The new Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery & Distillery located in Niagara, Ontario is officially opened. The project is a collaboration between Wayne Gretzky and John Peller, CEO, Andrew Peller Ltd. Construction for The Great One’s distillery and winery took over two years to complete.
“We are excited to kick off our official Grand Opening celebration and invite our friends, families and neighbors to our beautiful new Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery & Distillery,” said Wayne Gretzky, at the opening night party.
Wayne Gretzky and Andrew Peller.
Stay Informed: Sign up here for the Distillery Trail free email newsletter and be the first to get all the latest news, trends, job listings and events in your inbox.
The modern barn-like structure, designed by award-winning architect Gren Weis, features stone, metal, and stained wood to reflect the surrounding landscape and immense glass walls to allow for uninterrupted views of the vineyards. The 23,000 square foot facility includes a winery, distillery, tasting areas, retail and hospitality spaces, fermentation facilities, offices and barrel storage areas.
Wayne Gretzky No. 99 hockey table is available to entertain guests.
“We are so excited to celebrate the legacy of Wayne Gretzky at the new winery and distillery. Guests will get to experience The Great Canadian Whisky Tour and Whisky Bartending:Cocktails 101 as well as enjoy family photos and defining hockey moments that celebrate Wayne’s incredible contribution to Canada. The Great One himself even placed a loonie at centre ice on our new hockey pond to celebrate our new home,” said John Peller, Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Peller Limited.
“We invite you to come in and try our new premium whiskys made the Canadian way with locally sourced grains that are individually distilled, matured and blended and then finished in Wayne Gretzky wine barrels – it’s our unique process that delivers a refined and smooth taste,” said Master Distiller Joshua Beach.
Visitors to the winery and distillery can experience 45-minute guided tours and interactive sessions with bartenders and hosts on the history of whisky making, insider tips on how to create the ultimate whisky cocktail and learn about Wayne’s dream of opening a world-class winery as well as wine and food pairing.
Andrew Peller Limited (APL) has been making wine in Canada for over 50 years. The company has long been part of the Niagara-on-the-Lake wine community with the Trius Winery (founded in 1979) and the Peller Estates Winery (founded 2001). APL has two other wineries in Ontario including Thirty Bench, which was founded in 1990. The company owns approximately 300 acres of land that is in agriculture production and is used to supply winery operations. The new Wayne Gretzky Winery & Distillery adds to APL’s significant investment and commitment to the Niagara-on-the-Lake wine region. Niagara-on-the-Lake was chosen specifically for the permanent home of the Wayne Gretzky Winery & Distillery because of its rich history in wine excellence, the growth in wine tourism in the area and Wayne’s personal connection to Southern Ontario.
The Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery & Distillery
Click any image to enlarge.
Please help to support Distillery Trail. Sign up for our Newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
