Arterra Wines Canada adds Angels Gate Winery and Kew Vineyards to portfolio that already includes top brands from Niagara Jackson-Triggs and Inniskillin. Photo credit: Facebook/Angels Gate Winery
The country’s leading wine distributor and marketer has added two more Niagara brands to its growing portfolio.
On Friday, May 5, Arterra Wines Canada announced its acquisition of sister operations Angels Gate Winery and Kew Vineyards.
The move marks the company’s inaugural entry into the Beamsville Bench appellation.
“The Beamsville Bench is recognized worldwide for the quality of its wines, and I am honored to welcome these two respected wineries in our family of Niagara wineries,” President of Arterra John Boynton said last week.
“These acquisitions reflect the company’s mission to grow amazing VQA premium offerings while leveraging Arterra’s winemaking excellence.”
Located off of Mountainview Rd. in Beamsville, Angels Gate Winery operates a total of 110 acres atop the Niagara Escarpment. The winery, which planted its first grapes in 1996 and formally opened in 2002, hosts a number of grape varieties, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Angel Gates’ long-time vintner Philip Dowell won the Winemaker of the Year honour at the 2020 Ontario Wine Awards.
Just down the road from Angels Gate off of King St., Kew Vineyards has over 80 acres. The vineyard’s 1975 plantings are some of the oldest in Niagara.
“We are excited about the future of Angels Gate and Kew now that they are part of Arterra Wines Canada,” President of Angels Gate and Kew John Young said in a statement.
“We are confident Arterra will continue the development of both wineries as producers of premium quality wines while maintaining the values that have always been at the heart of our culture.”
A spokesperson for Arterra reportedly told local online publisher Wines in Niagara that a dozen employees from the two wineries will join Arterra and continue to run Angels Gate and Kew.
“We will work together to ensure a seamless transition over the next several months,” the spokesperson said.
Currently headquartered in Mississauga but with roots dating back to the original Niagara Falls Wine Company from 1874, Arterra has grown to include over 100 wine brands, including seven of the top 20 brands in Canada: Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, Sawmill Creek, Ruffino, Wallaroo Trail, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, and Kim Crawford. It also owns Ontario’s Wine Rack stores.
The company’s portfolio has received over 1,500 accolades and awards in national and international wine competitions in the last five years alone.
In all, Arterra employs approximately 2,000 full-time and part-time staff across the country.
