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WineEast F Riesling clone Weis 21 inspired Vineland rom the time it was licensed in 1984, Vineland Estates Winery has been a leader rather than a follower. The win- ery was originally the brainchild of Hermann Weis, whose family had a nursery, Weis and Rules, and a winery, St. Urbans-Hof, in the Mosel region of Germany. His nursery had developed a new clone of Riesling called Weis 21, which had increased winter hardi- ness, and Weis thought that Canada would make a great market for it. Weis' first trip to Canada in 1975 con- firmed his idea that Weis 21 could do well in Ontario. The main problem was that growers in the province were still cautious about planting vinifera. Weis believed that one way of convincing growers that vinifera could grow well would be to show them how to do it, and in 1976 he bought acreage at Vineland to establish a vineyard. Plantings of Weis 21 began in 1978, and within three years he had 45 acres of his clone in Vineland. Marketing Hermann Weis planted Vineland Estates to showcase Riesling clone Weis 21. Sales were hard to come by. Chardonnay was the white vinifera variety of choice in Ontario, and while large wineries bought his Riesling, they blended it with their house wines. This frustrated Weis, who wanted his Stoltzfus_Dec10.qxp 11/10/10 4:23 PM Page 1 ATTENTION SHIPPERS, GROWERS, & WINERIES M&M WINE GRAPE CO. juicegrape.com The Sourcing & Transportation of Premium Wine Grapes is Our Specialty GRAPE SOURCING • by Variety • by Appellation • by Specification From premium grape growing areas including: Amador, Mendocino, Napa, Suisun Valley, Clements Hills, Lodi, Central Valley, WA State, Chile S.A. and others WINERY SUPPLY All Equipment & Supplies necessary for all phases of winemaking. Combine with your grape purchase and save $$$ TRANSPORTATION • logistical network operating daily from coast to coast • over 20 years experience in moving product from point A to point B SPREAD: Lime Fertilizer Compost Gypsum Organics When your crop is down, your demand increased, or you're just starting out... M&M Wine Grape Co. is your source for quality products including fresh grapes, juice, and bulk wine. M&M Wine Grape Co. 101 Reserve Road Hartford, CT 06114 (877) 812-1137 sales@juicegrape.com 112 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011 Member of: mmwinefamily.com Shields separate vines and limbs Spreads a wide variety of materials Can be customized to 54 inches wide Variable rate GPS available Optional banding attachments All-pto or ground drive models 2 ton or 4 ton models Call us: 800-843-8731 www.limespreaders.com Riesling to be made into varietal wines. So, to promote Riesling, he decided to open a winery at his vineyard. Today, most of the Riesling planted in Ontario is Weis 21. —H.C. DANIELLE SCOTT