Summer Crushes

About the Winery

Leaning Post

A leaning post is what you find at the beginning of a row of grapes, anchoring the wires that are the frame-work for growing grapevines. It is the beginning of an obsession to translate a time and place into liquid. Leaning Post wines take you to that beginning by finding small, unique plots of land in Niagara and putting them in bottle. Because after stripping away all the fancy buildings and high-tech equipment you are left with a place on this earth that grows wine unlike any other. When you taste that in a glass you just know it. Nadia and Ilya have had to rely on the support of family, friends and financial institutions to make the dream of owning a winery a reality. Leaning Post began as a virtual winery and is so proud to now have the quaint tasting room at 1491 Hwy 8 on their home property in Winona, Ontario.

Ilya and Nadia are the brains and passion behind Leaning Post Wines. It started with a dream to take unique, interesting single vineyard blocks in Niagara and turn them into distinctive, terroir driven wines. Nadia and Ilya first met in their hometown of Winnipeg, MB where their passion for wine and each other was born.

Ilya has been a winemaker in the Niagara Region for the last 17 vintages working at Daniel Lenko Estate Winery, Foreign Affair and now at Leaning Post Wines. Ilya is also a consulting winemaker at the Good Earth Winery. Ilya’s true passion in life is to make world renowned wines from Niagara that really showcase the distinct terroir that Niagara offers.

About the Winery

Gilvesy Pincészet

Hungarian expat Róbert Gilvesy moved back to his homeland from Canada, and began building the Gilvesy winemaking empire on the former Esterházy estate on Szent György Hill. Thanks to years of hard work, the Hegymagas-based facility now includes a modern building complex and about 13 hectares of vineyards, in addition to being the home of the family. The area is shaped by 6 million years old volcanoes, where indigenous and international varieties grow organically.

Robert’s absolute admiration for nature and the terroir translates into an immense respect for the environment. By farming using organic practices, the soils and the vines stay healthy. In the winery, by letting nature take its course without controlling the processes, and using local resources, such as Hungarian oak barrels, Gilvesy promotes and protects the Balaton region.

Mas Codina

The Mas Codina estate is located in the heart of the Alt Penedès region, comprising of low-lying plains and hills between 250 and 300 metres high.

Until recently, the farm has always grown, and made a livelihood from, cereals, grapes, peaches and vegetables, as well as farm animals. Now, apart from century-old olive trees, all the land is devoted to vineyards.

Mas Codina has been in the same family for generations. They have adopted organic farming practices promoting natural processes and seeking a balanced ecosystem. All because of their love for land and tradition. There are currently 40 hectares of vineyards that are being organically farmed. 

Peninsula Vinicultores

Península Vinicultores was founded by two Masters of Wine: Andreas Kubach MW, leads production and Sam Harrop MW directs viticulture. Andreas, raised in Brazil and Spain by German parents, and Sam, a native New Zealander, bring a new-wave, international perspective to the Spanish wine landscape. Andreas believes that in the past century, and notably post-industrialization, Spanish producers have prioritized wines of style, focusing on winemaking and aging, rather than wines of place. This creates what he calls a “ceiling of interest” for terroir. Inspired to change this narrative, he is focusing on small, old-vine plots all over Spain that were either formerly abandoned or are at risk of being ripped out for to plant more lucrative cash crops. The wines also champion local, indigenous varieties traditional to their respective regions and best express site.

About the Winery

Land of Hope

The Land of Hope Trust project started in 2007. Initiated against the background of many “smoke and mirrors” projects purporting to uplift Previously Disadvantaged Individuals (PDI), although very few of which seem to genuinely do so. The direct and sole beneficiaries of this Trust are the previously disadvantaged individual employees of Radford Dale and their children and dependents.

What makes this project unique? Well, the primary objective of the trust is educational. The long-term social upliftment through the gift of high quality education, skills development and the power of developing knowledge. The Trust is making it possible to send Land of Hope employees' children to schools they could only dream about when they were young, which they were not allowed to attend, and which will give the next generation the intellectual ability and the expertise to ensure the positive evolution of our economy their democracy and community.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Heinrich Weingut

Heinrich Winery believes great wines express a true sense of place — something best achieved when vines thrive within a biologically diverse environment where soil vitality and natural symbiosis are preserved. Their ultimate aspiration is to let nature speak through their wines, guided by ethical and qualitative principles that shape every decision. Since converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2006, their goal has been to make the vineyards more resilient, vital, and diverse. Embracing minimal intervention, all wines ferment spontaneously, often spending weeks on the skins and aging unadulterated on their lees, primarily in used wooden barrels. Time — whether weeks or years — plays the central role in shaping their character, allowing each wine to develop balance and a distinctive aromatic profile. Through careful observation and minimal influence, they remain committed to crafting authentic, genuine wines that faithfully reflect their origin.

About the Winery

Leaning Post

A leaning post is what you find at the beginning of a row of grapes, anchoring the wires that are the frame-work for growing grapevines. It is the beginning of an obsession to translate a time and place into liquid. Leaning Post wines take you to that beginning by finding small, unique plots of land in Niagara and putting them in bottle. Because after stripping away all the fancy buildings and high-tech equipment you are left with a place on this earth that grows wine unlike any other. When you taste that in a glass you just know it. Nadia and Ilya have had to rely on the support of family, friends and financial institutions to make the dream of owning a winery a reality. Leaning Post began as a virtual winery and is so proud to now have the quaint tasting room at 1491 Hwy 8 on their home property in Winona, Ontario.

Ilya and Nadia are the brains and passion behind Leaning Post Wines. It started with a dream to take unique, interesting single vineyard blocks in Niagara and turn them into distinctive, terroir driven wines. Nadia and Ilya first met in their hometown of Winnipeg, MB where their passion for wine and each other was born.

Ilya has been a winemaker in the Niagara Region for the last 17 vintages working at Daniel Lenko Estate Winery, Foreign Affair and now at Leaning Post Wines. Ilya is also a consulting winemaker at the Good Earth Winery. Ilya’s true passion in life is to make world renowned wines from Niagara that really showcase the distinct terroir that Niagara offers.

About the Winery

Lighthall Vineyards