our Approach to Winemaking

At Rosehall Run we grow wines that are balanced and elegant, a reflection of both terroir and vintage. Since our 2005 Pinot Noir debut which wine writer David Lawrason identified as one of Six Wines that Define Canada’s Future, our estate grown Pinot Noir’s and Chardonnay’s have garnered consistent local and international attention. Our vintage dated estate grown sparkling wine is set to become yet another expression of our uniquely special region.

Dan practices a hands-on approach to winemaking that begins in the vineyard. He works proactively, practicing sustainable farming through the use of integrated pest management and early identification and prevention of potential pests and diseases using organic compounds.  Our dedicated vineyard team manages the vines over the summer with regular leaf pulling, shoot positioning and cluster thinning. These gentle, environmentally-sound grape farming techniques extract optimum fruit from our unique Prince Edward County terroir year after year and allow us to use minimal intervention in the winery.

Grapes are hand harvested in October, usually under sunny skies and cool nights. Harvesting the fruit at optimum ripeness for each varietal is a key strategy. The grapes are carefully nursed from the field to the tank or barrel. Red wines may require a cold soak for several days while whites are pressed and fermented immediately so that the vibrant fruit flavours are preserved in steel tanks.

Rosehall Run has a robust French barrel program housed in our 7,200 sq ft gravity-fed barrel cellar nestled deep into the limestone. Each barrel is selected by Dan to ensure wines are not overpowered by the oak that plays a supporting role in his portfolio. Prior to bottling, each barrel is selected individually and blended through a series of trials resulting in the final blend. 

“Sullivan strives for his wine to be a narrative of the earth, climate and weather of Prince Edward County. Every vintage holds a ‘new story’ and doing that story justice, by spending time on the grounds of the vineyard, is what grounds and motivates his work, he says. He only wants to tell it like it is, to the best of his abilities, and ‘work with something in a really natural kind of way and express its true character’." // VINES Magazine

From the field to your table, this is Ontario winemaking at its best!