The Winemakers

Often referred to as the “winemaking power couple” of the Canadian wine industry, the team of Peter Gamble and Ann Sperling have long pursued the pinnacles of wine quality in Canadian vineyards and wineries.

Ann, following her upbringing on her family’s Okanagan Valley vineyard, and throughout a distinguished career of winemaking and viticultural accomplishments, innately turned to the soil for the character and complexity of her wines. Acknowledged as a Canadian pioneer of organic and biodynamic viticulture as far back as the ‘90s, ‘terroir’ was at the centre of her artisan philosophy long before it became a buzzword in modern winemaking. Ann provides the “grounding” for this vineyard focussed team.

Renowned, too, for her head winemaking roles over the years at Malivoire Wines, Southbrook Vineyards and Sperling Vineyards, Ann’s been recognized through such awards as the 2004 Ontario Winemaker of the Year, the 2012 International Winery of the Year (Intervin), and the 2021 Riedel International Winemaker of the Year.

Peter, a lifetime wine industry professional whose career has encompassed roles as a distinguished professional winemaker and consultant, an internationally recognized wine taster and judge, and the founding Executive Director of the VQA, has long worked alongside Canada’s most passionate winemakers to achieve greater heights with our finest appellation wines.

Since 2000, Peter’s company has been dedicated to prestige wineries in their start-up phase, providing expertise in a range of areas critical to the successful establishment of ultra-premium winemaking operations. Along with international work, Peter was the lead consultant in significant Canadian projects including, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Stratus Vineyards, Ravine Vineyards and On Seven; and in Nova Scotia, Benjamin Bridge Vineyards and Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyards.

With the purchase of the Versado Malbec planting in Mendoza, in 2008, Ann and Peter broadened their company’s winemaking activities, but Niagara remains their cherished home base, and among other top-end winery projects here, the company turned their attention to the vineyard development and winemaking launch of Dobbin Estate in Niagara’s Twenty Mile Bench, Stonebridge Vineyard and the revitalization of Lailey Vineyard and Winery.