http://weslowrey.com Craft Wine Tue, 08 May 2012 20:24:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 en http://weslowrey.com/2012/05/07/2011-whites/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/05/07/2011-whites/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 22:54:12 +0000 Wes Lowrey 2011 Five Rows Sauvignon Blanc: The fight for quality Sauvignon Blanc grapes begins in earnest during the long, cold nights of winter.  Its buds are amongst the most sensitive of all Vitis vinifera cultivars.  Providing those buds make it through the rigours of winter and frosts of spring, the job only intensifies.  Picture the most vigorous [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1453 http://weslowrey.com/2012/05/07/2011-whites/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/05/07/buds/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/05/07/buds/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 22:44:48 +0000 Wes Lowrey For those curious about how things look in the vineyard these days I have good news…the buds are alive!  (At least 75% of them that is).  My thoughts go out to those tree fruit farmers who haven’t been as lucky thus far.  I’ve heard some staggering reports of damage in local apple and plum orchards [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1468 http://weslowrey.com/2012/05/07/buds/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/04/16/dinner-with-bruce/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/04/16/dinner-with-bruce/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:26:54 +0000 Wes Lowrey There aren’t many days on the farm that I don’t encounter an unknown automobile meandering slowly down our driveway.  They approach very cautiously, sometimes stopping multiple times, seemingly contemplating whether this could possibly be the place they were looking for.  If I’m working in the grape rows anywhere near the driveway I try to flag [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1382 http://weslowrey.com/2012/04/16/dinner-with-bruce/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/03/20/good-news-bad-news/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/03/20/good-news-bad-news/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:51:21 +0000 Wes Lowrey Pruning in shorts?   So much for those ultra-thermal, -40C rated  ”Tarantula”  boots my Dad got me for Christmas.  They’re still in the box.  Sap is gushing from the tips of newly pruned grapevine canes and there are pink swollen buds on my Magnolia tree - it’s only March 20th.  It was officially winter…yesterday. Vineyard managers [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1370 http://weslowrey.com/2012/03/20/good-news-bad-news/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/02/15/an-ode-to-oak/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/02/15/an-ode-to-oak/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:52:26 +0000 Wes Lowrey I’m generally not an emotional guy.  Why then, am I having such a difficult time parting ways with the first two barrels that ever held my wine? The time has come to cruelly determine which of our used oak barrels must be sent out to pasture, literally.  I’ve been through wars with these veteran barriques.  They’ve [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1333 http://weslowrey.com/2012/02/15/an-ode-to-oak/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/02/01/a-dinner-with-friends/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/02/01/a-dinner-with-friends/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:36:23 +0000 Wes Lowrey A winemaker prepares for a “Winemaker’s Dinner” with the hope that his or her wines will show their best and contribute positively to the evening’s festivities and fare.  My pre-dinner jitters were immediately settled when I walked into Treadwell’s on Saturday and was greeted by so many familiar faces.  It was like walking into the [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1304 http://weslowrey.com/2012/02/01/a-dinner-with-friends/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/01/12/winemakers-dinner/ http://weslowrey.com/2012/01/12/winemakers-dinner/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:08:21 +0000 Wes Lowrey We are currently finalizing plans for our second annual Winemaker’s Dinner to be held once again at Treadwell Farm to Table Cuisine in Port Dalhousie.  For those interested in attending, it will take place on Saturday, January 28.  I’m told that most of the seats are spoken for by returnees from last year, but there [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1290 http://weslowrey.com/2012/01/12/winemakers-dinner/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/12/02/housekeeping/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/12/02/housekeeping/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:47:17 +0000 Wes Lowrey Now that I have a few moments on my hands, it’s probably a good time to do a little housekeeping and update everyone as to which wines we currently have available.  After a busy summer, I regret to inform that the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris have officially been sold out, but the following [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1279 http://weslowrey.com/2011/12/02/housekeeping/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/11/13/2009-cabernet-sauvignon-icewine-release/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/11/13/2009-cabernet-sauvignon-icewine-release/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0000 Wes Lowrey As winter draws near, it’s fitting that our 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine is finally ready for release.  The bottles are signed, the labels have been folded and the wine is drinking beautifully! Excitingly, we were just informed that this wine has received a silver medal in the Icewine category at the 2011 Canadian Wine Awards.  Full [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1253 http://weslowrey.com/2011/11/13/2009-cabernet-sauvignon-icewine-release/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/10/09/the-weight/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/10/09/the-weight/#comments Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:42:50 +0000 Wes Lowrey Defining a personal “style” of winemaking has always been a difficult proposition for me.  I still consider myself an unexperienced rookie, then I glance at the calendar and realize I’ve been at this gig for quite a while.  As visions of past vintages scan by quickly in my mind, I recall my early days in [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1219 http://weslowrey.com/2011/10/09/the-weight/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/09/11/2011-vintage-update/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/09/11/2011-vintage-update/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 01:16:47 +0000 Wes Lowrey Call me Chicken Little. At the first sign of rotten berries and fruit flies in our Pinot Noir I run to my father and proclaim, “the sky is falling”.  I rattle off all the jobs that need to be done IMMEDIATELY: gotta get the bins ready for harvest, gotta cut the rot out, gotta check the [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1206 http://weslowrey.com/2011/09/11/2011-vintage-update/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/08/30/individual-vine-viticulture/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/08/30/individual-vine-viticulture/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:12:40 +0000 Wes Lowrey What is it that makes our wines unique? I’ve been asked to answer this question quite a few times over the last couple of weeks, so maybe some further explanation is necessary.  I always start by stressing that the intricacies of our wines originate from thorough hand labour in the vineyard.  But I now realize that [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1184 http://weslowrey.com/2011/08/30/individual-vine-viticulture/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/08/22/the-day-beppi-turned-up/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/08/22/the-day-beppi-turned-up/#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:48:58 +0000 Wes Lowrey We owe Beppi Crosariol a debt of gratitude for resurrecting our blown down sign and ultimately introducing our winery to a great group of new people. His kind words can be read here. http://weslowrey.com/?p=1169 http://weslowrey.com/2011/08/22/the-day-beppi-turned-up/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/08/01/august-1st/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/08/01/august-1st/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:25:26 +0000 Wes Lowrey August 1st marks yet another important time on the Winery calendar.   The first berries are threatening to turn colour, faint blasts of bird bangers can be heard in the distance, and our cherished new barrels are starting to board ships in France.  The anticipation is palpable! Winemakers are busy working out the logistics of the coming [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1153 http://weslowrey.com/2011/08/01/august-1st/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/07/04/the-longest-row/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/07/04/the-longest-row/#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2011 01:35:57 +0000 Wes Lowrey Where do the days go? Every year, right around this time, I shift from basking in the joys of summer to flat out panic.  Days are spent trying to motor through jobs in the vineyard, but soon the stark reality sinks in.  There just aren’t enough days left before harvest to complete the monster list of [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1124 http://weslowrey.com/2011/07/04/the-longest-row/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/06/19/2008-five-rows-pinot-noir-vinification-notes/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/06/19/2008-five-rows-pinot-noir-vinification-notes/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:19:51 +0000 Wes Lowrey 2008 Five Rows Pinot Noir: Now that we’ve been at this venture for a few years, it’s interesting to look back at my old blog entries upon the release of a new wine.  This entry from October 6, 2008 aptly tells the story of our 2008 Pinot Noir: “Vintage ‘08 is upon us and to this point [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1118 http://weslowrey.com/2011/06/19/2008-five-rows-pinot-noir-vinification-notes/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/06/03/2008-five-rows-shiraz-vinification-notes/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/06/03/2008-five-rows-shiraz-vinification-notes/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2011 22:23:46 +0000 Wes Lowrey 2008 Five Rows Shiraz: The tale of Lowrey Shiraz began many years ago with a firm handshake.  Our relationship as a grower for Creekside Estate Winery started in the late 90’s and continues to this day.  Shiraz is a staple for Creekside, grown and vinified to perfection year after year.  Given this success, we naively agreed [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1110 http://weslowrey.com/2011/06/03/2008-five-rows-shiraz-vinification-notes/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/05/27/dont-look-now/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/05/27/dont-look-now/#comments Sat, 28 May 2011 00:54:08 +0000 Wes Lowrey Don’t look now, but we have some serious viticultural growth going on out there!  Despite the cool and damp conditions, shoots are expanding at a rapid pace.  It’s as if the vines couldn’t hold it in any longer and just exploded with life. As a precaution for potential winter injury, we always leave an extra “insurance” [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1101 http://weslowrey.com/2011/05/27/dont-look-now/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/05/27/come-one-come-all/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/05/27/come-one-come-all/#comments Sat, 28 May 2011 00:31:52 +0000 Wes Lowrey As we head into the summer season, I would once again like to extend an open invitation to all wine lovers.  Please do join us for a tasting over the coming months during our weekend retail hours (11-5).  It’s an exciting time at Five Rows, as we’ve just released our 2008 Shiraz, 2008 Pinot Noir, [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=1090 http://weslowrey.com/2011/05/27/come-one-come-all/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/05/16/one-by-one-the-waxing-gets-done/ http://weslowrey.com/2011/05/16/one-by-one-the-waxing-gets-done/#comments Mon, 16 May 2011 20:29:30 +0000 Wes Lowrey Hot Wax Meets Cool Climate Shiraz. http://weslowrey.com/?p=1075 http://weslowrey.com/2011/05/16/one-by-one-the-waxing-gets-done/feed/