine and can be viewed from a safe distance when visiting the winery.
Winery
The barrel room, with120 oak barrels, is used for special events and tastings. Events also include “Yoga in the Barrel Room.” The winemaker at Rosewood Estates Winery is Natalie Spytkowsky. We tasted several wines in the barrel room with Krystina.
White Wines
Semillon 2010 was a light yellow. The aroma and taste offered floral and citrus notes. The finish was crisp with minerality on the aftertaste. The wine paired with a ricotta/lemon cheese that matched well with the wine. Semillon 2011 was a light yellow. Floral notes were on the aroma and the taste was of citrus. The crisp finish was citrusy yielding to honeysuckle. Natalie’s Süssreserve Riesling 2010 was a straw color. The aroma was of floral and mineral notes. The taste offered notes of roses, yellow stone fruit and citrus. The semi-sweet finish dried on the fruity aftertaste that yielded to mineral.
Red Wines
The Pinot Noir 2010 was a light ruby color. The aroma and taste had notes of strawberries, raspberries and cherries. The finish had tannins with cherry notes. Merlot Reserve 2009 was produced with natural fermentation. The color was dark ruby. The aroma and taste offered black fruit salad notes. The taste was smooth and the finish had mild tannins. It was fruity with fruit yielding to some mineral hints. Merlot 2010 was a dark ruby with cherry and earthy notes. Tannins were on the finish.
Dessert Wine
Mead Royale 2008 was a light yellow. This wine was made in a neutral French oak barrel. The aroma offered flower blossom notes. The taste had blossoms and honeysuckle nuances. The finish had floral notes and was sweet.
Enjoy a visit to Rosewood Estates Winery where you can taste traditional wines and meads. Watch the winery website for events throughout the year.
Rosewood Estate Winery
4352 Mountainview Road
Beamsville, Ontario
Canada, L0R 1B2
GPS: N43º 09.979’ W79º 30.021’
Article written in September 2012.
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