Document généré le 28 sept. 2021 00:57 Ontario History Justin De Courtenay and the Birth of the Ontario Wine Industry Richard A. Jarrell Volume 103, numéro 1, spring 2011 Résumé de l'article À l’origine de la viniculture et de la production commerciale du vin au Canada, URI : https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1065482ar un visionnaire, Justin McCarthy de Courtenay qui, dans les années 1860, créa la DOI : https://doi.org/10.7202/1065482ar première opération commerciale viable à Cooksville, dans le comté de Peel. Plusieurs étapes marquèrent sa réussite. En montrant qu’un vin de qualité Aller au sommaire du numéro pouvait être créé à partir de raisins produits au Canada, il fit d’abord admettre qu’une production viticole importante était possible dans le contexte climatique canadien. Ce qui suscita l’intérêt du gouvernement qui y vit les Éditeur(s) possibilités de développement d’une nouvelle industrie. Ayant ensuite rassemblé les fonds nécessaires pour établir une exploitation vinicole de The Ontario Historical Society grande échelle, Justin McCarthy de Courtenay réussit à prouver la viabilité et la rentabilité de la viniculture en Ontario. Il quitta le Canada en 1869, mais, en à ISSN peine 10 ans, il y avait établi une nouvelle industrie, une industrie qui, sur son modèle, continue à prospérer aujourd’hui. 0030-2953 (imprimé) 2371-4654 (numérique) Découvrir la revue Citer cet article Jarrell, R. A. (2011). Justin De Courtenay and the Birth of the Ontario Wine Industry. Ontario History, 103(1), 81–104. https://doi.org/10.7202/1065482ar Copyright © The Ontario Historical Society, 2011 Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d’auteur. L’utilisation des services d’Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d’utilisation que vous pouvez consulter en ligne. https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politique-dutilisation/ Cet article est diffusé et préservé par Érudit. Érudit est un consortium interuniversitaire sans but lucratif composé de l’Université de Montréal, l’Université Laval et l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Il a pour mission la promotion et la valorisation de la recherche. https://www.erudit.org/fr/ 1 Justin De Courtenay and the Birth of the Ontario Wine Industry * by Richard A. Jarrell n the summer of 1859, Alexander wine from Canadian- Tilloch Galt (1817-93), Minister of grown grapes; third, Finance for the Province of Canada, engaging government to arouse its inter- Ireceived an intriguing letter from a re- est in a possible new industry; fourth, cent immigrant. J.M. De Courtenay pro- securing sufficient funds from investors posed to plant vineyards and to manufac- to establish a commercial-scale vineyard ture wine, neither of which had ever been and winery; and fifth, through his exam- done in Canada. This letter set in motion ple, interesting Ontario horticulturists to a complex set of moves that resulted in see the value of vine growing and other Canada’s first winery in Cooksville in the entrepreneurs into opening wineries. De early 1860s. Although De Courtenay has Courtenay was unquestionably the first become a footnote in the history of Ca- person in Canada to produce wine and nadian wine, the establishment of a per- brandy on a commercial scale. manent wine industry in Ontario owes its origins to this visionary wine maker and Conditions for a Canadian advocate. It was he, more than any of his Wine Industry contemporaries, who brought the advan- hen De Courtenay arrived in tages of vine growing and wine making WCanada in 1858, no one pro- to the Canadian farmer, public, and gov- duced grapes as a cash crop and no one ernment. He accomplished this through manufactured wine for sale. Within a a systematic approach: first, arguing that decade after his death, a small but vi- extensive grape production was possible able wine industry had been established in the Canadian climate; second, show- in Ontario and, despite its vicissitudes, ing that one could produce palatable never looked back. His timing was per- *Acknowledgments: The author wishes to thank Brian Gilchrist of the Region of Peel Archives, the staff of the Mississauga Central Library, and Matthew Wilkinson of Heritage Mississauga. Financial sup- port by York University is gratefully acknowledged. Ontario History / Volume CIII, No. 1 / Spring 2011 2 ONTARIO HISTORY soon be at war—there were deep Abstract problems. Wheat was no longer the primary crop in either half The introduction of extensive vine growing and commer- cial wine production to Canada owes its origins to the of the province, cattle raising visionary Justin McCarthy De Courtenay who created had yet to replace it and the first the first viable commercial operation in Cooksville in steps towards dairying were still County Peel in the 1860s. He accomplished this through a few years in the future. Fruit a systematic approach: first, arguing that extensive grape growing was still small-scale but production was possible in the Canadian climate; sec- ond, showing that one could produce palatable wine would soon expand rapidly but from Canadian-grown grapes; third, engaging govern- more so in the western half of ment to arouse its interest in a possible new industry; the province. Grapes could be fourth, securing sufficient funds to establish a commer- part of that expansion. cial-scale vineyard and winery; and fifth, through his commercial example, interesting Ontario horticulturists De Courtenay’s own experi- to see the value of vine growing. Despite his departure ence of growing grapes and mak- from Canada in 1869, he had, in less than a decade, ing wine was in France, Switzer- established a permanent industry. land and Italy where wine was Résumé: À l’origine de la viniculture et de la production an essential part of the culture commerciale du vin au Canada, un visionnaire, Justin and economy. In Canada it was McCarthy de Courtenay qui, dans les années 1860, créa neither. For a Canadian wine la première opération commerciale viable à Cooksville, industry to exist, certain condi- dans le comté de Peel. Plusieurs étapes marquèrent sa tions had to be met. First, was réussite. En montrant qu’un vin de qualité pouvait être créé à partir de raisins produits au Canada, il fit there a sufficiently-large market d’abord admettre qu’une production viticole importante for wine? Second, if there were a était possible dans le contexte climatique canadien. market, could Canadian farmers Ce qui suscita l’intérêt du gouvernement qui y vit les grow suitable grapes and in the possibilités de développement d’une nouvelle industrie. Ayant ensuite rassemblé les fonds nécessaires pour établir quantity required for wine man- une exploitation vinicole de grande échelle, Justin ufacture? Third, were experi- McCarthy de Courtenay réussit à prouver la viabilité enced vineyard workers and wine et la rentabilité de la viniculture en Ontario. Il quitta makers available? And fourth, le Canada en 1869, mais, en à peine 10 ans, il y avait essential to success, would suffi- établi une nouvelle industrie, une industrie qui, sur son modèle, continue à prospérer aujourd’hui. cient capital be available? When De Courtenay began his quest, only the first of these conditions fect, as Canadian agriculture was under- seemed to have been met because the so- going a seismic shift.1 Despite reciprocity cial circle within which he moved drank with the United States—which would wine and were eager to support his quest 1 For an overview of the period, see Douglas McCalla, Planting the Province: The Economic History of Upper Canada (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1993), and Ian M. Drummond, Progress without Planning. The Economic History of Ontario from Confederation to the Second World War (Toronto: Univer- sity of Toronto Press, 1987). Brth of the Ontaro Wne Industry for a home wine industry. Given sufficient demand, distribu- The extent of the wine market is diffi- tion would not have been a problem as cult to ascertain with any precision given grocers sold spirits and wines, as did ho- the lack of statistical evidence. Canadi- tels and inns, taverns and retail liquor ans were known as prodigious drinkers, shops. Drummond notes that, by 1874, attested to by the number of distilleries, Ontario had more than 6,000 outlets breweries and taverns in the Province. for alcoholic beverages. Imported wines The level of wine consumption is un- would have been handled mostly by known as this was an imported product wholesale grocers, of which there were while the beer and whisky consumed was three in Toronto at the time of Confed- almost all locally made.2 The best brands eration, but dozens later.5 of sherries and ports were much more As a market did exist, the next ques- expensive than beer or whisky.3 That the tion was where to obtain grapes. Apart socio-economic élite drank table wine, from a few enthusiasts, virtually no Ca- champagne, sherry and port is unques- nadian farmers grew grapes of any kind. tionable; there was also a small market Table grapes were available in Canadian for sacramental wine. An 1839 Toronto towns, but they were all imported and auction offered for sale twenty cases of expensive. Two species of native grape, champagne, fifteen cases of claret along Vitis riparia and Vitis labrusca (then with casks of Madeira, port and sherry, called the frost grape and fox grape, re- while at the Stephenson Dinner in the spectively) grow in Ontario but neither city in 1853, diners had a choice of three produces dependable crops nor distin- kinds of sherry, two of Madeira, two of guished wines. In the early 1850s, E.S. port, three of champagne (including Rogers in Salem, Massachusetts, crossed Mumm’s), one sparkling hock and two V.