Acclaimed winemaker Sue-Ann Staff crafts her Estate and Fancy Farm Girl wines on the family’s 200-year-old Niagara Escarpment property, expertly blending a century of grape-growing experience (two Grape King titles) with her award-winning winemaking. Enjoy exceptional Icewine, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Baco Noir and sparkling in a beautiful setting also available for weddings, corporate/private functions and seasonal dining.
Hours
RETAIL
Monday to Saturday
10 am – 6 pm
Sunday
11 am - 5 pm
WINE FLIGHT SERVICE
Daily
11 am -- 5 pm
WINEMAKER PROFILE
Sue-Ann Staff is a fifth-generation grape grower who grew up on the largest privately-owned vineyard in Canada. Growing up in the vines directly influenced Sue-Ann’s winemaking because from a young age she understood the relationship between the land and the wine. The result of Sue-Ann’s attention to detail is award-winning wines with great varietal character and high consumer appeal. She is one of Canada’s top winemakers, winning over 500 national and international wine awards. She was acclaimed as “2002 Winemaker of the Year” by the Ontario Wine Awards and twice recognized as one of the top four “Women in Wine” in the world by the International Wine and Spirits Awards of London, England. In March 2018, Sue-Ann received the Tony Aspler Cuvée Award of Excellence in recognition of her contribution to the Ontario wine industry.
Sue-Ann’s academic background laid the foundation for her achievements. During her Honors Horticulture and Biotechnology studies at the University of Guelph OAC ’94 (B.Sc.(Agr.)), she became the first Canadian to achieve the “Top Undergraduate Research Paper” awarded by the American Society for Horticultural Science. In addition, she became the first Canadian elected President of the Association of Collegiate Branches for the American Society for Horticultural Science involving all university horticulture clubs across North America. A Graduate Degree in Oenology (1996) attained from the University of Adelaide, South Australia capped the formal instruction in winemaking. With experience from several other wineries including a trainee winemaking position with Simon Gilbert Wine Services in the Upper Hunter Valley, Australia, Miss Staff commenced making wine in Niagara, Canada.
After many years making wine for other wineries in Niagara, Sue-Ann opened Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery based on her family’s two-hundred-year-old estate in Jordan, Ontario in 2009. The winery produces high quality VQA wines from grapes grown on the Niagara Escarpment property. Sue-Ann’s wines are bold with a delicate touch. Look for exceptional Rieslings, opulent reds, delightful rosés, festive sparklings and seductive Icewines.
