Norman Hardie

About

On a clay limestone hill in Prince Edward County, my passion for fine wine is put to the ultimate test. I have chosen select sites in Prince Edward County and Niagara with a magical combination of clay and limestone. These mineral driven sites are ideal and allow me to craft Pinot noir, Chardonnay and other cool climate varieties of exceptional quality and elegance. My wines tell a story of place developed from my passion and experience.

Location Description

Located in beautiful, rural Prince Edward Country.

Features

  • The best wines come from the edge.

Additional Information

  • Meeting / Conference Facilities:
  • Caves:
  • Wedding Facilities:
  • Picnic Facilities:
  • Dog Friendly:
  • Winery Tours:
  • Wine Tasting:
  • Art or Architecture:
  • Organic / Biodynamic:
  • Awards:
  • Wine Club:
  • Lodging / Bed & Breakfast:

Average Bottle Price

$ 25

Winemaker

Norman Hardie - Winemaker/Owner:

Norm earned his sommelier certification at the University of Dijon in the late 1980s. After putting this certification to use for Four Seasons Hotel he spent 6 years (12 harvests) apprenticing with some of the best producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in both hemispheres. In 2003 he made the leap and put down roots in Prince Edward County.

During the growing season and harvest Norm works tirelessly to ensure that no small detail is missed. On the weekends outside of harvest his gregarious personality moves throughout the winery fluidly directing his staff and making all who enter the winery feel welcome.

History

In my early twenties I earned my sommelier certification from the esteemed wine program at the University of Dijon in Burgundy and then put my skills to work as a sommelier for Four Seasons Hotels for seven years. In 1996 I traded in my Hugo Boss and Armani suits for farm clothes, work boots and a backpack. My insatiable thirst to master the art of winemaking led me on a six year journey apprenticing for the very best producers/winemakers of cool climate varieties in Burgundy, South Africa, Oregon, New Zealand and California. In 2003 I put roots down in Prince Edward County by planting 12,000 Pinot Noir vines and in 2004 planted an additional 3,000 Chardonnay and 2,000 Pinot Gris vines.

The Team

Johannes Braun - Operations Manager:

Johannes is the glue that holds Norman Hardie Winery together. One of a kind, he is a German accountant with a personality and propensity to roast whole pigs to perfection.

Early Saturday mornings Johannes also crafts delicious artisanal bread from his self-built wood-fired oven. At the winery you will find him between the books, out chopping wood for the pizza oven, and searching for errant wild pigs “needing a home” on a wood fired BBQ.

Richard Charnock - Assistant Winemaker:

Richard hails from the big city of Toronto. He is an ex-carpenter with a grand palate, especially for Chablis. Throughout his travels and now, he continues to refine his palate by, in his words, “sipping” on as many Chardonnays as possible.

His wine career began in 2008 at Norman Hardie Winery and he has since completed multiple vintages in South Africa, New Zealand and Tasmania. Now Richard works miracles in Toronto, converting those anti-Chardonnay drinkers into seekers of limestone purity and finesse. If he isn’t in the city then he’s out in the cellar carefully tending the aging barrels and tanks.

Chris Campbell - Assistant Vineyard Manager:

Ex-bartender turned winemaker; Chris has completed vintages in France, Niagara and at Norman Hardie Winery. He is the lone wolf in a one man pack. A silent and efficient worker, he leaves a path of tidiness and organization in his wake. You’ll find him selling pizzas on the weekend, overlooking the vineyard and gardens during the week, and updating our Twitter and Facebook accounts in-between.

Lucie Trepanier - Winemaker in Training:

A former rockstar-Sommelier with a wonderful Franco-Ontarian personality, Lucie left the restaurant world for a winemaking stint in France. Somehow we managed to lure her back to Canada from the idyllic moderate climate of the South of France. Most recently she has completed vintages in South Africa and Central Otago. There is little she can’t do in the cellar, tasting bar or on the patio. She works at a pace that leaves no chance for dust to settle. We also love her for the wonderful lunches she cooks for us.

Practices & Techniques

The sites we’ve chosen have enormous potential. It’s up to us to look after and care for our land and vines to see that these sights realize their potential. We spend an inordinate amount of money and time on our vineyards to ensure perfect fruit. Our vineyard crew are fastidious, understand and embrace the concept that great wine can only be made in the vineyard. Once the fruit is ripe, we hand pick and hand sort every cluster. This is to ensure only perfect fruit make it into the fermentations.

In the cellar, we take a hands-off approach to gently guide our wines through fermentation and ageing. We are not tempted to use an arsenal of quick-fixes for easy non-distinctive ferments available through numerous laboratories. Instead, our approach is to use very few modern techniques in the cellar. This "old world" approach entails using absolute minimal amounts of sulphur, natural yeast from the vineyard, extended fermentation on the skins for the reds, lots of lees contact for the whites, and natural malolactic fermentation in the spring. It takes tremendous experience and guts to take this natural approach; we do it because of our dedication and desire to create wines that taste of a sense of place or Vins de Terroir.

Awards

The World of Fine Wine 2013 -Top rated North American Chardonnay
The World of Fine Wine 2014 -Top ten North American Pinot Noir
Jancis Robinson – From Bottom to Top – Canada’s Wines
John Szabo – Norman Hardie Winery Niagara Pinot Noir 2010
David Lawrason – Wine of the Day: Norman Hardie Winery Niagara Pinot Noir 2010
Tony Aspler – Norman Hardie Winery Chardonnay 2009.

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Hours

During the summer months (April through early December), the tasting bar is open 7 days a week, from 10am to 6pm. From January through March, the tasting bar is open Monday through Saturday, from 11am to 5pm. We are closed on Sundays in January, February and March.

Address

1152 Greer Rd
Wellington, Ontario K0K3L0
Canada

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