| David
Johnson Location:
Featherstone Vineyards, 3678 Victoria Ave, Vineland.
The farm is located on the Beamsville Bench, near the top
of the escarpment.
Acres:
23 acres in total; 19 planted
History:
Originally an accomplished amateur winemaker, David Johnson's
passion eventually led him away from his day job - running
a gourmet food shoppe - and into the vineyards of Niagara.
He now tends to 23 acres of vines and the vinification of
the harvest at Featherstone Estate Winery.
David's
background farming in Oxford county and his studies in agriculture
at the University of Guelph have served as a base for understanding
the viticultural practices involved in growing quality grapes.
Featherstone has distinguished itself in Niagara by being
completely insecticide-free since 1999.
Family:
Featherstone is a husband-wife operation, with both David
and his wife Louise involved full-time on the farm and in
the winery. David is responsible for the farming and is the
winemaker. Louise is involved in running the tasting room
and doing the administration.
Grape
varieties planted:
8 varieties of vinifera: Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer,
Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Gamay
Grower
for:
Featherstone Estate Winery, featuring proprietor-grown, VQA
only, estate-bottled wines.
Farming
philosophy:
I want to leave a smaller footprint in the vineyard- to use
smaller tractors less often and to get away from a monoculture
mind set. I want to grow diverse plants in the vineyard that
have symbiotic relationships with each other.
Do
you see changes anticipated in farming practices? In
terms of technologay, the use of GPS and soil mapping will
improve appropriate varietal selections and fertilizer application.
The use of on-site weather stations will improve, and reduce,
spray scheduling. I foresee reduced dependancy on traditional
use of chemicals and more creative methods for controlling
mildew and pests. Regulatory issues around manure application
will also force changes.
Comments
on the Grape & Wine industry.
Growers and wineries could be more integrated in helping
to fulfill each other's needs, as each is integral to the
other's success. Growers must develop more sales avenues for
their juice (home wine market, export). Wineries must continue
to develop and promote VQA products, beyond icewine, both
domestically and internationally. If farming is kept as a
viable industry, farmers will in turn protect their land and
maintain Niagara's limited green belt for generations to come.
Louise
Engel / David Johnson- Featherstone Estate Winery & Vineyards
3678 Victoria
Ave
Vineland, Ont, Canada
L0R 2C0 www.featherstonewinery.ca
Tel:
905-562-1949 Fax: 905-562-3989 |
