Donald Ziraldo back in the wine business

For nearly two decades, Donald Ziraldo was the face of Canadian icewine.

The co-founder of Inniskillin Wines in Niagara-on-the-Lake would travel the world touting the wonders of sweet wine made with pressed frozen grapes, and convincing many a doubter to give wine from the Great White North a chance.

When the marketing mogul retired from Inniskillin in 2006, Ziraldo, then 58, told The Standard his plan for the future was simple: Skiing and spending time with his new wife, Anna.

No talk of future wine ventures.

Well, plans change.

On Nov. 21, the St. Catharines native will launch his new 2007 Ziraldo Riesling icewine in select LCBO stores and through distributors in Paris and Hong Kong.

"I think just being out for two years, I really missed the camaraderie (of the wine business)," said Ziraldo, who is still involved in the wine industry through his role as chairman of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, which studies agriculture.

"It's just my nature to be in the wine business. I've been there for so long, I just tend to gravitate toward it."

Ziraldo's new icewinemaking venture began last year when he started helping friend and fellow winery mogul John Howard sell a bit of extra Riesling icewine juice.

Howard, the former proprietor of Vineland Estates Winery, makes the Megalomaniac wine brand in Vineland.

Realizing the market for bulk icewine juice had softened, Ziraldo decided to keep some and sell it under his own brand.

Then came another idea this past June -- plant an experimental, organic vineyard in a 60-year-old cherry orchard next to the original Inniskillin property on Service Road 58 near Queenston that Ziraldo owns.

The current Inniskillin property is a few kilometres away on Line 3.

Researchers with Vineland research and Brock University's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute are studying the new vineyard.

So far, there are 2.5 acres of Riesling vines planted, with future plans to plant Vidal.

For Ziraldo, who was raised at his family's 16-acre mixed fruit farm in St. Catharines and studied agriculture at the University of Guelph, it's getting back to his roots.

"I wanted to grow things again," he said.

The first wine from Ziraldo's vineyards won't be available for at least two years until his vines mature.

Ever the savvy salesman, Ziraldo will continue buying icewine juice from other vineyards to feed his brand until then.

"I've learned a few things in 40 years," Ziraldo said with a laugh.

Winemaker Andrej Lipinski made Ziraldo's 2007 icewine, but his old Inniskillin partner, Karl Kaiser, finished it off. It was bottled in May.

"I couldn't allow it not to have Karl's hands on it cause he's the genius behind Inniskillin," Ziraldo said.

"He's the great icewine guru."

Ziraldo said he hopes his former retired partner, with whom he started Inniskillin in 1974, will stay on to make his icewine.

As for Ziraldo, he would like to rekindle his role as de facto global ambassador for Canadian icewine, which he still considers the nation's flagship wine.

He's untethered now -- free from meeting sales quotas or striving to be the biggest and best.

The famed globetrotter can still ski and relax on the beach, but sell icewine at the same time.

"It's good," Ziraldo said of retiring. "But I can (travel) while I'm selling wine for Canada."

Ziraldo said he has no plans to open a large tasting room, but will offer select tastings to invited guests. While 400 cases of 2007 Ziraldo icewine ($58) have been produced, there are only about 50 cases available through 20 LCBO stores. For more information, go to lcbo.com.

Wine will also be sold through select restaurants.