Niagara has embraced terroir—that heady French-born concept of how soil, climate and human intervention make every wine unique—by carving the peninsula into 10 sub-appellations whose names are now appearing on 2006 and 2007 vintages. While European appellations were formed over generations through taste and political consensus, Niagara’s 10 were mapped out in 2005 by geographers, following an extensive three-year soil and climate study by Brock University.

Featherstone Estate Winery—nestled halfway up the Niagara Escarpment, in a sub-appellation called Twenty Mile Bench—is a perfect example of terroir. David Johnson and Louise Engel tend their 23 acres of sloping vineyards themselves, with a little help from the sheep that nibble away excess vine leaves in mid-summer and the falcons that chase starlings from ripening grapes as harvest approaches. And over the past nine years, they have come to know what each pocket of vines will bring to the finished product. The vineyard topsoil is a blend of clay and gravel over limestone bedrock, the latter famous for creating wines with textural finesse and a subtle minerality. At this higher altitude and farther inland from Lake Ontario, the microclimate is cooler than many in Niagara, which makes wines with a lighter body and vibrant acidity. To this base, Johnson has added winemaking techniques he learned in New Zealand to boost fruit aromatics and palate richness. It adds up to a singular taste that makes Feather­stone wines different even from those of their closest neighbours. Most of these new sub-appellation wines are available only via vineyard Web sites or at the wineries. Book a trip if you can. Breathe the air and feel the soil underfoot—terroir is a concept you need to experience first-hand.

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