Emotions bubbled close to the surface for many who gathered to celebrate Inniskillin’s 50th anniversary last Thursday. There were lots of smiles and a few tears.
The winery was founded in 1975 by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser, and it stands today as a proud pioneer of the Canadian wine industry. Donald Ziraldo did not attend the event. Karl Kaiser passed away in 2017. His daughters, Andrea and Magdalena Kaiser, were there.
“I was there from the very start, along with my sister and brother. We were working at the winery when I was a young teen, giving tours before visitors even knew what a winery tour was. Back then, we just called it the winery. It was that simple and that personal,” recalled Magdalena Kaiser, her sister Andrea by her side.
“As I stand here today, 50 years later, I am struck by something powerful. What we are living now, at this moment, in this industry, is exactly the vision that Karl and Donald believed in for Niagara. They saw potential where others didn’t,” she said.
“They believed that Niagara could produce wines of quality and character, wines that could stand with the best in the world. They set out to prove it, and they did.”
Kaiser finished her remarks with a toast.
“Today, I’m incredibly, incredibly proud to raise a glass with my family and with all of you to celebrate not only what Karl and Donald started, but what continues to grow from it. I have to believe that Karl is looking down and cheering us on, with his big smile. Cheers to the incredible past and brilliant future of Canadian wine.”
Debi Pratt was also at the heart of Inniskillin from the early days, as a brilliant ambassador who educated customers and knew how to persuade the press to pay attention to what was happening at Inniskillin.
“It’s a very emotional day for many of us who have our roots here. We honour, of course, Donald and Karl, whose vision, talents and tenacity created Inniskillin. They made it look easy to the outside world, but it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy to be the underdog and have so many doubting you,” said Pratt.
“They both knew the importance of the team who built and believed in them and wanted Inniskillin to succeed. We did succeed because collectively, we all did it together. We worked hard. It was endless, and it was frustrating at times, but we survived, as we see today.”
She reminded everyone of one of her favourite quotes, from Don Hewitt, the late producer of 60 Minutes, who said, “You need to have a foot in the past to understand the present. Past milestones inspire future milestones.”
Inniskillin is owned by Arterra Wines, whose president and CEO, John Boynton, was on hand to address the future direction of the iconic winery.
“Fifty years is a milestone. We carry the legacy, and more importantly, I believe it’s going to be a turning point. This is going to be the start of a new era, shaped in creativity, ambition and our global perspective,” he said.
“The world of wine is evolving. Everybody knows this and Inniskillin is leading the way. Our goal now is to be a definitive premium wine brand.”
Boynton outlined four priorities.
The first, he said, is to put more Inniskillin wines on more shelves, from the LCBO and Costco to international destinations.
The second, to enhance hospitality and experiences at the winery.
The third, to focus on operational excellence and sustainability.
The fourth priority he described as “premiumization and innovation.”
“Over the next three years, we’re embarking on an ambitious journey to premiumize Inniskillin in every way, from our wines to our entire brand experience. We’re rolling out refreshed packaging across all of our table wines, reflecting the premium quality inside every bottle,” Boynton said.
“Later this year, we’re excited to announce that we’re launching significant luxury and ultra-luxury products over the next three years that will showcase the best of our Canadian terroir.”
The last words went to Boynton.
“Here’s to legacy. Here’s to vision. Here’s to Inniskillin. The best is yet to come.”
