Tasting of Henry of Pelham Family Estate Wines with Co- Owner Daniel Speck

Daniel will taste and discuss several of Henry of Pelham Family Estate Wines including Cuvée Catharine and Speck Family Reserve Wines
More about the Winery - We named Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery after great-great-great grandpa’s son, Henry. We think he had a pretty dry sense of humour, nicknaming himself “Henry of Pelham” after a British Prime Minister. He was an entrepreneur, building an inn and tavern on the property and operating a toll road. He also raised sheep and grew grapes—some of the first to be planted in Canada. Our retail store and tasting room are where the inn used to be and our restaurant is in the former Coach House.

In 1984, when our parents decided to replace Henry’s concord and Niagara grapevines with old world vinifera grapes, the Niagara wine scene hardly existed and there were a lot of naysayers—but we had done our homework. Heat scans proved we had the right conditions, and we bettered our chances by contouring the hills and installing drainage. At the time, we were one of only a few Niagara wineries to make premium wines from our own grapes.

Daniel is co-owner and one of three brothers who as children shovel-planted the modern-day vineyards that became Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery in Niagara’s Short Hills Bench. The Speck brothers founded the winery with their parents, a family venture which began in 1984. Daniel spent the years from age 8 to 22 in the vineyards. He studied philosophy, math and science at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, then returned to work on the farm/winery upon graduation.

After fourteen vineyard-years he migrated from the farm to the marketplace when a key sales person left the company. Today he is Vice President, Sales and Marketing. Daniel actively promotes and sells his family’s wines while still participating in determining each wine’s final composition with his two older brothers and the winemakers.

Hope to see you there. Spaces are limited.

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