Our Niagara Vineyards | Westcott Home Farm | Butler's Grant

Two Estate Sites · Niagara Escarpment · Ontario

Our Niagara
Vineyards

Where the wines begin

Every Westcott wine starts in the ground. We farm two estate sites on the Niagara Escarpment: the 40-acre Home Farm on the Vinemount Ridge, continuously farmed since 1834, and the 43-acre Butlers' Grant Vineyard on the Twenty Mile Bench, one of the most storied sites in Canadian wine.

↓   Explore the land

Westcott Vineyards Home Farm on the Vinemount Ridge, Jordan Ontario
Home Farm · Vinemount Ridge · Jordan, Ontario
The Sites
Home Farm · Vinemount Ridge · 40 acres · Farmed since 1834 · Butlers' Grant · Twenty Mile Bench · 43 acres · Planted since 1970s
Westcott Vineyards Home Farm, Vinemount Ridge VQA, Jordan Ontario
Home Farm · Vinemount Ridge VQA · Jordan, Ontario

Vineyard One · Vinemount Ridge VQA

Westcott Home Farm — The Heart of It All

Situated on the Vinemount Ridge appellation at 3180 Seventeenth Street in Jordan, Ontario, the Home Farm spans 40 acres at an elevation of 170 metres with a gentle southeast-facing slope. The land has been continuously farmed since 1834, first for mixed agriculture, and today for some of the finest cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the country.

When Carolyn and Grant acquired the property in 2006, it was planted with Concord and hybrid varieties. Those were removed, tile drainage was installed on eight-foot centres, and the soil was GPS-mapped before a single new vine went in. In 2008, following consultation with the winemaking team at the adjacent Le Clos Jordanne, they planted Chardonnay clones 96 and 95 alongside Pinot Noir clones 777, 667, and 115. A further one-acre block of Chardonnay 76 was added in 2010 and 2016 in the southeastern corner, where Alluvium soils contribute the variety's characteristic freshness.

"In 2008 we sold the house in Toronto, moved the family to Niagara, and our true journey to becoming winemakers began. It was truly a good year."

— Carolyn Hurst, Co-Founder

Today the Home Farm is the benchmark for everything Westcott makes. Every vine was chosen with intention, every row is farmed with care, and every harvest reflects what this particular piece of land can do.

Home Farm Terroir

What Makes This Soil Different

Vinemount Ridge · 170m elevation · Southeast aspect

Beverly & Cashel Clay Loam Alluvium Till Halton Clay Till Niagara Escarpment Limestone 2x Normal Calcium Levels

The soil at the Home Farm is a blend of Beverly and Cashel clay loams and Alluvium till, deposited along the 18 Mile Creek, which flows through the property. Below that topsoil sits deep Halton Clay till, underlain by the limestone and dolostone bedrock of the Niagara Escarpment.

These highly calcareous soils contain twice the normal levels of calcium. That unusual mineral concentration is one of the key reasons the Home Farm produces wines with the kind of structure and minerality that have earned Westcott attention in Michelin-starred restaurants abroad. The naturally slightly alkaline pH also contributes to vine health and grape complexity in ways that are difficult to replicate elsewhere.

The 18 Mile Creek, the elevation, the southeast exposure, and the natural drainage of the Escarpment all work together to moderate temperatures and extend the growing season. This is not a warm site. It is a precise one.

Home Farm · Soil & Vine Detail

Built from the Ground Up

Elevation & Aspect
170m · Southeast-Facing Slope

A gentle southeastern aspect maximises sun exposure through the growing season while the elevation draws cool air off the Escarpment, preserving acidity and extending hang time.

Soil Type
Beverly & Cashel Clay Loam

Deposited by 18 Mile Creek over millennia, these clay loams retain moisture during dry spells while their Alluvium composition adds the minerality that distinguishes Home Farm Chardonnay.

Bedrock
Limestone & Dolostone

The Niagara Escarpment's limestone and dolostone bedrock sits below deep Halton Clay till, giving roots something to find when they need to work for their water.

Calcium Content
Twice Normal Levels

Unusually high calcium concentrations in these calcareous soils drive the minerality and structure that show up in every wine made from this fruit. A natural advantage that cannot be engineered.

Butlers' Grant Vineyard on the Twenty Mile Bench, Vineland Ontario, with Lake Ontario in the background
Butlers' Grant Vineyard · Twenty Mile Bench VQA · Vineland, Ontario

Vineyard Two · Twenty Mile Bench VQA

Butlers' Grant — A Historic Gem

Located at 3243 King Street in Vineland, Ontario, Butlers' Grant Vineyard spans 43 acres in the Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellation, one of the most prestigious bench sites in Niagara wine country. Sitting at 125 metres elevation and latitude 41°N, the vineyard sits south of Champagne, Chablis, Burgundy, and Oregon.

The name traces to 1804, when the British Government awarded a posthumous land grant to Colonel John Butler and his four children in recognition of his service during the American Revolutionary War. Modern viticulture on the site dates to Jordan Ste. Michele Wine Company, which planted an experimental vineyard here with over 100 varietals of Vinifera and French Hybrid grapes. A 5.5-acre block of Riesling, imported by Herman Weis of St. Urbans-Hof, has been growing here ever since.

In 1988, Marv Kriluck and Andrea Douglas acquired the site and replanted the majority with Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. Westcott acquired Butlers' Grant in 2018, adding Riesling and Cabernet Franc to the estate portfolio alongside the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that had built the winery's reputation.

"Despite never housing an onsite winery, Butlers' Grant has played a pivotal role in producing internationally acclaimed wines for over 30 years."

— Westcott Vineyards
Butlers' Grant · A Secret Among Winemakers
Butlers' Grant Vineyard with Lake Ontario view
A Legacy Written in Other People's Labels
World-Class Fruit. Quietly Famous.

For over three decades, Butlers' Grant never had a winery of its own. Instead, its exceptional fruit found its way into some of the most celebrated Canadian wines ever made, largely without attribution.

The first-ever international gold medal for a Canadian wine went to Jim Warren of Stoney Ridge, for a Merlot grown here. Inniskillin's Butlers' Grant Chardonnay was served to President Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II during their visits to Canada. The vineyard was, in every sense, a secret among winemakers.

Now that secret belongs to Westcott. And for the first time, the fruit from this site goes into bottles with the name of the vineyard on the label.

Butlers' Grant · Soil & Vine Detail

The Twenty Mile Bench Terroir

Elevation & Location
125m · Lake Iroquois Bench · 41°N

Positioned on the ancient Lake Iroquois Bench at latitude 41°N, the vineyard sits south of Champagne, Chablis, Burgundy, and Washington State, with Lake Ontario moderating temperatures throughout the season.

Soil Type
Chinguacousy & Oneida Clay Loam

Luvisolic-order clay loams formed 300 to 500 million years ago, largely as pre-glacial lake sediments later redeposited by glacial action around 12,000 years ago.

Bedrock
Silurian Dolostone & Limestone

The bedrock beneath Butlers' Grant consists of Silurian dolostone, limestone, sandstone, and slate, contributing the structured minerality and grip that define wines from this appellation.

Heritage Planting
Riesling · Imported by Herman Weis

A 5.5-acre block of Riesling vines, imported directly from St. Urbans-Hof in Germany by Herman Weis, has been growing on this site since the early days of the experimental vineyard. Still producing today.

How We Farm

Three Principles That Guide the Vineyard

01
The Land Comes First

Every decision starts in the vineyard, not the cellar. We farm each site according to what it needs, not a formula, and we let the wine reflect where it comes from. Renowned consultant Alain Sutre has worked with us from the beginning to ensure our practices match the ambition of the land.

02
Small is the Point

Both sites are hand-harvested. Small lots allow us to track each block individually from vine to barrel. We would rather pick less fruit and make it well than push for volume and lose what makes these vineyards worth farming.

03
Patience Over Speed

Carolyn and Grant spent their first years at the Home Farm growing grapes for other wineries before putting their name on a bottle. That same patience shapes how we farm today: carefully, with attention, and without shortcuts.

Westcott Vineyards · Jordan, Ontario

Taste What These Vineyards Produce

Two estate sites. Two very different soils. One shared commitment to letting the land speak for itself. Come try the wines in the tasting room, or order online and bring the Escarpment home.

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