Manitoulin’s first large-scale winery
HIGH FALLS—Stepping out of the car on a damp mid-autumn afternoon, the sudden report of a loud ‘gunshot’ causes this writer to duck involuntarily, evoking a chuckle from Angry Antlers Vineyard owner Richard Krasowski quickly followed by a hearty handshake. “That happens a lot,” he laughed.
The ‘gunshot’ is part of an anti-critter system protecting the harvest of grapes ripening on the vine in the vineyard. The loud report is generated by a propane-fueled ‘gun’ whose bark presages no projectile, but has proven effective in chasing off the flocks of hungry birds and other animals that might otherwise strip the bounty hanging along the wire supported branches before it can be harvested.
Complementing the propane sentinel are a high-flying cloth ‘hawk’ suspended high above the field on a tall thin pole and an electrified nine-foot fence to discourage visits from the Island gardeners’ scourge from whose entangled horns the vineyard culls its name.
The cloth hawk bears the marks of several assaults by angry avian competitors, notes Mr. Krasowski. “I have had it knocked down quite a few times, poor thing,” he said. “I patch it up and put it back up there. It works pretty good.”
The electric fence was performing outstanding duty as well, until the retired schoolteacher turned viticulturist and his wife, Justice Louise Serré, decided to replace the ancient and dilapidated farmhouse on the property with new modern digs. “With the power turned off the deer get in there,” said Mr. Krasowski. “They don’t eat the grapes, but they eat foliage and seem to trample things down a lot. They can make a real mess of things.”
The vineyard has been in construction phase for “nine or 10 years,” notes Mr. Krasowski. It will be a couple of years yet before it is really ready for prime time. “It takes about a dozen years or so for the vines to mature to the point where they are really productive.”
This is a true labour of love. Mr. Krasowski and his wife have been testing and trying out various strains of grapes to find those best suited to the Manitoulin environment. “We tried about a dozen and from those 12 we found four that we feel pretty comfortable with, two whites and two reds,” he said. The reds the couple settled on are Frontenac, Sabrevois, St. Pepin and St. Croix while the whites include the Louise Swenson and Vandal Cliché varieties. “Each of the varieties have a number-letter designation,” he said, “such as ES-4-8-33 for the Louise Swenson.”
Although the vineyard is still very much in development, the bounty of the vine is available for public consumption. “We will be open to the public sometime between October 14 and 18,” said Mr. Krasowski. “People will be able to come out and pick their own grapes for wine, making jams and jellies or just to eat if they want to.” The exact day is in flux as it depends somewhat on weather and when the grapes are deemed fully ready for harvest. But don’t tarry, as the grapes tend to disappear fast
A collection of grape boxes stand ready to be filled on production day. People are advised to call the vineyard before coming out, however, to determine when the exact harvest date will be.
The scale of the operation is deceptive from the road. We tour the vineyard in a four wheeled ATV travelling up and down the rows through literally thousands of vines, most of whom are festooned with clusters of small dark purple grapes.
Preparing the vineyard for optimum productivity takes time and patience and Mr. Krasowski explains the process. “You want to clip the vine about four buds ahead,” he said. Pruning the vines allows them to be strategically laid out on the heavy supporting wires that run between the posts that run across the field, making harvesting much easier.
“It also helps produce a tighter bunch,” he said, pulling a purple bunch closer for examination. “These are getting pretty good.”
The grapes themselves tend to be smaller than the commercial eating grapes found in a grocery store. Tasting one of the grapes, they are still a little tart. “They need to sweeten up a bit yet,” he admits. “It won’t be long now though.” Another variety is further along in the process and, upon tasting, proves to be much sweeter.
The white grape varieties have much less foliage at this point in the season, with most of the leaves showing yellow and brown marks of the end of season. “The whites tend to ripen much earlier,” said Mr. Krasowski. “We are looking at these to produce an ice wine.”
As we head back to the work shed, Mr. Krasowski’s neighbour, Chris Atkinson of Northern Natural Stone, stops by. Talk turns to the fertilizer Mr. Krasowski is developing along with his vineyard. “I call it ‘HOOT’,” he said. “That stands for high octane organic tea.” The product will work both as a fertilizer and as bug control. “Patent pending,” interjects Mr. Atkinson.
The original name of the vineyard had been L & R Limestone Ridge Vineyard and it can be found on the web under that appellation. “That was kind of a placeholder name,” admits Mr. Krasowski. The Angry Antler name fits in a bit better with the whimsical trend in vineyards.
The propane gun punctuates the remark. The anti-bird system going off at all hours might seem a bit of a challenge when it comes to a good night’s sleep, but it really isn’t. “It is on a timer,” he said. “It starts up just before sunrise and stops just after the sun goes down.” That is when the birds seem to come visiting. “They tend to come in at sunrise,” he said.
One flock that finds itself very welcome at the vineyard are the Island contingent of WOOFers (World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming). These (usually) young highly educated and motivated individuals have been truly a godsend for his operation, he admits. “They have been great,” he said. “They are a bright bunch and they are really very dedicated and willing.”
Mr. Krasowski said that there are tentative plans to include a bed and breakfast and/or bistro/restaurant to the operation in the future. “It is still very much in development,” he said.
The contact number for Angry Antlers Vineyard is (705) 822-4683.
