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September 28, 2017 City Guides » Fall Wine Guide

Annapolis royalty: a first look at Lightfoot & Wolfville

A trip to the just-opened, epic winery where heritage and modernity meet on the shores of the Minas Basin.

By Melissa Buote

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Jessica Emin

ightfoot & Wolfville is a winery that was planted by a farm, a wonderful expression of what can be grown in Nova Scotia. For eight generations, hundreds of years, the Lightfoot family has been farming in the Annapolis Valley. Winemaking just felt like a natural evolution.

"Growing grapes on our ancestral land, land with great history, and offering the resulting wine to be celebrated with and shared amongst loved ones is so meaningful," says Jocelyn Lightfoot, who runs the winery with her husband, Michael.

Melding heritage farming with the canny modernity of the agritourism industry, Lightfoot & Wolfville has created a sprawling winery with a tasting room, a barrel cellar, patios and a fairytale tent for parties, tastings, and even just lunch. Bright windows that climb (and climb and climb) up to the high ceilings keep the space airy, and offer views that stretch across the vineyard, down to Cape Blomidon.

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Jessica Emin

The space feels epic, echoes of the past in the airiness of the barn structure, but a forward-looking foundation that practically shouts of the endless possibilities for growth in the Nova Scotia wine industry.

You'll definitely want to check out their best-selling wild fermented Ancienne Chardonnay and Ancienne Pinot Noir, but it's Scheurebe that Lightfoot calls the new star of their portfolio, "best described as a Riesling that read the karma sutra," she says. Their first vintage recently won Best of Class White Wine at the Atlantic Canadian Wine Awards where Lightfoot & Wolfville also won Winery of the Year.

"We want our guests to have lots of room to feel comfortable and relaxed," Lightfoot says of the new space. "And to provide elevated
experiences, next level wine tasting." But she knows that goes beyond the building.

"The wine comes first," she says. "We always remind ourselves the heartbeat is quality."

click to enlarge

Jessica Emin

“We wanted to remain true to Nova Scotia
and celebrate the internal skeleton of these massive rural barns in our area. We had a
vision of the ruins of an Acadian home with the hearth being the only thing left standing after their homes were destroyed. We have a constant connection to the history of our land, and those who were here before us.” —Jocelyn Lightfoot

click to enlarge

Jessica Emin

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Lightfoot & Wolfville's bright, beautiful tasting room - JESSICA EMIN

Lightfoot & Wolfville's bright, beautiful tasting room
Jessica Emin

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Clockwise from top left: Josh Horton (head winemaker), Peter Gamble (wine consultant), Matthew Patterson (viticulturist), Jocelyn Lightfoot , Meadow Lightfoot, Rachel Lightfoot (manager) and Michael Lightfoot - JESSICA EMIN

Clockwise from top left: Josh Horton (head winemaker), Peter Gamble (wine consultant), Matthew Patterson (viticulturist), Jocelyn Lightfoot , Meadow Lightfoot, Rachel Lightfoot (manager) and Michael Lightfoot
Jessica Emin