This is the first episode of Spill the Wine that doesn’t include a wine tasting! The conversation
Andrea Morris had with Thomas Bacherlder – owner/winemaker of Bachelder Estates was so
interesting it needed a full episode to itself. Thomas’ journey as a winemaker began in Montreal,
then led to Burgundy, Oregon and finally, Beamsville, which has the climate and terroir for
making the Burgundy style wines he loves– Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (and Gamay too!) You
will learn about the difference between Domaine and Chateau wineries, what “mapping” a
region means, and the terroir differences between the Bench and Niagara wine regions.
Thomas also explains elevage, the aging of wine in barrels and goes into detail about the
effects both old and new barrels have on the taste of wine. He even provides some fun ideas to
help you plan a trip to the Bench wine region. You will DEFINITELY learn a lot about
winemaking from this episode.

Produced by Lukas Sluzar. Recorded January 29, 2025

Show notes: Bachelder : www.bachelderniagara.com

If you’re a fan of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this is a winery you MUST visit! Our host, Andrea
Morris, speaks with Cloudsley owner Adam Lowy about the reasons for focusing on these two
grape varietals, and the choice to outsource their grapes from outstanding growers in the Bench area. Adam talks about making wines that don’t make your mouth tired. He provided another great statement regarding wine: “Wine is a snapshot of the time and the place the grapes were grown.” They also discuss the challenges of promoting Ontario wines across Canada and around the world, the effect of winter weather on grapes and the reason for different styles of glasses when drinking wine. You’ll definitely enjoy this episode!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar. Recorded January 29, 2025

Show notes: www.cloudsleycellars.com

Wines sampled: 2022 Chardonnay 20 Mile Bench, 2022 Chardonnay Wingfield, 2022
Chardonnay Foxcroft, 2021 Pinot Noir 20 Mile Bench, 2021 Pinot Noir Hanck, 2021 Pinot Noir
Parke

Calamus Estate Winery is quite unique, as it is the only winery in the Niagara Bench area that
has a telescope on site. Plus, it’s also proud to be a democratic winery, where their wine club
members are a part of the process of picking wines. Our host, Andrea Morris, speaks with Peter
Van Helsdingen, the owner of the winery, regarding the many events they host featuring
astronomy and wine, and about his approach to winemaking. They share found memories of
their fathers while tasting a wonderful double barreled Cabernet Sauvignon. During the course
of the episode, Peter also coined one of Andrea’s new favourite slogans: life is too short to have
a glass of wine you don’t prefer.

Produced by Lukas Sluzar. Recorded October 30, 2024

Show notes: Calamus Estate Winery: www.calamuswines.com

Wines sampled: Crackle Sparkling wine, Pinot Grigio, Unoaked Chardonnay, 2020 Meritage
Reserve, 202 Appassimento, 2019 Williams Double Barreled Cabernet Sauvignon