Bright future

Story: Corey Engelsdorfer
Sandbanks Winery acquired by industry mogul

A romantic dinner wouldn’t be complete without a bottle of Sandbanks Baco Noir. The wine has become one of the most popular Bacos in the province, and was what put Sandbanks Estate Winery on the map. Each year, thousands of visitors flock to the winery on Loyalist Parkway to taste wines and take in the fun energetic experience. Last week, it was announced that Sandbanks Estate Winery was acquired by Arterra Wines Canada Inc., a big player in the wine industry. Luckily for those baco noir lovers, the wine, along with the experience at the winery, will remain much the same.

Winemaker Catherine Langlois amongst the vines she planted at Sandbanks Estate Winery.

The addition of Sandbanks Winery into the Arterra family of wineries complements its diverse selection of Canadian and international wines. Arterra has been making wines in the Niagara and Okanagan wine regions for over 150 years, earning it a reputation in Canada and around the world for creating award-winning, quality wines, such as Inniskillin, Jackson- Triggs and Le Clos Jordanne. This is the first winery for Arterra in Prince Edward County. Arterra President and CEO Jay Wright, explained to the Times that the decision to foster the Sandbanks brand was an easy one. “This is an opportunity to plant a flag in one of the most important wine terroirs in the country. We had been contemplating for a while and I am so honoured to partner and be involved with Catherine. It has been almost 20 years in the making and she is an amazing person,” says Wright. “When you can be involved with a brand name that stands for what the whole region means for people, that’s pretty amazing.”

Sandbanks founder and winemaker Catherine Langlois is excited for the future. She says Arterra is looking to build on what she, along with her business partner Rene Lorenzo have accomplished in the past 19 years. “They are coming in asking how they can learn about our culture and what we do because we have been so successful. They want to build on what we have,” said Langlois. “So far it’s business as usual. We are just working on some winemaking this morning. Everyone on our team stays and everyone is still employed.”

Langlois is hopeful that Arterra will help grow the brand she has built and loved for nearly 20 years. “We will be part of the wine offered in Wine Rack stores across Ontario— 164 stores to be exact.” Plans are to start with a limited selection of baco noir and pinot grigio. Wright says that Sandbanks wines fit perfectly into a void in Arterra’s portfolio. “Sandbanks fits so well into our portfolio. It’s a VQA Ontario wine with a younger consumer interested in new and approachable wines. We are going to enhance the quality and enhance the brand while experimenting with new varietals in the County.” He also explains that Sandbanks wines are the perfect product to introduce into the Quebec market, a region that Arterra has been trying to break into for some time. “Forty per cent of the tourists in the County come from Quebec. Quebec is interested in exploring growth potential. What better way than with Sandbanks,” says Wright.

In terms of the near future, wine lovers will be seeing some new releases streaming out of the winery. “I was literally just tasting some blends of what we might be releasing. We are always experimenting here,” says Langlois. Currently, amongst other blends, the team is working on an exciting new fortified wine to be released in the future. “We are also releasing a new Summer Rosé this spring,” says Langlois. “ It will be released through the LCBO, Wine Rack as well as the winery.”

When asked to look back on the past 19 years, Langlois humbly says her team, both past and present have been the most rewarding to her experience. “The team we built is as strong as it has ever been. It’s fun. It’s dynamic. People enjoy working in a team spirit. At least once a day each of us will have a big laugh out loud,” says Langlois. “This is very exciting, and there is not one bit of seller’s remorse. It’s encouraging for our team and for the area when big players invest. It puts Prince Edward County on the map, and it is also exciting for our kids, grandkids and future generations.” Wright was adamant that this is a story of growth and recognition of a successful entrepreneur. “Looking at the County, there is going to be more growth. More experimentation. The County is booming as a hospitality tourism extravaganza. It’s only going to grow and I want our company to be part of that.”

To learn more about Arterra Wines Canada, visit www.arterracanada.com