Donald Ziraldo Fonds, 1968-2012, N.D. (Non Inclusive)
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Donald Ziraldo Fonds, 1968-2012, n.d. (non inclusive) RG 457 Brock University Archives Creator: Donald J.P. Ziraldo (Canadian, 1948- ) Extent: 8.85 m for the entire fonds 6.25 m textual material 17 boxes 628 photographs 75 photographic negatives 3681 slides 12 3.5 inch floppy disks 1 vinyl record (45 inch) 4 audio cassette tapes 59 video cassettes Abstract/Title: The Donald Ziraldo fonds consists of 8.85 meters of materials relating to Donald Ziraldo including his personal interests and involvements, involvement and leadership with the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA), community interests and involvements, business interests and leadership in Inniskillin Wines Inc., email correspondence and his interests in wine, winery and trade issues. The bulk of the materials contain correspondence, presentations, reports, award information, books, operation, meeting minutes, advertising and promotional records. Materials: Typed, handwritten and email correspondence, business cards, day planners/calendars, books, faxes, awards, slides, cassette tapes, 3.5- inch floppy disks, photographs, negatives and photograph albums. Accrual: This is the first archival donation to Brock University for Donald Ziraldo. While these records are the majority of materials that he has retained, further accruals from Mr. Ziraldo are expected. Repository: Brock University Archives Processed by: Lisa Snider Brock University Library Donald Ziraldo FondsX Page 1 of 207 Last updated: November 2017 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Terms of Use: The Donald Ziraldo fonds is open for research. Researchers wishing access to this fonds must sign the Research Agreement form before access is granted. Use Restrictions: Current copyright applies. In some instances, researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the Brock University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the Library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified. Preferred Citation: RG 457, Donald Ziraldo Fonds, 1968-2012, n.d., Brock University Archives. History: Early Life Donald J. P. Ziraldo, C.M., BSc., LLD was born in St. Catharines, Ontario on October 13, 1948 to Fredrick and Irma (Schiratti) Ziraldo. He graduated Denis Morris High School in St. Catharines in 1967, and received his B.Sc. in Agriculture at the University of Guelph in 1971. Innovation, Icewine and Inniskillin Wines Ltd. In 1974, Ziraldo was running Ziraldo Nurseries when he met Austrian born schoolteacher, chemist and winemaker Karl J. Kaiser. They realized that there was a gap in the premium varietal wine market and decided to plant a premium traditional European variety of grape vine species, the Vitis vinifera. This was an innovation in the Niagara region because the current wine producers were not using premium European grapes at the time. Ziraldo and Kaiser founded and then formally incorporated Inniskillin Wines Inc. in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario on July 31, 1975. Ziraldo successfully lobbied General George Kitching, CEO of the LCBO, for a winery license. In 1975, Kitching granted him a winery license, the first in Ontario since Prohibition ended. From the beginning, there was a division of labour where Kaiser focused on the winemaking and Ziraldo focused on the marketing and promotion of the wines. Ziraldo also became president of the Brock University Library Donald Ziraldo FondsX Page 2 of 207 company. Ziraldo and Kaiser worked on improving their winemaking techniques and promoting their products and company. Ziraldo has been called ‘one of the founding fathers of the Canadian wine industry’, and it is widely acknowledged that both men played a large role in the success and growth of the Canadian wine industry. Together they pioneered the estate winery movement in Canada. A major turning point Inniskillin came in 1984 when Karl Kaiser successfully harvested the first Icewine crop from frozen grapes on the vine and bottled Eiswein Vidal (Icewine). In 1990, Inniskillin received worldwide recognition for this Icewine when their 1989 Vidal Icewine won the most prestigious award in the wine world, the Grand Prix d’Honneur, given at Vinexpo in France. This victory has been called ‘the award heard round the world’ and it launched Inniskillin into the international wine arena. At the same time, this helped lift the profile of Canadian wines in general. Inniskillin not only became Canada’s leading producer of Icewine, but it also became known for producing ‘one of the world’s great wines’. After the 1990 award, Ziraldo began a major public relations campaign to promote Inniskillin and build Icewine into a worldwide brand. He travelled broadly every year to promote the brand and products and networked extensively with politicians, celebrities, chefs, sommeliers, etc. To ensure worldwide and long-term success, Ziraldo introduced Icewine to Asia and the United States which were new markets. He developed a new Icewine glass with George Riedel. Tony Aspler has called Ziraldo ‘Canada’s Wine Ambassador’. Ziraldo was President of Inniskillin Wines Inc. (Niagara) from 1975 to 2006. In 1992, Inniskillin merged with Cartier Wines, and in 1993 Cartier Inniskillin Vintners Inc. merged with T.G. Bright & Co. Limited, forming the new company Vincor International Inc. Inniskillin wines was now a subsidiary of Vincor. Ziraldo became a Director at Vincor International Inc. from 1993 to 2004. From 1989 to the mid 1990s, Ziraldo also became President of Inniskillin Napa, in Napa Valley, California. Inniskillin purchased Napa Valley vineyards and produced wines under the Terra label. In 1994, Ziraldo set up a subsidiary estate winery of Inniskillin in Oliver, British Columbia which was called Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards Inc. He became President of the winery. This started as a partnership between Inniskillin and the local Inkameep Indian Band in the Okanagan. After Inniskillin Wines Ltd. In 2006, Ziraldo left Inniskillin and since that time he has been involved in other Icewine related ventures such as running Ziraldo Brock University Library Donald Ziraldo FondsX Page 3 of 207 Estate Winery and producing Ziraldo Riesling Icewine 2007. He also is in partnership with the Niagara based Equifera Estate Winery to produce Equifera Icewine. His most recent projects include planting Picolit grapes in his parent’s hometown, in a project called Picolit Di Fagagna and becoming Managing Director of the Senhora Do Convento Port Winery in Portugal. Author Ziraldo’s impact on the Canadian wine industry is further shown through his Icewine and wine related books. He is author of the groundbreaking books Anatomy of a Winery (1995) and Anatomy of a Winery: The Art of Wine at Inniskillin 25th Anniversary 1975-2000 Millennium (2000) Edition. He co-authored the book Icewine: Extreme Winemaking (2007), and provided the foreword for Niagara (2000), a book written by Richard Bain. VQA Involvement Donald Ziraldo was instrumental in the creation of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) in Ontario and was its founding Chair from 1988-1995. The VQA was established as a regulatory and appellation system which secured the quality and origin of Canadian wines made under this system. The VQA designation and bottle label gave the consumer confidence that the wines they were purchasing were 100% local products. The VQA system was set up first in Ontario and then in British Columbia. Community, Business and Organizational Involvements Donald Ziraldo has been involved with other wine and grape related organizations and causes including those that relate to agricultural land, wine and grape research, environmental impact and sustainability. He was influential in bringing together Ontario wine and agricultural land issues and making these known worldwide. He played key roles in these organizations: Member of the Greenbelt Advisory Task Force Chair of the Grape & Wine Coordination Research Committee Member, Academie Internationale du Vin (AIV) – inducted December 2000 Director, Cannasat Therapeutics Inc. Board Member/Industry Advisor, CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers) Brock University Library Donald Ziraldo FondsX Page 4 of 207 Honorary Board Member, The International Wine Institute, 2005 Board of Advisors, Zerofootprint Ziraldo was a supporter of wine research and innovation in the Niagara area. This involvement intensified after he left Inniskillin in 2006 as he then focused exclusively on research and development projects. This included contributions to the Niagara Culinary Tourism Institute at Niagara College and the Niagara Hospitality Centre. Ziraldo played a large role in revitalizing the Vineland Research Station into the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. His work helped to ensure that wine, grape, horticulture and environmental research and innovation would flourish in Niagara. He was also instrumental in establishing the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) at Brock University which focuses on excellence in winemaking. Brock University named the building that houses CCOVI, Inniskillin Hall. Ziraldo was dedicated to these initiatives and organizations and played the following roles: Chair of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre Renaissance Advisory Panel – 2006 Chair of the Vineland Research & Innovation Centre Board – 2007 Past Co-Chair, of the Cool Climate Oenology & Viticulture Institute Capital Campaign at Brock University Past Campaign Chair of