Winemakers Blog

After The Big Decision CBC show: Part Two of Seven; Watching other episodes

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:53:00 GMT

After being on The Big Decision, we are watching TV with different eyes. We now appreciate the time and effort that goes into filming any one scene and we are amazed of the effect this show has had on our business and our lives. Each week we have followed the episodes of The Big Decision and have laughed and cried (well, I have cried...) as we watch the stories unfold of other companies trying to make their business work. With at least 5 years under their belt, none of them have the naive glow of entrepreneurs who see a pot at the end of the rainbow. Instead we are seeing the tenacity, the perseverance and the passion behind their struggle to make a positive impact. The final episode of the series - airs Monday, April 2 at 9 p.m. on CBC Television. We are looking forward to watching how an entire B.C. town comes together to rally behind ‘Hardy Buoys’, a fish processing plant that provides vital local employment. And the story behind the Toronto, organic bath and body company ‘Tashodi’. It seems that Arlene Dickenson will have the task to heal bad blood between business partners before it’s too late. We will be watching to learn what we can from these stories.

After The Big Decision Show: Premium Icewine Sales Go Up! Part One of Seven

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:59:00 GMT

Three days after The Big Decision aired on CBC on March 12th, we are amazed at the public's response. The support and encouragement is quite mind boggling. For what it’s worth, like Buffalo Springfield, I know "there’s something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear..." Time and again people are commenting on how they are inspired by the love and passion behind The Ice House. Today, Dave from Stevensville, Ontario wrote, "We saw the show.... and we think you are blessed... let me buy a case and be happy to see the two of ya survive...like love."

Typically, this time of year is slow at our winery, yet since the show aired we have had a constant flow of GTA visitors enjoying the Icewine Slushies and buying our Northern Ice Premium Icewine. This has inspired us. As a small business, we deal with financial professionals who have their business models that determine the future of our company. They want to make accurate predictions, they want to eliminate surprises. They want to know. And yet, we see the real wisdom is knowing what we don’t know and asking for help in those areas. So, we took a risk and we asked Jim to invest and tried to not be attached to any particular outcome. Embracing life’s uncertainty is liberating. It makes it more interesting and it sure does keep one open to possibilities. How uplifting that business gurus, like Jim Treliving, are open to looking at the intangible value of "heart" within a company.

They both said "Yes" to the Premium Icewine Maker

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:58:00 GMT

Ok, if you saw the Big Decision you now know. Karen and I are engaged. Preparing for The Big Decision was nothing compared to preparing for a proposal. You have to have a plan. Like for all men the plan is one of preparation for rejection. (We all know it is a matrimonial spin on Woody Allen not wanting to join a club that would accept someone like him as a member). First I needed a venue. I narrowed it down to two choices. One - during half time on the Jumbotron at a Hamilton Tiger Cat game or two - Europe. I chose Europe - less conspicuous. We were heading to France to visit Tricia Ryan, our marketing guru and her partner, Peter Welsh in Bordeaux, then off to Domaine Hubert Lamy Winery in Saint Aubin (As I have blogged I hold the Lamy’s personally responsible for my life in the wine business). Next, I needed a ring. So then I did the male’s next less frequent activity, after proposing marriage; I went shopping. First I went to the Beer Store, then Marks Work Wearhouse for socks and underwear - making sure I wasn’t being followed, then into a darkened jewellery store requesting an expensive mixture of precious metal and gem stones suitable for throwing away. I was ready. In Europe I figured Italy was the place. People propose all the time in Italy I told myself. Abandoned men are just part of the landscape and best of all, afterwards, I could do some emotional eating. Staying at the fabulous Maso Franch in Valle di Cembra (you have to go), recommended by my good friend, Dennis Schrap at The Ciatti Company, from my old days as a wine buyer – and guided with a bottle of Spumante from Pepe and Rudi - our gracious hosts at Maso Franch- to an abandoned medieval castle on a nearby mountain top suitable for jumping off... I asked. And the rest as you saw on the show and as they said in the Wizard of Oz “it is hist, it is hist, it is history”. Karen said yes to the real big decision, leaving me the proverbial deer in the headlights wondering why.

Jim Treliving &The Big Decision at The Ice House on Monday, March 12; 9pm

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:53:00 GMT

It all started off as a whim of Karen's to apply to be on CBC's show called The Big Decision. I was sceptical, knowing about the edginess of the Dragon Den. However the staff at CBC said this show had a different spin and Karen has a way to influencing me and so, I succumbed.

Looking back on the experience, I realize Jim Treliving and the crew gave me the courage to take a risk and spend some money to expand our social media tools. Mark Palmer, our website management guru insisted I needed to start blogging and create a "voice" for The Ice House. Quite a leap for a reflective winemaker, whose brother David, makes a living as a writer.

The filming for The Big Decision was intense, time consuming, nerve wracking yet fascinating and interesting, too. There is no script on reality TV and the story was put together in the editing room, without our input. Karen said the whole process has been like a roller coaster ride. Karen likes roller coaster rides, they make me throw up.

Premium Icewine Pleases Mottox in Japan

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:06:00 GMT

It was 2 1/2 years of planning for our new Distribution Channel with Mottox in Japan and their biggest Trade Show was happening the second week of February, 2012. By going I knew I would be missing an important meeting with Meridian Bank but my sense was the trip to Japan was critical. As I browsed through the LCBO before boarding the plane I noticed the strength of the competition and the low Icewine prices. There is no duty free excise tax relief for 100% Canadian wine, and so it appears the current duty free Icewine strategy is high volume, low margins. Another reason for us to build our Japanese export business.

The goods news about the flight was there lots of movies, the bad news, little sleep. It was a 24 hour door to door voyage with a 12 hour switch in my internal clock. I arrived discombobulated. The first of the Mottox Trade show was 8:30 am to 10pm with two short breaks to eat Bento boxes for lunch and dinner. I was impressed with my hosts professionalism and work ethnic and they treated me with great kindness. On the way to the next Trade Show event in Osaka, we stopped at a Buddist Temple and Sake House and I left humming John Prine's song "Feeling kind of cocky, with a head full of Sake". The next day was a repeat performance. All in all, I saw 3,300 of Mottox's retailers and 500 of consumers in these public tastings. This was the best research we could do! Yesterday, I received an email from my host saying the 3,800 trade show visitors in Tokyo and Osaka had been asked to vote the best wine from the more than 200 wines presented there. Northern Ice Vidal Icewine was voted number 1 in white wine category. Our host said "It's surprising to know that sweet Icewine won the first place in this kind of tasting event where most of the visitors were professionals. This tell us how great your wine is J. I hope we will have a great selling year with you !! And that was music to my ears.

Premium Icewine on Adventures in Wine Country

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:16:00 GMT

Well, when it rains it pours. Sometimes the good times roll in life and other times, not so much.

Right now, The Ice House Winery seems to be getting into the media spotlight and we are enjoying the ride! Enjoy some good times at The Ice House in Season 2 of Adventures in Wine Country with Silvana D'bate and Greg Rist.

Part Four of Seven: I get hooked on how to make wine

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:55:00 GMT

It took me a couple of days of bike riding from the Paris airport to approach the steady climb on my way to Burgundy. I was used to mountainous terrain (did I mention I was born in Hamilton?). The climb was long and into a strong headwind. Finally, I arrived at the summit and saw the other side. There it was. The Cote D’Or. A valley carpeted with vineyards. I had never seen anything like it. I started down the long ride still into the heavy wind. The wind was so strong it kept me from gaining too much speed on the decent. I didn’t have to brake at all. It was like floating. Floating down towards the vineyards. Towards something I could feel was very special. I had arrived in the world of wine, soon to be hooked.

Part Three of Seven: France: the land of winemaking.

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:55:00 GMT

Arriving in Charles De Gaulle airport I reassembled my bicycle and arranged my side saddles. I had spent the months previous training; biking back and forth from my residence in Toronto to my parent’s home and place of birth in the foothills of the Hamilton mountain. I learned it was essential to bike “balanced” - with the weight of my packs strategically positioned on the bike- anything out of kilter, out of the centres of gravity and the bike is difficult to control. I mention this as I remember for a departing gift leaving Pearson airport my mother gave me a large chunk of Christmas cake (my mother is from Newfoundland) thinking to sustain me for the next 12 months. Peddling away from the airport with the added tonnage on my front handle bars I wove my way across the eight lane highway. Deciding safety first, I hid the Christmas cake in a small wooded area vowing one day to return for it (My mother’s Christmas cake has an extremely long shelf life) and headed east. I still remember where it is. Biking across France stopping every so often for the smallest cups of coffee I had ever seen. The coffee came with cute little spoons reminiscent of having afternoon tea with my older sister, her tea set and her dolls. I would use the little spoons to heap in the sugar changing the coffee to a syrup and then peddling on, rejuvenated.

Part Two of Seven: What does a winemaker do?

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:56:00 GMT

I often get asked two questions: What does a winemaker do and how did I become an Icewine specialist?To answer the first question I usually respond with, “Which part of the word; “wine maker” don’t you understand”? To answer the second is a longer story and through this blog, I will address both questions in detail over time. To begin, if you want to be a winemaker, it helps when given, at a far too early stage in life, the choice between arts and science to have chosen to follow the sciences. It is the foundation. For me it was biology. Unbeknownst to me at the time the nuts and bolts of winemaking are botany, biochemistry, microbiology and chemistry. So, on my pathway to becoming a winemaker, I graduated from Queen’s University without any inkling of winemaking as a career (nor in fact any inkling of a career period). I then attended Laval University to study French. With “une petite peu” of French and a connection through some friends I went to work the vendage in St Aubin, Burgundy chez Hubert Lamy. I had no idea.

Part One of Seven -The Road to Making Icewine

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:31:00 GMT

I have just enjoyed two weeks in Europe where I returned to the Lemay family in Saint Aubin, Cote-d'Or, France, who for generations have owned the Domaine Hubert Lamy winery where I worked my first grape harvest 30 years ago. The trip was the inspiration to this winemaker's blog, a return to the past and continuation of my appreciation of this industry. The wine is about the terroir and the people and the history; it is both glamorous and arduous and its influence on our culture is still a fascination to me. I welcome you on my journey to remembering how little I knew when I first rode my bicycle into southern France to my ongoing specialization in Icewine. It has been a rocky road filled with pleasure, passion and appreciation; always appreciation.

The Ice House shows off their Premium Icewine on the Steven and Chris Show

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:50:00 GMT

Check out Karen on the Steven and Chris Show providing viewers with a great introduction to Icewine. Karen's segment is the third segment in and shares some great food pairings and the making of Icewine Slushies.

Check out the online TV show

Touring The Ice House - Home of Northern Ice, Premium Icewine

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:39:00 GMT

Here is a quick video that will get you acquainted with our beautiful winery located in Niagara on The Lake.

The Ice House Awards - Premium Icewine Grand Gold Award Winner

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:17:00 GMT

Jamie Macfarlane and Karen King share their stories about winning the Grand Gold award two years in a row.