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 The Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario provide a unique maritime climate and soil that produces world class Pinot Noir. Warm Lake Estate produces exclusively estate grown Pinot Noir using environmentally friendly techniques in the vineyard (manual weeding, no herbicides, organic fertilizers, etc.) and old world techniques in the winery (triage fruit, manual punch down, and French oak barrels).
Warm Lake Estate Pinot Noir expresses bright red cherry fruit, nuances of smoke, coffee, hazelnut, coconut, game and anise on the nose. On the palate the wine confirms the fragrances expressed on the nose as well as providing firm, but exceptionally ripe tannins, good mouth feel, and a long, lingering mineral finish from the carbonates in our limestone-rich soils.
A study performed by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets determined that the Niagara Escarpment is the most promising undeveloped wine region in New York. The “bench land,” that region trapped between the upper and lower escarpments, has been extensively developed by the Canadians in Ontario. The “bench” extends from Hamilton in Ontario through Niagara-on-the-Lake, across the Niagara River, through Niagara County and continues on past Rochester.
In 1976 the Ontario Government released a report which detailed the unique maritime climatic conditions on the “bench,” which are produced by a combination of the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario. The “bench,” under impact from the lake, enjoys a growing season which emulates Burgundy France and is suitable in length to properly ripen Pinot Noir grapes.
The soils and sub-soils (clay over limestone) are so similar to Burgundy, France that two large Burgundian producers have purchased land on the “bench” to grow Pinot Noir. The two firms are Boisset and Michel Picard who have joint ventured with two Canadian firms and have planted over 100 acres with Pinot Noir. Boisset stated that they searched the world for land with a climate and soils similar to Burgundy, France and they chose the Niagara Escarpment.
The Niagara Escarpment American Viticultural Area (AVA) was officially recognized by the US Government on October 11th, 2005, by official ruling of the Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The ruling states that the Niagara Escarpment has distinguished geological, climate, soil, elevation and physical features which result in wines of superior pigment and flavor compounds. Well drained soils, sufficient slope, a steady but moderate water supply and an extended ripening season from the maritime influence of Lake Ontario all contribute to the distinguished attributes of the Niagara Escarpment.
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