| Daniel
Lenko
Viticultural
Area:
Niagara
Location:
Lenko Family Farm Vineyards, Regional Road 81, Beamsville
Number
of acres:
30
History:
Family-owned and operated since 1947
Family:
Daniel is one of four children of Bill and Helen Lenko, and
the only one of his siblings to work as a full-time grower
and now, winery owner and operator.
Grape
varieties planted:
Nine to ten varieties of mostly Vitis vinifera grapes; some
European hybrids for Icewine.
Grower
for:
Daniel Lenko Estate Winery, featuring proprietor-grown, VQA
appellation, estate-bottled wines. Signature Series: Old Vines
Chardonnay, Old Vines Merlot.
Farming
philosophy:
To feed the vineyards and create large, healthy vines with
a lot of tillages and large row spacing, embracing traditional
North American viticultural techniques and terroir.
Changes
anticipated in farming practices: Added
value products will definitely be a plus in the grape growing
industry, whether that’s jams, juices or wines. It’s
difficult to remain viable with the cost of farming today,
and that’s an issue. I recognized early on that the
question was: How do we pay for this place with grapes? The
answer lies in agritourism, and that’s where the winery
comes in. I wish I’d started it 10 years ago, but my
dad was still farming and there’s a delicate balance
between father and son. I feel like a lot of effort has been
put forth in the two generations before me, and I’d
hate to see it end. Continuation is important, not just for
my father, but for myself.
Comments:
The dynamics of farming changed with starting a winery. You
have to do all jobs at once – growing, production and
sales. Marketing is everything. If you don’t like selling
things or talking to people, you won’t like the wine
industry.
Web
site: www.daniellenko.com
Grape
Grower of the Year Bio
Daniel
Lenko is the third generation of his family to grow grapes
on the Regional Road 81 farm just west of Beamsville, in the
heart of Niagara grape and wine country. The 35-year-old took
over the family farm operations from his father Bill in 1999.
The same year, Daniel launched Daniel Lenko Estate Winery,
so the public could fully realize the quality of three generations
of family grape growing specializing in European Vitis vinifera
grapes.
Over
the past four years, Daniel Lenko Estate Winery has garnered
many national and international awards, including the best
red wine in Ontario at Niagara’s prestigious Cuvée
Wine Awards for his debut vintage 1999 Old Vines Merlot. Daniel’s
win was unexpected and one of his proudest moments.
The
family has a proud history of grape growing. In 1947, Daniel’s
grandparents John and Agnes moved to Beamsville from Manitoba
(where they had emigrated from Ukraine in the 1930s). John
planted orchards and vineyards and started the family tradition
of fine viticulture. In 1959, Daniel’s father and grandfather
planted a block of Chardonnay vines, the first among Niagara
growers to do so. In 1975, Daniel helped his father plant
Merlot, one of the earliest plantings of this variety in Niagara.
Born
and raised on the family farm, Daniel’s life has been
dedicated to grape growing. One of his happiest moments was
when the family cut down seven acres of pear orchards for
more grapes, releasing young Daniel from the heavy burden
of picking and packing tender fruit. His vision and hopes
for a vineyard-only based operation had been realized.
The
family’s vineyards have long supplied high-quality grapes
to wineries producing single vineyard bottlings of Lenko grapes.
Daniel’s foray into winemaking has been a natural progression,
and a successful one.
The
winery is sold out for this season of all its production,
and is currently on stream to release its next vintages in
February of 2003. Daniel Lenko produces approximately 5,000
cases of proprietor-grown, VQA appellation, estates bottled
wines each year. The Merlot and Chardonnnay bear the designation
“Old Vines” and, along with other red wines, are
barrel aged in both French and American oak.
Due
to limited production, Daniel Lenko Estate Winery releases
are only available at the winery.
The
Niagara Grape & Wine Festival chose Daniel as the best
viticulturalist in Ontario. The “Grape King” title
is his for the 2002-2003 season, an honour that was also captured
by his father Bill in 1990. |
