Bee Impressed with Ontario’s Rosewood Estate Winery & MeaderyPR SAMPLE 

I received recommendations from a friend to visit Rosewood Winery & Meadery while I was visiting the Niagara region.  I was curious to attend, in part because I had not tried mead.  This winery, started in 2000, is owned by the Roman family and originated from Ukraine.  They are also the only winery in Ontario with a license to produce honey wine (mead).  William Roman, General Manager, and my guide, is a third-generation beekeeper with their family beekeeping for 91 consecutive years.

The winery has vineyards surrounding the winery with their beehives located behind the winery in a valley.  They also have a vineyard in Jordan, Ontario. William took me for a tour of the winery before setting me down for a tasting.  Bird cannons were going off continuously, boom, all over the Niagara region, to keep the birds from the ripening grapes.  This winery sustainably farms, but is not officially Ontario-certified sustainable.  They also farm as organically as possible as well.  They would like to be as Neutral as possible, working by hand as much as possible and using chemical treatments only when absolutely necessary. 

In 2005 the first vintage was produced but it was not until the 2006 vintage that the wines were released in their tasting room to the public.  Their wine labels are unique as they believe each wine has its own story and is given a unique name.  All wines are vegan-friendly and undergo wild ferment.  They are as “natural” as possible, but they do not call their wines “natural”. They like to use oak barrels, having both a red and a white wine barrel room, but they also have stainless steel tanks and amphora for fermentation and wine aging.  They enjoy making wines that are ready to drink upon release, but they also have a tier of wine that is made for aging.  Let me tell you about the wines and mead I tasted while I sat on their patio overlooking the vineyard, boom.

My Wine Tasting Notes

Rosewood Estate Winery & Meadery Neptune Riesling 2019 – From the winery, “Why Neptune? Aptly named after the Roman god of the sea.  After the juice spends its light in terracotta pots for 18 months a notoriously rich and distinct saline character emerges…2019 Neptune is 100% Riesling harvested from the Renaceau Vineyard (winery home block). After pressing, the juice was transferred to neutral French oak puncheons.  Fermented using non-selected wild yeast, it was then left to mature on lees for 18 months in these vessels. Full malo. Bottled without fining or filtration.”  It has a deep golden colour. Medium-intensity aromas of toast and roasted apples. Dry with a medium body and lean mouthfeel. Apples and sweet spices flavours. Smooth mouthfeel with a touch of tannic dryness on the finish. Medium acidity. Medium length with a tart finish. A quality, structured wine.

Rosewood Estate Winery & Meadery Afternoon 2020 – A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes. A bright medium-plus intensity lemon colour. Medium-intensity aromas of mostly toast with some apples. Slightly off-dry, medium body with a round, smooth mouthfeel. Honeyed apples, a touch of sweet spices and medium-intensity oak. A complex flavoured wine. –

Rosewood Estate Winery & Meadery There Be Dragons 2019 – Made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. From the winery, “Gently pressed as whole-clusters and settled in stainless steel. It was then fermented and aged for 18 months in neutral French oak puncheons before bottling without fining or filtration.” This wine has a deep lemon colour.  Medium-minus intensity nose of pine needles.  Dry, fuller body with a round, thick mouthfeel. Rich ripe and roasted apple flavours.

Rosewood Estate Winery & Meadery Blau 2022 – Made with Blaufrankish grapes. From the winery, “Whole berry (80%) and whole cluster (20%) fermented using non-selected, wild, yeast. Matured for 6 months in neutral French oak barriques and 2 months stainless steel. Bottled without fining or filtration.“
This wine has a medium-plus red cherry colour.  Medium-intensity red berry aromas that are quite inviting. Medium-plus body, dry with higher acidity.  Light tannins.  Floral and a mix of sour cherries and juicy berries.  Medium-plus length with a tart fruit finish.

 

Rosewood Estate Winery & Meadery Pinot Noir 2020 – From the winery, “Fermented using non-selected indigenous yeast. Matured for 18 months in both new and neutral French oak barrels. Bottled without fining (vegan friendly) or filtration.”  This wine has a medium-intensity translucent to the core red cherry colour.  light red cherry nose with a touch of leather with some air.  Smooth, soft and fruit palate.  A mix of red fruits, red cherries and a touch of floral and cedar.  Light acidity and tannins.  Medium length with light, drying tannins and some sweet spice flavour. –

 

Rosewood Estate Winery & Meadery Shoulders of Giants 2019 – made with Cabernet Franc grapes whole cluster fermented using non-selected ambient yeast, then aged for 28 months in neutral French oak barrels on its natural lees. Bottled without fining or filtration. It has a deep garnet colour.  Deep fruity aromas of dark berries.  Dry, full body with a round, thick soft mouthfeel.  Ripe berries, candied berries, black fruit and a touch of capsicum on the palate.  Medium acidity.  Medium length with medium intensity drying tannins.  Quality. –

Mead

Rosewood Estate Winery & Meadery Legacy Cyser 2020 – From the winery, “Over 50 years ago, R. W. Roman inspired his son, Eugene, to follow his footsteps of beekeeping. In 2000, Eugene’s dream of opening a winery became a reality by founding Rosewood, following his father’s dream of opening a honey-winery. R.W. Roman originally wrote his recipe in 1980, after his passing it was discovered years later in 2016. We’ve recreated his cyser by co-fermenting apple juice & estate honey. This is his Legacy.”  It has a medium-plus bright golden colour.  Medium-intensity sweet spices and apple aromas.  Dryish, fuller body with a round and soft mouthfeel.   Medium-minus acidity.  Light apple flavours with some honeyed stone fruit flavour and sweet spices toward the finish.  Medium-length.  A very tasty mead. I bought a bottle of this in part due to its historical connection to Ukraine and my roots.  I can imagine this recipe being used today in Ukraine.

 

Rosewood Estate Winery & Meadery Old Smokey 2018 – From the winery, “…this second version of our beloved bochet is just as robust as the first. Unfrozen burnt honey, diluted with water and aged in bourbon barrels for three years makes for a beautiful balance of caramel and smoke…Aged 3 years in ex-bourbon barrels. No sulphur added. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.”  This mead has a medium-plus tawny colour.  Reminds me of tawny port aromas; woody and sweet spices with honey behind.  Dryish, with a thick mouthfeel.  Sweet spices, peppery, and darker butterscotch flavours.   

Where Can I Buy These Wines and Mead?

You can purchase the wine and mead online through the Rosewood website.