Wine Dine and Play: Pillitteri Winery's Ontario Food Exporter Award

Pillitteri Winery's Ontario Food Exporter Award


Pillitteri winery is an Ice-wine producer near Niagara-on-theLake, Ontario, Canada







Pillitteri Winery Wins Food Exporter Award
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Wine Style: Ice-wine
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 94 points
Toured winery: September 2011
Article Updated: November 12, 2018
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for 
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:

Pillitteri Zomato rating:

Pillitteri Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato 














Pillitteri Winery Owners:


Winemaker:
Aleksandar Kolundzic

Pillitteri Winery is nestled away just outside the historic city of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario in the heart of Niagara Wine country where 25 wineries are located and are ranked as Canada’s #1 Food & Wine Destination by TripAdvisor. Pillitteri Estates Winery, the world’s largest producer of VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) certified Icewine. The Vintners Quality Alliance - VQA is Ontario’s Wine Authority, and regulatory agency responsible for maintaining the integrity of local wine appellations and enforcing winemaking and labeling standards. VQA Ontario does not represent the wine industry in Ontario and is not a marketing agency.

Pillitteri Winery was founded in 1993 and currently exports its wines to 32 countries and produce 45,000 cases of Ice-wine each year, which makes up 45 percent of the winery’s production and 80 percent of its exports. They have received over 800 awards worldwide for their wines, and can now add the Ontario Food Exporter Award, which recognizes the winery’s efforts in Ontario’s agri-food industry and economy. In 2010, they came in second place for the same award, so this is a triumph for the winemaker. Ontario food and wine exports increased to $10.8 billion in 2012, a jump of more than $900 million compared to 2011, and Pillitteri helped with the achievement of that record-setting goal. Charlie Pillitteri, CEO of Pillitteri Winery who started his business in 1993 as a family owned and operated business  situated on 130 acres of vineyards quoted, “It is an honour to be recognized with the Ontario Food Exporter Award, and I want to thank the Ontario government for its support of the province’s agri-food industry.”

 "In order to support our exporting sales, we have focused specific departments to deal with different markets. From developing a new brand for a customer to sending a Pillitteri team member to a trade show in another country... there's always something exciting going on at the winery," says Lucy Pillitteri-Friesen, CMO.

Winemaker Aleksandar Kolundzic joined the Pillitteri team at the beginning of the 2010 harvest and has 20 years of experience and expertise in winemaking. Previously, he has worked with Vincor Canada as a VQA Winemaker and previous to that with Hillebrand Winery as a Lab and Cellar Technician. He received his Bachelor of Science at the University of Zagreb, Croatia and his Honors Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology at Brock University.

Pillitteri Winery CEO Charlie Pillitteri receives the Ontario Food Exporter Award
Pillitteri Winery / Kathleen Wynne presenting the award to Charlie Pillitteri

  
I originally heard about Pillitteri wines when I booked a tour with Niagara Vintage Wine Tours to which Pillitteri was one of several wineries on the list to visit. I purchased several bottles, to include a bottle of 2008 Sparkling Cabernet Icewine, which won the Gold - First Overall in Competition at the Effervescents Du Monde, France 2009 (pictured below). The worst part was, I put it in my suitcases with my other wine purchases, and flew back to the United States. When I unpacked, I had a friendly note from the TSA (Transportation Safety Administration) saying that they had searched my bags, and two bottles of wine were missing, to include the Cabernet. The best part of the tour is the wine cellar itself, and make sure you ask about the concrete table and why the twenty-three chairs to the table are attached to the wall. You will hear a very interesting story. The city of Niagara-on-the-Lake also has many restaurants and other sights to see beyond the wineries.

The 2008 Sparkling Cabernet Ice-wine by Pillitteri Wine Estate in Ontario, Canada
Pillitteri Winery / Sparkling Cabernet Ice-wine



Final notes, review basics, and observations:


*** NOTE TO THE READER ***

Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about.
To see more details of this rating list, read this article:

I refer to myself as an oenophile though, oenophilia is defined as “a disciplined devotion to wine, accompanying strict traditions of consumption and appreciation.” In a general sense, oenophilia also refers to the enjoyment of wine, often by a layman — which I am, and not qualified as a professional. I just enjoy drinking it, so my rating is based on enjoyment and the overall experience, not the science of an expert, and thus subjective, not objective. See the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ to learn more.



Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” - David Auerbach

Canada:
Ontario Province



Other Canadian wines, winery (Château’s), or food articles on Wine Dine and Play:
Canadian cuisine and wine vary widely depending on the regions of the nation. The three earliest cuisines of Canada have English, Scottish and French roots all reflecting on the seasons and the melting pot of immigrants and migrants. Bacon and maple syrup are two staples in their cookery.

360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower Regional Canadian fare and view in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
HobNob Restaurant French and Canadian cuisine at The Charles Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Watermark Restaurant Elegant seasonal continental cuisine in the Hilton, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary


A Few New World Favorites:
A Taste of Willamette Damn It! A taste of food and wine from a 2015 tour in Oregon wine country
Blackbird Vineyards Wine Tasting An ultra-premium terroir in Napa, California
Chateau Montelena The famed Bottle Shock “Judgement of Paris” winner in Calistoga, California
De Trafford Winery Elevation 393 tasting in Stellenbosch, South Africa 
FOCUS Wines A blend of Napa/Sonoma with a percentage donated to a children's foundation. Cape May, New Jersey
Napa - A Sip and Taste in Wine County A 3-day tour of wineries and fine dining restaurants
Yarra Yering Winemakers of the year by James Halliday famous battle named blocks in Gruyere, Yarra Valley


Some Old World Favorites:
Boas Quintas Wine One winemaker, various regions and wines, in Giesta Dão, Mortágua, Portugal
Bordeaux - A Sip and Taste Wine tours and restaurants in Bordeaux, France
Château Mont-Redon A Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer in the Côtes du Rhône, France
Clos de Vougeot The vineyard of Cistercian monks at the Cîteaux Abbey in Burgundy, France
Jordan River Wines The Haddad Family Vineyards, and a 2000 year history of wine, Amman, Jordan


See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country






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Pillitteri Winery:

1696 Niagara Stone Road 
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON 
L0S 1J0, Canada






Tasting Room Information:

Website:
Tasting room:
+1 905-468-3147
Email: 

Website contact:

Tasting Room hours:
Canadian Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
Monday - Sunday

11:00 am - 5:00 pm


Social Media 
And 
Accolades for Pillitteri Winery:


Pillitteri Facebook Link                






****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.


A few to tease you with…
Eclectic & innovative gastropub using molecular gastronomy
Tampa, Florida, USA
Seasonally inspired continental European fare
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
High-end bistro with modern New Zealand cuisine
Christchurch, New Zealand





Other Pillitteri Winery Pictures:


Pillitteri Winery displays the Ontario Food Exporter Award with their wines
Pillitteri Winery / Ontario Food Exporter Award

The Wine Cellar with chairs attached to the walls and a long table at the Pillitteri Winery in Ontario, Canada
Pillitteri Winery / Wine Cellar



“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” 
- David Auerbach




Who is John Galt?

TTFN





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