Cuvée Catharine

our wine

We have maintained a time honoured tradition by naming our sparkling wines after the widow and matriarch of the family. Named after Catharine Smith, Henry (Smith) of Pelham’s wife, Cuvée Catharine is a hand-picked, bottle fermented sparkling wine that sees lengthy aging.

There are two non-vintage wines in the portfolio, a Brut and a Rose Brut, both of which are made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (and vice versa, respectively). They see aging en tirage for an average of 30 months, meaning that it takes up to 3 years from harvest to finished wine, exceptional in New World sparkling wine production at the non-vintage level.

In 2013 a vintage dated Blanc de Blanc (all Chardonnay) wine will be added to the portfolio as a tete de cuvée for our 25th anniversary of winemaking. This wine will have seen 60 month of bottle aging after partial barrel fermentation.

Wine Style:
Elegant sparkling wines in the most classic tradition. Refreshing and delicate with the toasty character of long-term aging in bottle.

Cuvée Catharine Brut

Named in memory of Henry’s wife, widow and family matriarch, Catharine Smith. Clonal selection and the use of traditional grape varieties (Chardonnay & Pinot Noir) makes this wine a modern Niagara expression of a time honoured wine style.