Cultivating Community Newsletter- Potter Settlement: A new standard for Canadian viticulture

[Amanda Shankland]

Good day, 

The Cultivating Community newsletter provides commentary on how community-centred thinking and action drive sustainable environmental and food movements forward. I hope you enjoy this May edition!

Potter Settlement: A new standard for Canadian viticulture

A good wine tells an honest story. The taste tells the truth about where the wine comes from, who made it, and the love and attention it was given from the seed to the glass. Canada is not well known internationally for our wines, yet we have some of the best farmland on the planet for growing grapes.

Still, no one would expect to see a vineyard just a few steps away from where the Great Canadian Shield begins. The shield stretches north from the Great Lakes to the Arctic Ocean, covering over half of Canada and most of Greenland. Much of the shield has a bare rock face, with only a meter or so of soil above in some areas. Not much can grow. Tweed, Ontario, might be the northernmost place on the continent that could sustain a vineyard, so it is not only amazing to see grapes growing there but also thriving.

About two hundred years prior to our visit to the Potter Settlement Vineyard and Winery, the family of winemaker Sandor Johnson settled into this community to bring a vineyard to the frigid terroir of this remote farming town. What we learned from our visit went far beyond the taste profile of the award-winning wines – we learned so much more about where we come from.  We learned about the Canadian wine story, the victories, and defeats of growing grapes in this harsh climate, farmers’ battles with government bureaucracies, and the war on Canadian wine relevance in the international market.  

It was always assumed that the Niagara region is the correct place to start an education on Canadian wine– but now that we have met Johnson, this is our new starting point.  The conversation at that tasting bar/ wine cellar/ barrel room/ restaurant was the conversation that people long for when they fly to Europe to visit old-world vineyards. Johnson discusses “Indigenous,” “terroir,” and “minerality,” terms that other Canadian grape growers often struggle to honestly communicate with the public.

Wines made with Indigenous grapes are hard to find in Canada because wineries make wine so consumers will buy it.  If the consumer does not recognize the varietal, they will not buy it.  Journalists, sommeliers, and wine educators will always try to learn and grow their wine knowledge, but the wineries pay their bills with what moves off the shelves. One of the most popular wines sold at Potter Settlement – the ‘Marquette’ isn’t even in the top 1000 wines sold at the LCBO. The Marquette, however, is a hybrid of local Indigenous grape varieties that are highly resilient to cold temperatures (the most common of these is the Landot) and the popular Pinot Noir from France. Johnson has won multiple gold medals for this Marquette at international fairs. In Europe, Indigenous grape varieties like the Nero D’Avola in Sicily are popular because the discerning wine drinker is buying a piece of a place, not just a wine. Learning about and introducing new Indigenous varietals in Canada is the ‘next level’ in Canadian winemaking. It may not be long before we see these Canadian varietals planted in colder places in Europe. Maybe that seems far-fetched, but look at this story: Canadian wines winning international awards, and a Canadian indigenous varietal winning international awards. Johnson is looking to showcase his Marquette in the restaurant he is currently building with three-star Michelin chef Luca Molteni. Molteni recently moved to the area and has a keen interest in Canadian Indigenous Cuisine. On the menu, you will see variations of some of Canada’s most prized Indigenous dishes like Wagyu Bison with bannock, roasted elk, goose with sumac dressing, smoked mallard duck, or maple sockeye salmon.

Minerality is what all winemakers talk about, even if they are not able to offer any in their wines.  They say, “taste the minerality” because, well, a wine without minerality is an alcoholic flavoured drink.  Minerality is the character of the wine.  The minerals hold the weight on your tongue and enhance the flavours; in fact, the minerals are the flavours.  Acidity, wood, and tannin can all be manipulated with additives and techniques – but minerals are hard to fake.  This is perhaps the greatest advantage of Potter Settlement winery.  The vines are exposed to 242 different minerals! The next closest we have seen was at the feet of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which boasted about fourteen.  A wine with such a diversity of minerally rich soil would certainly take the competition by storm.  These wines will surely generate controversy in the future because there is nothing more threatening to a historic wine-producing region than a natural characteristic that cannot be fabricated or manipulated in some way.  These minerals are likely to put Canada on the map as one of the regions of the world with the best quality wines.

There is a third characteristic of the wines at Potter Settlement that is likely to change the way the world views Canadian wine. The Terroir is unmatchable in Canada because the conditions are so violent that they are impossible to mimic – and a winemaker must be half crazy to spend any time up here – lucky for us, the crazies are the best vine cultivators in the world.  Johnson doesn’t fight the cold; he embraces it.  In his refining processes, he has used a method we have never even read about – he freezes the ugly out of the wine. Watch his YouTube channel to see this amazing technique that will confirm our idea that everyone in wine is a little bit wild.  Potter Settlement wines showcase something that only the top wines in the world can be proud of – a Terroir that represents the natural environment.  This is difficult to achieve, but smelling and tasting the terroir in a wine is the ‘thing’ that separates one wine from another.  For a Big Mac and Coca-Cola society, different flavours are the enemy. But in wine, it’s the difference between a basic table wine and an award winner.  

Johnson's commitment to Indigenous grape varieties and the mastery of terroir has the potential to transform Canadian winemaking and set a new standard for excellence. The global recognition garnered by the Marquette, a blend of local resilience and French elegance, signals a turning point in Canadian viticulture. The partnership of chef Luca Molteni, the union of Indigenous Canadian Cuisine and Potter Settlement wines is symbolic of the wine community's desire to embrace Indigenous culture and food systems. Further, the unique minerality of Potter Settlement wines, nurtured by the rich minerals of the Canadian Shield, redefines the very essence of wine quality. In Potter Settlement, we find a celebration not only of exceptional wines but also of the Canadian spirit of pride and innovation.

 

Watch Sander Johnson at Potter Settlement here 

Watch Luca Molteni talk about Indigenous cuisine in Canada here 

Post note:

It is important to acknowledge that alcohol has played a major role in the history of colonization and is intertwined with narratives of both trade and exploitation. Acknowledging this truth while exploring the richness of Canadian winemaking, as exemplified by Potter Settlement, presents a challenge. While we celebrate the passion, resilience, and innovation of individuals, we must also recognize the broader historical context in which these stories unfold. Writing about wine demands sensitivity to the legacies of colonialism, including the displacement, marginalization, and continuous struggles of Indigenous communities. While we celebrate Canadian viticulture, we also wish to acknowledge this tension.

About the authors:

John Carlo Meli: After eleven years managing his 10th-generation family vineyard in Sicily, procuring wines from the most esteemed merchants in St Emilion, Bordeaux, and travelling to some of the best vineyards in the world, John Carlo has returned to Canada as a wine and vineyard educator. His accolades as one of the top wine merchants in the world are impressive. As an importer to Canada, he brought the first certified Organic and Fair-Trade wine to the LCBO, the world’s #1 alcohol buyer. In 2011, he discovered a champagne that was selected by Canada’s top writers (Wine Align) in a blind tasting against the best Champagnes in the world. It still holds the record as the top-scored Champagne in Canadian history. He also has the only 5-star wine tour on Airbnb, touring Sicilian vineyards in the off-season. It is no coincidence that the name of his ancestral home is Pachino, derived from the Latin word Bacchus, the Roman God of wine.

Amanda Shankland Ph.D: I am a writer, consultant, and educator specializing in environmental water policy, sustainable agriculture, and food systems. I hold a Doctor of Philosophy from Carleton University and am an adjunct professor at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. I live and work on the unceded territory of the Algonquin-Anishinaabe. I am committed to efforts towards decolonizing our food system and the affirmation of traditional knowledge of foodways. I seek to advance a notion of community that includes all plants, insects, animals, and people. As a freelance consultant and editor, I offer guidance on agricultural and environmental priorities. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to retain my services. I hope you enjoyed this short article. You can subscribe to my newsletter on Linkedin here.  

 
Potter Settlement Vineyard in April

Sign to commemorate the first planting of the Marquette