Something to drink to, indeed

Blomidon Estate Winery putting Nova Scotia wines on the map

Blomidon Estate Winery is thrilled to be linked with a special time in history. In 1891 at Portsmouth Dockyard, Queen Victoria officially launched the Navy cruiser HMS Royal Arthur by smashing a bottle of champagne against the hull.

That fine tradition was continued on May 29 of last year at Halifax Shipyard when the Arctic Patrol Ship HMCS Max Bernays was christened with a bottle of Blomidon Estate Winery’s Blanc de Blancs Brut 2010. It was one of two Nova Scotia vintages selected for the occasion.

“We were very proud to be one of the wineries chosen because we have a very good sparkling wine program,” says Blomidon Estate Winery president Tim Ramey.

“This was not something we ever envisioned happening when we started on this winemaking journey.”

Following a 12-year stint with the Walt Disney Company, Ramey returned to

Nova Scotia in the late 1990s and joined his family’s investment firm. While Ramey Investments grew, he was always looking for new business opportunities.

“I was looking for something to not just put money into but to actually enjoy,” he recalls.

In 2005, the family purchased a vineyard in Canning and when an existing winery just down the road in Habitant came on the market two years later, they entered into negotiations. The deal was closed in April 2007 and the name was changed to Blomidon Estate Winery, which encompasses two properties totalling 75 acres, with about 40 acres planted.

“We produce wine using 100 per cent Nova Scotia grapes,” Ramey says.

The terroir of the Annapolis Valley lends itself to producing outstanding sparkling wines, he adds.

“We’re right on the Minas Basin so the salt water, climate and mineral content of the air creates the perfect environment for acidity,” Ramey says. “We have beautiful warm days but because it cools down at night it maintains the freshness and acidity of the grapes.”

The proof is in the quality of wine and the recognition from the wider world. Blomidon Estates Winery has won numerous Canadian awards as well as international recognition by capturing Decanter World Wine Awards. For more than two decades the Decanter awards have become trusted internationally for their rigorous judging process and world class judges. Blomidon Estates Winery is competing against French champagne houses with centuries of history in these competitions.

“When you remember that there are wineries in the world that are hundreds of years old, we are obviously in early days,” Ramey says. “But in that time, we have made massive strides. Making a luxury product right here in Nova Scotia is an example of what our economic engine is capable of.”

Producing a wine that wins international awards is helping put Nova Scotia wines on the map and raise the province’s profile on the global level. Wine making has become an indispensable component of the province’s tourism sector, as a growing number of visitors arrive to explore the wineries and vineyards and learn about what makes each winery unique.

“When these visitors come they are staying in hotels, they’re buying merchandise and eating in restaurants,” Ramey says. “Many people come here and like it so much they decide to move here.”