Niagara’s Visionary Winemaker Klaus Reif (Video)

Our guest this evening is

And he joins me live now from his : Welcome Klaus Reif of Reif Estate Winery!

Watch previous episodes of the Wednesday Wining Show (WWS)  and find out who’s coming up next.

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Klaus Reif

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roberto Di Domenico

From an early age, Roberto was no stranger to the world of winemaking, as his father had been producing wine for decades and he found both success and enjoyment as he excelled as an amateur winemaker.

In 1985, Roberto began his education at the University of Guelph, where he specialized in fermentation technology. As a student, Roberto accepted an internship position at Reif Estate Winery as a research assistant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Transcript:

Natalie:

All right, as we get ready for Canada day, can you believe it’s already next weekend who will be, we’ll be celebrating Canada day. Of course, we have to talk about Canadian wine, kind of where we’ve been, where we’re going. And I can’t think of a better person to talk about this than our guest tonight on the Sunday sipper club. My name is Natalie MacLean. I’m the editor of Canada’s largest wine review [email protected] and we gather here on Facebook live on YouTube live stream and Twitter via Periscope every Sunday at 6:00 PM Toronto New York. Time to talk to the most interesting people in the world of wine. Now, before I introduce my guest fully, I absolutely love to hear from you. First, where are you logging in from? Your city, your state, your province, where are you this evening? You might be on the road. Okay. And we’ve, Francis is here from Ottawa.

Natalie:

Debbie San Martino is here. I’m not sure where, where are you from? Debbie? And is here from Halifax. Hello Ann. Nice to see you again as well. , Laurie Kilmartin is here from Ottawa. So yes, just post, where are you logging in from? And before we kick start this, as you know, at the end of every conversation that we have here, I announced the winner of last week’s contest based on those who share the video and who make a comment, especially let your friends and family know your followers that were live here. They might like to watch it, either live with us right now as Heather is in Gulph, or they can catch the replay. But nonetheless, if you do share the video tonight, we have a special prize, from our guests that I will let you know as soon as I introduce him. But if you shared last week’s video, then that’s a signed copy of John Shriner’s book icon, the best wines from BCS flagship wineries.

Natalie:

All right, so our guest this evening has been experienced 31 vintages in Niagara. He has seen so much through these decades in terms of how the Ontario wine industry has changed through his own winery and kind of a vision for where Ontario and Canada more broadly is going in terms of the wine industry. So I think it’s really appropriate that we chat with him tonight. And I want to say hello. Mike welling has joined us in the Toronto area. Okay. So, and what’s really special as well is that our guest’s winery was just named Canadian Winery of the year by the most prestigious wine competition in the world. It’s the international wine and spirits competition that’s held in London, England every year. So we’re going to talk to them about that and a whole bunch of other things. I’m going to a lot tonight, so if you’ll help me welcome him. His name is Klaus Reif and he joins me live now from Niagara. Hello Klaus.

Klaus:

Hi Natalie. How are you?

Natalie:

I’m great. Thank you so much for joining us here tonight.

Klaus:

Well, thank you. Thank you for having me.

Natalie:

Oh right, good. And to folks keep posting and the comments I’ll keep watching. I’m going to assume all is good. Knock on wood with the tech gods tonight for audiovisual for both of us. All right, Klaus, let’s jump into this now. , you have had such, a long history rich history in Niagara. Maybe to put things in context, you kind of see things. , in terms of the four periods or stages of winemaking in Ontario, how would you characterize those?

Klaus:

My digital-only my, my personal opinion. Okay. Obviously, yes, but in my eyes, we have four phases. I would say phase number one, most based, even in iScreen was founded, including, I mean obviously colored cars of volunteer Waldo and other icons of the industry, like Paula’s boss, including my younger ebook life. So I did have morning Migos thereby mine’s office in winemaker and see the other, the winery because the thought and the [inaudible] will do with amazing bodies. There was a beginning phase, number one, the pioneers. Then the second phase came in that people go, Hey, those guys make good wines. Let’s start the winery then did what I call phase number two, the second generation of wineries, they acumen not opened by winemakers. They’re more open by people who saw a piece of the opportunity and actually hired a wine reader. So see it as base number two. I told them all of a sudden wine was so in a nightclub or in Kevin channel in the old day’s people had to raise Wars now to want to, Hey, I want to remind her you not at this phase came in Beijing to draw wineries. But people came in odd wineries to go into the [inaudible]

Natalie:

wonder why me and dependent you mean [inaudible] odd. That was an exciting part. Would you like it very much? Is he the force pod that gives me hope and everything for the future is young, eager. Once again, sometimes second to innovation.

Klaus:

Well, pioneers into the mornings spin out young people, absolute passion, and passion for wine and this is really invigorating. I love it. Young people, you know in the twenties thirties and doing the ministry right now and to do it once again, less for the money, less Forza for two or four isn’t it? Just do it because a lot point is to manipulate the best one possible and I love to see the computer pull his face spray to me in a very proudest attempt.

Natalie:

That’s great. Great way to sum it up, Klaus. And what do you think the young people are doing in of changing the wine industry with their influence? Are they coming from starches from around the world? Like work terms from the round the world and bringing in that kind of perspective.

Klaus:

So you do, I see. I mean some, locally, he always, he little bit boys and goods that can make cotton. There are way and T R [inaudible] positive experiences from a different mind going regions in a book. They come in to bring their own ideas. Some ideas are amazing. It’s not like he has as a LA, let’s try it. You know what I mean? We get the same thing. When I started that I didn’t when I was young, you know, we did our little mistakes, you know, we experiment, this is different lines and that was a new generation doesn’t same thing or just just have a better piece than what we had in the old days goes by now. Mine is, except if Ontario wines except keep alive and carry your line, what we had to face in the old days, nobody wanted to clean material on, get eat that image. But now in a positive image cycle. So it’s actually easier to bring the new products out.

Natalie:

Absolutely. , Beverly’s asking is that a German accent? Beverly in California and she’s got a bunch of hearts so you can confirm that. Yes,

Klaus:

I saw that. Lost my accent but it goes by cause I didn’t do it. Oh no, he’s a German accent is from, the South system part of Germany actually. , my family wineries there and my parents say goes back to my new, but you could have been out there. [inaudible] venue area. Yeah,

Natalie:

yeah, I’ll bet. Beautiful. , Kathy is here and enjoying some stars. I’m assuming you mean bubbly. Kathy, where are you logging in from? Lori Sweet is here. I should know by now. Cause you’re an active participant. Where, where are you logging in from? , Darren Verre is here checking in from North Bay. I just got back from Niagara earlier this week. He says. So this is a very timely interview. Glad we could help Darrell, Darren, Paul and Patty are here from Virginia, although they’re at these infest in California, San Francisco and we’ll watch the replay. Gotcha. Thanks for checking in guys. , all right. So yes, if you’re just joining us, we are here with Klaus rife from Niagara’s winery, one of the pioneer wines and wineries and winemakers. These now the owner, there’s a winemaker with him. , but he’s got so much rich history to share with us tonight and kind of the vision of where we’re going with Ontario wine especially I think very timely as we lead up to Canada day next weekend. So Klaus maybe shares another story with us. , you were at the Ottawa wine show and something happened to you that you described as a game-changer.

Klaus:

It was a game-changer for me. Oh, you’re right. Yeah, back in 1987 and I have a cough. I’m sending Ontario lion, I think she had talked time to a convenience customer. Taste all aligns and I’m thinking it’s a lion who was called the one food, so, and, we had just [inaudible] people walk in and went logged off for me. And they’re looking at tastes you. Oh, I used to, absolutely. I gave him a glass of how the name and he said, Oh, it’s [inaudible] and, and obeying your phone said a lot of desks, you know, and there’s a lot of excellent. Well, the screening must be turned. I say only, I mean, I, I, I didn’t know to make children mean to me it’s a no, I think it’s a Canadian line. You know, what can you trust? I know you looked at me.

Klaus:

Oh my God, I can’t believe it. I never ever drink the Ontario line because they’re so fast. And the, I drink this on the net and I’m supposedly Peter Bright, so let’s not learn boss. It’s not the product. Which is a problem? It is negative. You don’t tell you one. Yeah, I don’t remember section. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. But it was 31 years ago. It changed. No, absolutely change now. I mean, so we did one year ago and I had five customers, Maria, too. I thought they, we are walking, you know, now we will come on a yearly basis. It’s beyond the toes. Thousand people.

Natalie:

Oh wow. Well, 300,000 people visit the Niagara wine region every year now.

Klaus:

No music, my winery,

Natalie:

your winery, just your winery. 300,000 people were amazing. Oh my gosh. It was fantastic.

Klaus:

Even looking back, you know, maybe came from maybe are now. I mean would it change what indifferent, actually even in my, in my wildest dreams I would have I think, not imagined. No, they come so far in a relatively short period of time. Remember Luke two as wine, wine countries in the room. I need to look for tools for 500 years. How was he years in the winemaking process and on the marketing side, I mean we achieved this space even less than 40 years. Wow.

Natalie:

Wow. That’s fantastic. Well, and so at the winery when they visit rife, and I am saying that correctly, rife not reef cause it’s an EEI rife, like have a good life with rife. Right. That’s how I remember it. , so you have at the winery, some food and cheese tastings, and some different things. I mean people can certainly go into the tasting room, but what else is in there that they can do?

Klaus:

What’d we have [inaudible] come in? You get started counting old. We have a rigger tasting bar in the front. Gave a sentence. We taste the bar in your bag. They can have basically even need to his wines if given this wine, some of the chocolate this mine. So we can sit down and do it as Proctor tasting be offered to us on a daily basis. It’s a winery. So we had guides who saw you outline your may and what is special to our location and commentary line. We also have in the, and I’ll do a fiction, so the author or a low, we made the, you know,

Speaker 3:

nobody made the saucers and other food items and can see down here thousands of mine and in story or food and atmosphere. But also what, what is for me and our Holy team, very important is everybody

Klaus:

you, I could walk away baby, some knowledge as well. This was one of my experiences. I want to have the people who come or customers who come to the winery to learn something. I want to be able, you will love our name. I’m doing something today and hope reason comes back that goes to the one on [inaudible] but more wine and for more knowledge.

Natalie:

That’s great. Awesome. Susan Otis is in Ottawa and she’s enjoying some Niagara wine this evening. , she doesn’t have claws or sorry, rife claws. She doesn’t have cos in your glass and she doesn’t have right, but her glass, she says she apologizes, but I’m sure you’re going to fix that Susan. But she is drinking Niagara wine tonight. , Beverly asked. Listen. Wow. Amazing. Elaine. Peter says the numbers across the region are way up and lane says, is here from Niagara on the Lake. Hello. Hello. Gloss.

Klaus:

Do a name [inaudible].

Natalie:

Hello. Awesome. Laurie suites and Kingston. All right. And Debbie, San Martino. Garr is logging in from the Okanogan Valley. Love it. That’s great guys. Okay. So if you’re just joining us, as I say, we’re here with Kloss rife in Niagara. We’re talking about Canadian wine, especially as we lead up to Canada day. And if you’re enjoying this conversation, please take a moment to share it and even better tell your friends and followers why you are enjoying this. And of course, you could win a couple of bottles of a rife wine. Now we had talked about what’s the prize? It’s that Vinea you’ve got that.

Klaus:

The price is going to be a Bob. Look, this one here, it’s beautiful. How do you say it? Vanilla. Okay. Did you say it’s Latin is the Latin term? Well, grape wine. The blend itself. Yeah, it is it a spirit or a, what is it technically. Okay. Based on the companies told me y’all. Okay. No, it was the longest time Coke cans were kind of a [inaudible]. [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] in again. Yeah. And so

Natalie:

definitely, absolutely.

Klaus:

And so kind of, you know, I mean this product which was planned for 20 years, I made my foosball. They taught 20 years ago. There’s one and I got kind of busy and also things happening in my life. So I started two years ago. We’ll get again to a book on it. And we trusted her niece bark not six weeks ago.

Natalie:

That’s awesome. Hold it really close up to the camera if you would close it. Yes. That’s a beautiful bottle. Yeah, absolutely. And I think you are going to, so it’s a great base. Luckier. And we just thought we would have some fun tonight. , apart from the usual wine tasting of making a candidate, a special cocktail. So how are you going to make that? What are you going to put into this?

Klaus:

Well, you get, do different drinkers. I work in [inaudible] spreads. We can do a small [inaudible] community our way out. I gonna open you up on the carbonates. Sparky. Mine.

Natalie:

Okay. Yes, there you go. Got it. Sparkling wine. So instead of cure rail or vanilla cure Royal. So we’ve got the, instead of Hasise the Cabernet-based here. Let’s see how this goes.

Klaus:

I know we talked already about it. I hope it doesn’t.

Natalie:

Yes. I don’t know why I’m shrinking. How’d it gone? Oh, nice. Yes, it’s good. All good. Oh, is it? Fizzing a bit. Your kid. Cool as a cucumber there, Kathy says is my new favorite.

Klaus:

Oh, I’m not controlling. Not to worry.

Natalie:

Ah, yeah, no, no. It’s all good. Including the office

Klaus:

another day now. Okay, let’s do this.

Natalie:

So you were pouring in the sparkling wine first. Your Chardonnay-based sparkling wine.

Klaus:

Well, I mean four to five rounds. Five ounces. Okay. It’s actually a bit warm. It’s a problem with my spot in mind.

Natalie:

That’s okay. We can’t tell on camera. Alan Cameron from Ottawa is asking about the name of the wine winery. It’s rife. It’s right folks. Yes.

Klaus:

Right. Yeah. Always remember the right reasoning.

Natalie:

Yes, that’s true. And retail glassware, it’s that combination, right? Rife reasoning. Okay. There we go.

Klaus:

The cost, the compromise that the reprice lane [inaudible].

Natalie:

Okay. Hello, Heather Proctor. Okay, awesome. So now you’re putting in how much of the vanilla an ounce. Okay,

Klaus:

gotcha. Oh, good luck. You’re right in mind. The most part is, you know, even if you don’t have to bring the whole bottle up to at least eight to 12 weeks, you know, a blue bottle and not expend Nicolas bonded like 15 years. Oh, nice. Wow. As a 20% [inaudible]. Okay, so like a port Lebanese? Yeah. Yeah. And Nikki would be used here is a triple distance branding. [inaudible] high-quality branding as a base. We use some an over G company Somia. Okay. And they will take this and just [inaudible]

Natalie:

yeah, you could garnish that with us. [inaudible] berries and dark berries and you could garnish it with a strawberry. You are saying?

Klaus:

Yes normally. Still, be. I don’t have one. I’m okay.

Natalie:

Oh no, that’s okay. We’ve got the basic idea. Four parts bubbly, one part vanilla, and then you’re good to go with a very, patriotic drink. I mean it’s like your red, white and booze I guess.

Klaus:

I know you’re going to get one at the end to view what’s not out yet. So yeah.

Natalie:

Yeah. Do you know when it’s coming out?

Klaus:

Well, we don’t know yet. We put an application in but it takes [inaudible] six, seven weeks ago and so it was brand new then maybe spring tonics, maybe, I don’t know.

Natalie:

Do sell it directly from the winery. Okay. Their problem salt.

Klaus:

So do you have some, a restaurant where you use it already? [inaudible] Oh really? Out of China. I haven’t had 80 bottles. [inaudible]

Natalie:

wow. Well, Red’s a lucky color I think too. Like I would think they would because the Chinese I think are very good, consumers of our ice wine.

Klaus:

Right? Yeah, totally. I mean, I’ve dealt with Jack quite a few times now. Yeah. It’s a lot of the suite of products.

Natalie:

Sure. So this has got to be a hit, like especially with the nice color, the beautiful Ruby tones in it. Yeah, absolutely.

Klaus:

As you said, Redmond gold, you know, their colors. No, but yes. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And direct board, I give him labor to go with.

Natalie:

Yes. Very nice. It gives a luxurious feel to it. I, I’m not sure if you know this person, but Ronald rife says hello.

Klaus:

Oh, Hey Ronald, how are you?

Natalie:

There you go. Elaine. Peter says, well, time for my dinner. Take care. All. Well good. Elaine, you’ve got to watch the replay of this video for the rest of the story that we’ll get to in a moment. Okay. So that’s the vanilla. But I also have the Riesling here, that one, the international wine and spirits, competition trophy for Canadian wine producer of the year. Like this is the the the Oscars of the wine world in terms of competitions. And, in the most recent one, you were named Canadian wine producer of the year. That’s pretty amazing.

Klaus:

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. If you don’t mind me one Canadian wine Realty yet any wine, but those up to you or to draw people’s one extra bile of Eagle ice wine. Oh, fantastic. We’ll be Russ. One of the four best. He threw it mind basically in the room is going and overall the winery, one vaping a fifth named my, who was very proud, was an amazing event. Lost it in London, London, England called events. We had about get a table of 10 imagery it earlier. My wife is from a long pizza. My family was from London. My sister in law is all, you know, black-tie like to ask [inaudible]

Natalie:

yes. Yeah, the Oscars for wine. That was pretty cool. And it’s awesome when Canadian wines, you know, get this international recognition from competitions that have existed for years and years and years. I mean, it’s just really is a great acknowledgment of what you’ve done. So yeah, let’s, let’s taste what you’ve done here. , and you’re now, I know you were the winemaker for many years and you still participate actively in the winemaking process, but you’ve also got a full-time winemaker on board. What’s his name? Remind me.

Klaus:

His name is Roberto de Domenico. Roberto is 13 years. I came in 87 [inaudible] in 88 and he came back full time [inaudible] 89 my goodness. And so far, man, he’s my best buggy. He’s, I don’t mind me. It’d an amazing, amazing cognitive knowledge. That’s fantastic. And I honestly have to say if the company wouldn’t be there, obviously, I would go bear though.

Natalie:

Really? That’s, that’s wow. That’s amazing. Yeah. You have a lot of longterm relationships, Klaus that speaks well to your leadership because Andrea Kaiser also works with you and her father was Carl Kaiser. She’s been there a long time, I think at the winery. That’s fantastic. That really is a tribute. This, this reasoning is the bomb, I must say it is so beautiful.

Klaus:

It’s my go-to wine. You know, if I’m in my office, I need a sip of wine. The GQ sometimes, you know, you come down as you will. There’s my going to go to wine or

Natalie:

so juicy. So savory and yet, Mmm. Mmm. [inaudible] does just enough. Not too much. Yeah.

Klaus:

Dr speed doesn’t have to label everything. I would balance it because good wine is a, my opinion has ever, right. Yeah. How would I discard my volume by making wine? It’s like I always come here idea. You have an amazing piano player. You have an amazing bump with there or [inaudible] or do you say June? Right. It’s worth like you’re calm, your mind no elements to visit, to play in harmony. Yeah,

Natalie:

absolutely. That’s a great analogy, Klaus, because even if they’re in tune, but if the piano is dominating the whole orchestra, it’s not, it’s not as beautiful as it could be with all the elements in harmony and you don’t go, Oh, there’s that trombone again. I mean everything has to work together so that there’s this greater sense of the whole where the piece of music or the wine, then you would get with just a solo, by on an instrument. Yeah, I like that.

Klaus:

Let him sample it. You know, for many years,

Natalie:

you know, you could put a falter, Southern needs because of we over old, old, old, or the lost other components right. In the last five to 10 years. I mean, it’s an old component also. It’s much less now than they used to be. If it goes, people lean on the blindness with the balance. Absolutely. All right folks. So, we are here with Klaus Reif of Reif winery and talking about Canadian wines here. We’ve talked about a cocktail that you can make and go back to the replay. If you miss that there, the Riesling, of course, would be beautiful. , and, so let’s talk about, Ontario wines, more generally than Klaus. Like where do you see the industry going to say in the next five years? What is going to be the important new developments that we will be seeing?

Klaus:

, I believe, you know, if I mentioned that boy knows a horse face [inaudible] right now and we have young people coming in. If you’re going to bring a lot of innovation into our industry, they’re going to bring you new ideas now and just bring a new concept and you’re going to see an uptick in quality and the next policy. If it is, it wouldn’t be. No, I will be honest. I do think just following those three, I really see, you know, [inaudible] is not longer T and focus more on the hundred percent Ontario wines. BQA wine and hope for you because less on [inaudible] Canada wines.

Speaker 3:

I hope there’s this confusion in the, in, our tenant customers. [inaudible] is fine though, right? I’m going to read poetry to a scene. Great minds come here from a lot of young people.

Natalie:

Awesome. And, and what do you think might be the greatest challenges or threats to the Ontario wine industry? What, what is it that I don’t know could be on the horizon that you kind of as a group have to work together to solve or whatever

Klaus:

it is. I mean, especially now a new government here in Ontario, so we don’t know what’s really going to happen down the road. Are we gonna have more volumes in the grocery stores? Are we gonna have more lines in corner stores? I’m getting a bit hesitant to support it. , because you could buy lines in grocery stores. You’ve got those buyers, they’re going to buy wine. No, it’s the lowest cost. You know, you’re going to get the eight to 10, mine. And so this is not knocking, you know, he as Ontario producers, I, it’s pretty high-end producers want to be adults. So it might be termed or going down to the road [inaudible] the lines as a penance. But again, it’s up to good agents. Nothing we can do. I mean, from a, as a point, I don’t see a big spread somehow be telling you if I know that American free trade agreement comes to an end, who knows what, you know, I don’t think it’s going to be a, an impact, no industry. , we get more and more ingress in the LMI for exporting who I see apportionable alarms being auto was even more than we are like now. But I really can see right now, may spread the story industry. Okay.

Klaus:

I’m very positive. I mean everybody who knows me knows that I’m kind of a bluish case scenario guy.

Natalie:

Are you very optimistic of you then? That’s great. And, I mean you probably are aware that the Canadian vintners association has just started their campaign to free my grapes. What’s your feeling on that? And that specifically for anybody who is not aware is a new campaign so that as Canadians we should be able to buy Canadian wines from any province. Right now we are limited due to interprovincial trade barriers. Are you, I’m supportive of their campaigns so that anybody, any Canadian could buy your wines across the country.

Klaus:

Well, obviously I’m 100% yourself, 40 foot only for myself, but also for the [inaudible] of product. I mean, after all, one, one concrete, I’m Canadian or even Canadian to truly have an accent. But I am Canadian and I’m very proud of this country. Do you know what some of the exit access one Canada and just claims do not act as smog Canada? We act like we are separate, provinces, and territories. I mean, I founded [inaudible], which I cannot to balm to give him bombings. I mean, I talked to most of them, from BC, from, other probably just obviously that I know say, Hey, and it shouldn’t be a case of wine and have to say, no, sorry, I’ll do it. So, I mean, it is kind of knowledge being, being one country and, and one way next, you know, you’re not really one company. It’s kind of disappointing, you know, but to figure it out my neck, see a route that we could have a great, but now we have two programs is to say, okay, we can do it. I have a new PC that allows it now. Two [inaudible] elegance.

Natalie:

Okay. I’m sure it must surely come because nine out of 10 Canadians, I’m told by the Canadian vintners association support free trade within our own country for our own wines. And you know, it’s the as you know, ’cause it’s the highest agricultural value add product we make. So that means it adds so much to the economy. , you know, in terms of profits, spin-off jobs and everything. And for me, as I think about a dinner party, what’s the only agricultural product that I put on my table that still has the label on it? It’s not the beef, it’s not the potatoes, it’s the wine, you know, if I’m putting a bottle on it, it’s that value add that it just is crazy not to be able to order and ship different wines.

Klaus:

If you, if you see, you know, and you’ve quoted mine great about a $1 economic impact, I might be wrong. [inaudible] in Ontario in this case. And then domestic of what, like the reason we just said is producing by 12 [inaudible]

Natalie:

12 times the economic value.

Klaus:

It is quite, yeah, it’s quite amazing. I mean you guys have seen about the farm community, the suppliers are Embry, gays, you know [inaudible] every aspect. Yeah,

Natalie:

absolutely. And the spinoff industries. I mean, I love that the Niagara region and other regions from BC to picked into Nova Scotia, everywhere. Even the Eastern townships in Quebec and so on, they have all of these other things that are going on, like restaurants and ins and tourism and the gastro tourism aspect of this. It really promotes all of that. And, and you know, there’s, of course, there’s the go local movement, but also like, you know, when we buy local, we’re not, you know, we’re, making our environmental footprint smaller. I mean, there’s not as much shipping going on. I mean, there’s just so many regional reasons. You know you find

Klaus:

monster, we’ll call them footprint, retainer here. But also, you know, if you go back now, because like I mentioned, I started 31 years ago, there was no supplier of the hangs or problems or any equipment. I mean, everything we had to put just is pushed outside the country. I mean, it was those times we didn’t have nugget college. We have an amazing program [inaudible] program. So if you had to hire one media, you have to go outside your country, get to run data. But now we have our logo of the college and university that teach young people. Now we get into it on our old people. I mean are all just books hand in hand. Yeah,

Natalie:

absolutely. And Francis is enjoying a rife Pinot noir right now. It’s a great pairing with our salmon dinner, having a, having a second glass or a dessert. Rochelle O’Connor is here at Ottawa. This is a real treat. I really enjoy these beautiful wines. That’s awesome. Francis has also shared the video and I wanted to also say thank you to the other folks who are sharing here. Mike welling has shared it. Thank you. Voyage writers. Hey, and they’re talking about our video voyage writers. Let us know where you’re logging in from and do you write about wine or travel? , we’d love to know. Okay. So, I would love to know just from your experience, cause personally kind of what’s been your favorite moment in, in your career so far? Like, what has been the moment that has stood out for you that, you know, you’ve just, it’s memorable.

Klaus:

No, I think, you know, for me, going back, one of my most memorable moments was again, in, London, London, England, and the, you mentioned we won the award in 2017. I don’t mention it to a lot, but we won the team award in 2002. However, this is what I’m saying. And along in total, we had about again, 500 feet before dinner, and to chose our ice wine as a dessert mine. So 500 mind makers and even whiteness still always point.

Klaus:

And I must say, it doesn’t matter when one person, I would say on my own, I didn’t know anyone. You know, I was a smaller guy out of Ontario and I have gone to Lake, you know, and, [inaudible] to be honest and, on the side and just tend to amend, screwed up the ball up towards me and him to me and into your right,

Klaus:

there are those days you’ll always find hungry. It was an amazing volume or it isn’t everything line. And there was nobody else. [inaudible]. Oh wow. I mean, I mean it’s fantastic. Give me a, I know in a small wine community and I’ve gone to Lake Ontario  You know, I’m a nobody over oversee all this grief and yet I turn them in like robotic Mondavi, not too. I approached him and asked him about tomorrow. He stood up there poached me lately. I mean, there were moments you do not fuck in your life. There’s one of those moments, you know, you’ve chaired all your life, you know, and while I used to be five foot 10, number six, good for the flag.

Natalie:

That’s great. Well, he’s such a pioneer and a leader and of course, he’s passed away. But, that you will remember that forever. I’m sure that the conversation, Lee’s DRA has joined us from Northern Ontario and Rochelle says, I totally agree. , hello Lisa. Hello Jen Havers, Rochelle, I totally agree. We should be able to buy the amazing wines that are being created from coast to coast, especially when cooking dinner and pairing wine and food. We can buy a case shipped direct of course. But it isn’t the same for me anyway. I love shopping for wine as much as food. Absolutely. No, that’s a nice comment. , Rochelle, so if you could have a bottle of wine costs with anyone living or dead apart from relatives, who would that be? Who would you love to share a wine with and kind of tell us who it is and maybe why

Klaus:

I, you know, it has to believe is my, the second part of my life. Okay. You get to my car, I love cars, so I would love to have [inaudible] in [inaudible] all human. Okay. Because I always had dreams. My pocket needs to know onsite. I retire, I know. Save me, retire. Well, I have time to go. I would say in rate and I’d like to know because he thinks this same thing is [inaudible] h? Yeah. We need liken talk to him, you know, and just seeing, you know, how we, how we get it, you know, and since he, I mean he thinks we may, it. Okay. It’s got it broken do with his mind. But he must be improved as bugs. I’m out, I believe. I don’t know. It might be [inaudible] the bottom line about this life, how we change, and how we ended up [inaudible] I didn’t want to be rolling.

Natalie:

Ah, okay. There we go. Now we know. Well, he certainly was into food somehow cause he had Newman’s dressing. I mean he’s still dressing, but what’s your favorite car that you own or that you’d like to own? Passion for cars. So yeah,

Klaus:

a favorite car right now I own exceed. , I would say it’s a 1977 to 80 cents. That’s it. That’s me. I most keep going to knows pads anymore because I know how they’re called Nissan and it’s my favorite car. I don’t drive with Mark isn’t brilliant. Racing green, anything’s amazing. The car sounds awesome. By all means. No more than technology or no USB, no drew tools and those are the same. But I just love to design [inaudible]

Natalie:

Oh my goodness. That’s lovely. , all right, so Lee’s Sharay says it’s finally nice in Northern Ontario. I’m drinking an off-dry Riesling. In my opinion, Niagara Riesling lands in a great category with Alsace in Germany. Mm. Oh, Lori. A Kilmartin from Ottawa is asking, what is Klaus’s favorite wine and food pairing? Favorite or weirdest, whatever you want to tell us.

Klaus:

They read. It’s very simple to me. I love Philomena. Always peppercorn sauce. Yes. An ice company. Some of y’all, mostly companies. Some of y’all is a [inaudible] and actually my wife, she makes fun and I love it.

Natalie:

That sounds great. And do you have something that you love to pair with the Riesling or do you just like the Riesling on its own?

Klaus:

No, at least you know, like on its own. But you know, most food, you know your chicken or even a lighter pasta, there’s another red pasta. My reasoning, but I’m sure if I ever sneak through all this [inaudible]

Natalie:

yes, it would be good. Traditional. , Mike welling says the 28 zero seven or Oh seven was a great car. So you’ve got a friend who loves cars here as much as you do. I think because I’m probably not knowing what he’s saying with the card making it a little. , Kathy says Klaus. Do you have a favorite wine? Oh, well you said the [inaudible], right?

Klaus:

Yeah. No, I mean it’s my go-to on a daily basis. But like I said, I like, I like the cup saw in the marriage in front of me, but equally on the right side. Another point Kevin, a lot is a smoked salmon and the other nice white bread, some green cheese, smoked salmon, and the neighbors [inaudible] pottery. That’s another one of my favorites. Let’s put [inaudible] [inaudible]

Natalie:

nice. Lee likes Riesling with chicken wings. There you go. And, so just a couple of questions cause the time is going quickly here. Klaus, what advice would you give to your 30-year-old self? If you could look back and advise yourself? What, what piece of advice would you give to you

Klaus:

business? I should have watched more of the marketing side of my business. Okay. I was too concentrated on the winemaking perspective and I’m going to be honest with you kind of Mark with comics because it knows America marketing. I was educated back in Europe. So marketing was only a very minor side note in my education. And it’s way more important to me. I know some America so yeah. So I would say yeah, I could take more and keep them all the time. A business perspective, it’s kind of a, it’ll be 30 years old or you may talk now the young people. So you know what, make sure you have everything in a roll from your packaging, your marketing. Now you will be you solely media. I know you’re the old faggotry in all or your website. So you sent Soboba a message. I always, I always kind of believed you know what, you’re gonna make good wines. You know, people gonna come out and ask me.

Natalie:

Right. They’ll just find you. They will come. Yeah.

Klaus:

It’s not really cool. Used to go to a certain extent. Okay. Right. Cause once you have a customer they re repeat. It’s very hard to get new people. Jason doesn’t mind if you’re doing have your marketing machine.

Natalie:

Yeah. This is so like the tech industry where I was for a number of years cause like the tech guys and gals get so caught up in, Oh, we just make the perfect software and it’s going to go viral. It’s going to sell itself. It’s like, ah, not so much. Yeah. So yeah, a lot of good wisdom there. , and do you have a favorite wine gadget that you like to use or pretty standard?

Klaus:

You know what? We have kind of a cool area that you see at some winery.

Natalie:

A narrator. Okay.

Klaus:

Yeah. It doesn’t have, yeah, it creates it in Denmark and then it’s for a young color wanting to put it in. Honestly. You know, you have all your mind normally. Yeah, it’s okay. But if a report every day in a matter of let’s say two minutes, you know, so mine ages about to spring years and it’s electrical, but not so much more opposable. So I’m really befriended every day. This is my thing, the most important tool, you know.

Natalie:

Okay, awesome. And then just

Klaus:

because some people believe, you know, in every, that was all day, everyday kind of scratch the Panda, our old lines, which is sometimes very, very dangerous.

Natalie:

Right. They can fall apart with that amount of exposure. Yeah, absolutely.

Klaus:

December was going to be at one day and all of that is Google’s point me gets me with lines and the old and the 1952 penal law. Oh wow. And then the gloss, you know, it tasted amazing. You put the dust down, went back, let less than five minutes later, five minutes. He was a defender right there. Way down to his wine. I would be told, he told me to go put a fiscally to line right there. Just want to caution the listeners. Don’t be over-anxious do use big canvas on all the lines or off or whatever he does is blow your mind. You’ve got to read it before using the candor. No, you’re no, you’re lying. No. And do it.

Natalie:

That’s true. That’s great advice. And I would just circle back to the marketing theme here because Mike welling has asked, we marketers love revelations about the virtues of effective branding and marketing that Klaus has discovered. But you asked a question here, Mike, are Niagara winemakers more competitors or compatriots? Do you lean one way or the other?

Klaus:

Actually we have multiple bracelets. Yeah. Friends and a certain way we are competitors. I was in a Maga place, but the end of the day you do know, we do understand it to move together. We didn’t reach our goal, which is acceptance Ontario vine, although was a rural area and we have to go up together. It’d be fine. Or if we compete with each other, it doesn’t help us.

Natalie:

Right. And you’re, you’re still a relatively small region in the grand scheme of things of worldwide. So if you don’t work together, I mean you just don’t have as large a voice and the rising tide lifts all the boats, I imagine.

Klaus:

Then you buy it. I mean, Ontario, we have llamas might be operated about 10,000. It doesn’t leave me out, you know Terrio 10,000 now compared to the food pyramid, which was known as a time of mine of [inaudible] as 100,000 hectares.

Natalie:

Which winery is that has a hundred [inaudible] Germany. Okay. And we have, so we have 10% of what Germany has. Yeah.

Klaus:

So now go to your friends. They told me yeah, about a million [inaudible]

Natalie:

Oh my gosh. Yeah. Okay. So here I. Dot. [inaudible]

Klaus:

same 1.2 million hectors. Wow. So really either global saying, you know in the words you’re writing your tests for your thoughts on a wall.

Natalie:

Right. So you have to band together. Yes.

Klaus:

To be alone. All of us. Yeah. We can go out there. I know, I mean literally anecdote still, you know [inaudible] and the first condom into Japan was many, many years back and it could be still, a kilo is one and people didn’t know, Oh my God, you there, you pull me over, you make all these [inaudible] now 1520 years later I go back to Japan and was the ice [inaudible] Oh Panadol. You know what a difference it is. You know, when people recognize when the ice wine and relate directly to Canada, I mean, again, bringing it to the Canadian school. Yeah, I’m here before that now. And to be proud of with parody and ice wine is known in Japan as a Canadian product 20 years ago. It wasn’t fun.

Natalie:

Hmm. No, no, that’s fantastic. Yeah, absolutely. Wow. Okay. So we are already at quarter to the hour as I thought it just flew by so close. , is there, where can we find you on and your wine’s online? What’s, probably your website, I would imagine if you want to just share that with us.

Klaus:

Yeah, I mean the [inaudible] www dot [inaudible] winery [inaudible] winery.com and [inaudible] and CLL events. We can do a wine shop online as long as you’re in Ontario.

Natalie:

Yes. Okay. There you go. Yes, let’s change that folk. I should put it, I’ll put a link in for the petition that’s going around too, to get rid of that, the interprovincial trade barriers. But, folks, hang on. , cause I’ve got some more announcements to follow, but close. I want to thank you so much for spending your Sunday evening part of it with us tonight. This is terrific. Great insights. Thank you for sharing those with us and, Andrew, great wines. We really appreciate it.

Klaus:

Always a pleasure.

Natalie:

All right, so good luck with everything and we’ll chat again. Okay, awesome. All right, take care.