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From a Canadian perspective, Pelee Island is recognized as one of the oldest viticultural areas of Ontario and although history will record that the first vineyard of Ontario was planted along the banks of the Credit River in Mississauga, Vin Villa on the Island can probably lay claim to being the first estate winery in Canada. But then, we never seem to care until it is too late; nobody can even remember exactly where it all started along the Credit River, near what is now Hwy. 5 in the present town of Mississauga. Dating back to 1865, the ruins of Vin Villa can still be seen today. Neglected perhaps and forgotten, the wine cellar still stands amongst the rubble. Although there is little conâ€" nection to the nearby vineyards today, it is a pity that nobody saw fit to designate this site to be preserved for future generations as a cradle of such an important industry. Today, Pelee Island is a thriving winery. Located on the mainland just outside Kingsville, they have manâ€" aged to preserve much of the North American heritage while molding it with the European viticultural pracâ€" tices to produce wines which have won international acclaim. Most recently, they beat all the European entries in the Pinot Noir category at Vinitaly to walk away with a bronze medal ahead of such great wines as the Burgundies. Located on the 42nd parallel, along with areas such as Madrid and Rome, the climatic conditions on the Island are ideal for the cultivation of the grape. Combine this with the longest growing season in Ontario, the formula for success surely must have been found. Not necessarily so. The Island itself â€" a few kilometres off the mainland â€" is actually below the level of Lake Erie. While the modiâ€" fying winds blowing off the lake have been beneficial during harsh winters, record lows like those this past season have taken a very high toll on the grape vines and killed many which have been thriving sucâ€" cessfully for many years. THE LARGEST RETAILER ( SPACE AGE SHELVING ) 466 Speers Rd. (Just West of Dorval) south side Serving Oakville for over 10 years, your storage store professionals. Courteous friendly service. We will not knowingly be undersold. international acclaim RESIDENTIAL +« COMMERCIAL â€" INDUSTRIAL Nobody know for sure, but it was perhaps just such a rough winter that spelled the end of the first, original winery back in the late 1800. Visiting a liquor store, one can easily find a bottle of Vin Villa, a blended white wine that displays the ruins of the old villa prominently on the label. Even more impressive are the labels on the estate wines, which in my opinion are the most beautiful ones in Canada, complimenting some of the best wines produced in Ontario. Walter Schmoranz, the Winemaker and Cellar Master, told me last week that his grapes on the mainland actually did very well and wintered as expected, but his vineâ€" yards on the Island had suffered more than in previous years. If time permits, I really suggest that you visit the Kingsville winery and, perhaps, even take the new ferry across to Pelee Island to be taken aboard the winery train to the brand new visitors centre and tasting room located near the centre of the Island. Anybody interested in a trip to Ontario‘s "other wine region" can get the information by phoning the Mainland Winery at 519â€"733â€"6551. There is, of course, the prizeâ€"winâ€" ning Pinot Noir at about $9.80 disâ€" playing a Red Winged Blackbird. Perhaps, you may try one of the winâ€" ery‘s best, the Scheurebe, a German variety that has a Giant Swallowtail Butterfly on the bottle while a Gewuerztraminer shows the native Prickly Pear Cactus, also a good wine at a very reasonable $8.85 a bottle. Pelee Island may be somewhat off the beaten path, but here are three wines which should introduce you to an area that had been discovered as far back as the mid 1800‘s as one of the best wine regions of Canada. WITH BUILT IN STAND 2 MODELS YOUR CHOICE DOUBLE EAGLE GOLF SHOESâ€"@â€" MIZUNO GOLF 0 BAG EXCLUDING BUIlT N STAND SPECIALIZED HARD ROCK ULTRA GREAT FLEECE TOP BoTTOM INâ€"LINE SKATING THE FASTEST GROWING SPORT IN THE WORLD. 1 9.99 SETS COMPLETE HOCKEY EQUIPMENT IN STOCK ALL BIKE HELMETS REG 329"