Local wineRIES Kawartha Country Winery Before Kawartha Country Wines, John Rufa made wine at home. “After making lots of
bad wine, I started to make good wine”, he laughs. After getting many compliments on his wine, he decided to open Kawartha Country Winery 15 years ago. John loves making fruit wine. “If you don’t have a passion for it, you won’t do well. You have to want to create a good, quality product that people will enjoy. And the gratification is when people come in to sample the wine and really like it. Anybody can make wine. Making wine that people want to pay money for is the trick,” he laughs. John’s father was a great wine maker who forced John to help. John wanted nothing to do with it. He says “I wish I’d paid attention.” (he laughs) The building is a historic log cabin built in 1866. It was owned by the Shannon family, and Sister Margaret (the last person to be born in the building) would visit, until she passed a few years ago. The Shannon family had their reunion at the cabin. “We specialize in making unique wines and ciders that nobody else makes. People always look forward to our newest blends”, says John. Rhubarb is their number one seller. A few of their other types of wine and cider are apple, pear, blueberry, black currant, elderberry, peach, plum, nectarine, cranberry, strawberry, pumpkin, raspberry and cherry. “At any given time, we have forty-five to fifty different wines and ciders,” says John. “We are selling the wine, the experience and the story that goes behind the wine as well,” John says. They also specialize in fruit vinegars, grilling sauces, jams and wine jellies. Does the fruit wine-making process differ from Page 8
making grape wine? John says, “We get this question all the time. It’s essentially the same as for grape wines. You crush the fruit, ferment the juice and the skins. The grape thinks it’s special. (he laughs) None of the other berries think it’s special.” Kawartha Country Wines is open year round 7 days a week because they make wine 12 months a year. By staying open, they are able to keep their staff full time. Tours are available, and the property has plenty of scenery for photos. They have a complimentary sampling bar. “We are confident that when people taste our wines, they
