Maleta Estate Winery

About Winery and Wines

Many home winemakers dream of turning their passion of wine into a successful business and share their love of great wines with enophiles, but only very few can realize this dream. The challenges of starting and operating a capital-intensive winery, coupled with the risks of crop losses to weather and animals, are strong deterrents. But one's passion can overcome any challenge. The vineyard's location and heritage makes it desirable as it sits adjacent to what was once the Sunnieholme Winery, founded in 1918, and on what was probably the site of Niagara's first commercial vineyard, developed in the mid 1800s. The sloping land is situated in one of Niagara's warmer mesoclimates, on what was once the shoreline of an ancient lakebed. The hard Haldimand clay soil was reconditioned with organic materials like straw and horse manure and underdrained at every other row of vines

The vineyard is now planted to traditional Bordeaux reds, i.e., Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, for blending into our luscious award-winning Meritage - a wine with a nose full of cassis and blackberry fruit, a satin texture and long, sweet finish. Production also includes Gamay and Riesling from 40-year-old vines as well as Icewine. The 1999 Riesling Reserve Off-Dry won an award in - of all places - Germany, home of the world's most revered Rieslings. Maleta's was the only wine from outside Germany to win an award in the top 50.