For one Prince Edward County winery, 2019 was a very good year.
Rosehall Run Vineyards near Wellington, Ont. won numerous awards last year, a list that includes three gold medals for its pinot noir and cabernet wines.
Never ones to rest on their laurels, winemaker and co-owner Dan Sullivan, along with operations manager Steve Springer, was doing a cellar check and barrel sampling when Global News paid a call.
Sullivan says the work never stops.
“We just want to make sure everything is on the up and up so folks are getting the best of the best that we do,” he said.
“The whole exercise is going through barrel by barrel to make sure that … they’re all great on their own, but also really great blending together.”
According to Sullivan, the winery’s location is a big factor in its success.
“We’re sitting on, oddly enough out here on the north edge of Lake Ontario, some very special ground,” he said.
Lynn Sullivan is the winery’s managing partner, and she also does the marketing and enters wines in competitions when a reluctant Dan won’t.
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“We have an amazing area here in Prince Edward County where there are a number of excellent winemakers and a vast array of wonderful wines being produced,” Lynne said.
“Obviously a consumer can avail themselves of all the different wines. It’s not a competition, it’s not an either/or, but it’s nice to be recognized.”
A modest Dan, meanwhile, talks about the awards.
“For me, it’s about not being too self important about it and about making something that people really enjoy,” he said, “and also something that’s of a place, and that’s Prince Edward County.
Next up for Dan Sullivan: a trip to California to learn from others while bringing his own experience in the county to the table.