Province’s newest winery opts for screw-top bottles

WOLFVILLE — Nova Scotia’s newest winery will offer something new to consumers — screw tops on all their bottles.

"A significant proportion of New World wineries have adopted the Stelvin screw top in recent years," said Louise Murray, marketing director for Muir Murray Estate Wines.

"We had to decide for ourselves which works best for us. We believe we are the only winery in Nova Scotia to go with all screw tops for our bottles."

New Zealand and Australia are well known for their use of screw caps instead of corks, and several wineries in the United States are now taking the plunge, including Bonny Doon Vineyards of California.

"Certainly the cork offers a sense of tradition," Ms. Murray said, "but Nova Scotia wines should not necessarily be compared to traditional winemaking countries such as France.

"The wine industry in Nova Scotia is not steeped with tradition, but it is a growing enterprise and is slowly making its mark in the global wine industry with New World wines. Typically, the wine industry here offers young, fresh, aromatic wines, which can be kept that way with the complete seal of the Stelvin closures."

Muir Murray Estate Wines will be open for business in early May of this year and will offer Ice Wine, L’Acadie, Seyval, Leon Millot, Baco Noir, Foch Red and Foch Rose.

Work on the winery complex, near Wolfville, has been going on for five years. The land was purchased in 2003 by Louise’s father, Jonathan Murray, and his wife, Lesley. There are now three sites, including the winery and an education institute that will host seminars on wine tasting and food pairing and promote the province’s wine industry.

The estate owns 80 hectares, of which 20 are planted.

"Our first harvest took place last fall and was very successful," Ms. Murray said. "Next year we will be looking to double our harvest and again the following year, so the whole operation will become very large indeed.

"Our approach to both growing and winemaking is quality. We grow our grapes with extreme care and attention to ensure that we get the most out of them when they are at their most ripe. For example, we cluster thin to ensure each grape gets the right amount of sunlight and energy to grow to its fullest potential. This idea of quality is filtered through the whole business to ensure that all our staff concentrate on excellent quality of wine and personal customer service throughout."