by Vic Harradine

Gerry McConnell and the late Dara Gordon, were owners of Benjamin Bridge Winery in 2000 and contracted two premier wine consultants—*Peter Gamble and Ann Sperling, to assess and make winemaking recommendations for their nascent 60-acre property adjacent to the Gaspereau River in Nova Scotia.

Ontarians know Gamble from his stint as the initial VQA, Executive Director and his present-day consulting work with Ravine Vineyard on Niagara’s St. David’s Bench. He also co-owns Versado winery in Mendoza, Argentina with his business and life partner, the über talented Ann Sperling. Their highly regarded Versado Malbecs are currently in LCBO Vintages; here are links to the 2010 (317008) and the 2009 Reserva (316984). Originally from B.C. and an Ontario Winemaker of the Year, Sperling’s now Director, Winemaking and Viticulture at Niagara’s Southbrook Vineyards. Sperling and Gamble are peripatetic; Ann also makes wine for the eponymous Sperling Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley on the land where she grew up.

Given the Nova Scotia vineyard’s unique soils and mesoclimate, Ann and Peter recommended sparkling wines for Benjamin Bridge’s production and sought advice from Champagne expert, Raphaël Brisbois, former chef de cave with Piper Heidsieck. After spending time on the land and assessing its potential, Raphaël agreed to consult—Benjamin Bridge’s high-end sparkling wines have since out scored wine from Champagne in tastings. In 2008, at the same time that their vineyards were certified organic, Jean-Benoit Deslauriers joined the Benjamin Bridge winemaking team. Jean-Benoit cites the very long ripening cycle in their vineyard as one of the inimitable factors in the success of their wines.

And this brings us to the classy 2012 Nova 7. Peculiar, spirited, not for the feint of heart, this Moscato d’Asti-inspired gem leaves one groping for descriptors and lining up early for a few bottles on release day. It’s reviewed in the newsletter.

*Read about Gamble and other Niagara pioneers in Dr. Linda Bramble’s superb book, “Niagara’s Wine Visionaries”, available at Amazon and Chapters Indigo. If you drink Ontario wine, you need this enjoyably readable, indispensable reference book on hand—it’s also a thoughtful gift.