Fine vines

You like making your own wine from your own grapes.

Spare me all the sommelier lingo. I don't care if my Beaujolais has a rat's piss finish or undertones of charcoal. I like wine I've grown and fermented myself, reputation be damned.

So when Nova Scotians tell me they don't like Nova Scotia wine, first I threaten to kill them, then I calm down and threaten to maim them. Then I calm down more and explain why they should be excited about this province's wines.

First of all, Canadian wines have come a long way, and NS wines are no exception. The average consumer overestimates how discerning a palate they possess. I am sure in blind taste tests there are Annapolis Valley wines they'd love and Sonoma wines they'd hate. In other words, the top wines being produced here can go toe-to-toe with affordable wines being produced anywhere in the world.

Second, you need to grow your own vines to really embrace local wine. For example, Frontenac is a gamey grape--an acquired taste--but you need to understand the role climate and terroir play in grape growth to appreciate its distinct character. The very idea a grape exists that's winter-hardy to -30 fahrenheit is staggering. When you manage to grow a peach at the North Pole, you don't complain because the flesh is slightly more yellow than you like -- no, you marvel at the accomplishment, full stop.

I'm growing l'Acadie blanc. It has become one of the leading white grapes in Nova Scotia because it's well-suited to our climate. Now, I could be a wine spectator; I could stick with red, buy my bottles at the store and bemoan the fact that my property isn't conducive to merlot. Or I can embrace where I am: drink l'Acadie, learn the good from the bad, school my palate, and derive satisfaction from working towards mastering my grapes.