Leah Spooner sat with Dan Sullivan, whilst overlooking the original 2001 plantings of Rosehall Run, to discuss his winemaking journey and the impact he’s had on the wine scene in Prince Edward County, and Ontario as a whole
“Wines that speak to you from the land and in an artisanal fashion – they’re done by hand, but having the right kind of tools to be able to let everything express itself without compromise.” – Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan is someone who is quite charismatic, but at the same time he’s one of the humblest and kind-natured spirits I’ve come across in my two decades in the industry. He’s down-to-earth and funny, but his vision for Rosehall Run and Prince Edward County is serious, and nothing short of inspiring.
Originally, when Sullivan decided to delve deeper into winemaking beyond the Amateur Winemakers of Ontario, he had been looking for land in Niagara. Instead, he became one of the first winemakers to purchase vineyard land in Prince Edward County. Here he planted some of the first vinifera vines to go into the County’s unique limestone soils, that eventually began to produce some of the best wines of the region. By crafting quality wines with a sense of place, Sullivan was able to bring his early winemaking dreams to fruition.
Read Also: A-list Artisans: Keith Tyers – capturing that sense of place for Closson Chase
Sullivan was paving the way for a wine region booming with potential, and now, years later, Prince Edward County is no longer a secret kept by sommeliers and wine industry professionals. Rather, it’s an esteemed, globally competitive wine appellation – something that Rosehall Run and their world-class wines are an integral part of.
“We bought the property in the fall of 2000. I had been making wine prior to that so I learned early on that the best wine comes from the best grapes,” explains Sullivan. “The idea was to launch this and try to make it a field first operation and grow really good grapes.”
Sullivan continues, saying that “In 2000, my friend Gunther Funk who was the founder of 13th St. winery walked me out to his five-acre vineyard and said, ‘Dan, I want you to come with me’. He stood me out in the middle of the field and said, ‘look around you.’ I looked around me and there was nothing but vines. So, I went from my original plan of planting the entire north block (which is about eight acres) and I cut it down to one acre. It was the best piece of advice I think I’ve ever gotten in the business.”
Rosehall Run was established in 2000.
“I learned how to drive a tractor without killing the vines, other people, or myself, and slowly learned how to become a farmer. As long as we kept the vines alive, that was the most important thing. Rosehall Run was a very small operation, but our first real good size crop came in 2006.”
“Everybody that was of the County in those days was kind of a pioneer of grape growing. There was a really big push of likeminded people getting the industry up and running. We were new and we weren’t getting any respect, so we pushed hard to get our DVA (Distinct Viticultural Area) and ended up getting it in 2007. That was a real turning point; a collective effort of everybody in the community putting their nose to the grindstone.”
Was there a specific milestone in your career with Rosehall Run that you thought, okay, I did it?
“As far as clear milestones, it’s a constant evolution and sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step back. That’s just how it is, especially when you’re farming. I think that there are ebbs and flows in every year, but getting the winery built in 2007 was a big point in the development of Rosehall Run. It gave me all the tools that we really needed to make consistently what I call fine wine.”
“Wines that speak to you from the land and in an artisanal fashion – they’re done by hand, but having the right kind of tools to be able to let everything express itself without compromise. The building of the winery coincided with the first really awesome vintage. My North and South block were all coming in great, so 2007 was a big year.”
Do you feel that the current opinion of Prince Edward County wine is where you’d like it to be?
“One of the things that kind of consumes me as part of our sustainability initiatives (we were the first sustainable winery in the county), is the notion of sustainability as far as operations. We’ve got a lot of the original owners that are getting older now, like myself, and it’s about the succession of what’s going to happen to the farms with the next generation and the generation after that.”
“To be honest, this was never a project where we’re trying to create something generational; we just wanted to grow grapes and make good wine. But, after 24 years, you realize that we created something pretty unique and special here in Prince Edward County.”
How has Rosehall Run moved towards these sustainable operations?
“We’ve got Lee and JJ who are super skilled people and very good at what they do and they’re going to be heading up the next generation. I do have family members involved but they’re a little bit younger and I think that they can use the mentorship. Whether they decide to stay in the business or not is entirely up to them. We haven’t gotten to that transitional place there per se, but I know that the business itself is in good hands with the people that we have helping me run it right now.”
Dan Sullivan sits on the upper tier that overlooks the winery’s original plantings from 2001.
“I think the real challenge when you have creative, talented people is knowing when to get out of the way and let them do what they do. I’ve actually gotten pretty good at that in the last couple of years, but I’m still myself. So, I’m still the mortar that kind of holds all the bricks together here more or less. I float around in the tasting room, I’m still the proprietor, I still have a hand in some of the winemaking and the direction of the wines.”
“Lee has had a wealth of experience in places that I’ve never made wine at so he brings so much broader perspective to the project I would say than I did, but our approaches are fairly aligned. Staying true to the vision of the wines that we want to make, but more importantly the kinds of wines that we think are coming out of the field, telling us what they want to be. That land really does speak.”
What’s the next step for Rosehall Run regarding consumers and their shifts in taste?
“We need to keep attracting more young people to wine as a beverage of choice over all the other things that are out there. For a consumer that is really concerned with authenticity and experience, I still believe that wine offers the most authentic experience of any beverage. We have an inherent advantage in that. I think we’re not articulating it is as thoughtfully, maybe, as we should be.”
Do you think Prince Edward County wine has reached a plateau or is there still room to grow?
“It’s hard to know what tomorrow is going to bring. There are very simple things that governments can do: they can allow us to have more than one retail location, they can allow us to cross sell each other’s products, they can allow us to go into major urban markets. The number one job of the provincial distribution system has to be supporting local.”
Photo courtesy of Rosehall Run.
“Part of the fabric of the return to Ontarians is not just how much tax money the LCBO returns to government; it is also about how much economic spinoff is being driven by Ontario wineries. Small to medium sized wineries create a larger capital basis per bottle sold that creates way more jobs than larger conglomerates. VQA wines command about 6% of the marketplace. Just think, if we even double that up to 12% how game changing that would be for our entire industry.”
“I’d like to see a lot more hospitality establishments make it a mandate. I have this idea that is 25 by 25. Twenty-five percent of every list or 25 listings on every wine list by 2025. That would be huge.”
Do you realize how influential your voice has been for the County, or even Ontario wine?
“I don’t really think about it like that, I’m just out there doing my job but thank you for saying that, I appreciate it.” (Dan pauses for a moment before continuing.) “The thing is that I’ve been very active on an industry level for a lot of years, so I think that it comes with the territory.”
“I know that when I’m at the farm here it’s a very kind of “fishbowl” existence and I think it personally has really benefited me and benefited Rosehall to take a larger worldview of what it’s all about out there. You get a deeper understanding of where you fit in the ecosystem, and I think that’s really important.”
“I’m super proud of the folks that I work with and the job that everybody is doing here. I think that we are in really good hands.”
After our conversation, and true to Dan’s nature, he mentioned that he hopes I’ll still be coming back to Rosehall Run in 10-20 years to speak with him or other winery members as the “Canadian Jancis Robinson”. Undoubtedly, he will always be “the” Dan Sullivan, who carved his name (in limestone!) in Canadian wine history.
Rosehall Run 2019 ‘Ceremony’ Blanc de Blancs
This traditional method sparkling is 100 percent estate chardonnay. Fermented in neutral and second fill French oak, it parades aromas of red apple, honey and freshly baked bread that are easily lifted from the glass. Ripe stonefruit and lemon curd comes through on a palate that’s crisp, pristine and oozing with mineral character that carries on a long finish. Bright County acidity and a fine mousse elevate a refreshing and silky mouthfeel. Remarkable value. ($39)
Rosehall Run 2021 ‘Rosebud’ Traditional Method Brut Rosé
This bottle is 100 percent estate pinot noir from Prince Edward County crafted in the traditional method. It underwent fermentation in neutral oak puncheons before being cellared for 22 months prior to bottling. This sparkling rosé is dry, coming in at just 3g/L of residual sugar but conveys charmingly sweet bursts of ruby grapefruit and strawberry. The cool 2021 vintage form which it’s derived adds fresh, uplifting acidity that intertwines harmoniously with enriching autolytic notes. Delicate and complex, with that irreplicable County essence. ($39)
Rosehall Run 2021 ‘JCR’ Pinot Noir
This beloved pinot noir is sourced from old vines from three different blocks on the Rosehall Run estate. Fermented in stainless steel and held in French oak for 16 months prior to release. The ongoing attractive arrangement on the nose of roses, red and sour cherry, cinnamon and fall leaves can have one fixated before even taking the first sip. It offers a layered depth on the palate of elegant red fruit and woodsy characteristics combined with textural minerality and captivating tension. A wine I personally look forward to year after year. ($45)
– Leah Spooner is a contributing editor with VineRoutes
