Ziraldo

Ziraldo Estate Winery operates in Ontario's Niagara Peninsula, one of Canada's most established wine regions. The winery produces wines in this cool-climate region that benefits from the moderating effects of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, creating microclimates suitable for both table wines and dessert wine production.

The Niagara Peninsula has gained particular recognition for its icewine production, where grapes are left on the vine to freeze naturally during winter months, concentrating sugars and acids to create intensely sweet dessert wines. The region's cold winters and the specific climatic conditions make it well-suited for this specialized winemaking technique, which requires temperatures to drop to at least -8°C for harvesting.

Ziraldo's current production focuses on icewine made from Vidal grapes, a French-American hybrid variety that has proven particularly well-adapted to Ontario's climate. Vidal's thick skin and resistance to cold makes it an ideal choice for icewine production, as the grapes can withstand the harsh winter conditions necessary for this labor-intensive winemaking process.