It has been a weather roller-coaster since spring, with June temperatures in the mid-30s, followed by a cooling-off period, then a hot and dry July and August, and then colder days and a smattering of rain in late August and September.

And that followed a mild winter.

“We had it crazy cool, then 30 degrees, and now an early cool-down,” said Jamie Slingerland, director of viniculture at Pillitteri Estates Winery. “It’s been pretty interesting.”

During the July and August weeks, Niagara’s vines were resilient, producing “beautiful growth” from a “good soil mixture,” he said.

The result are grapes that may be a bit smaller for harvesting, but they are packed with flavour, said Slingerland.

“These are good quality grapes,” he said. “You will see good flavour in these grapes.”

Pillitteri

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