Brock U opens a treasure-chest of wines

In the basement of Brock University’s Inniskillin Hall sits one of the largest wine cellars in Canada – and now educators, researchers, tasting groups and others can access its revolving collection of vintages. 

The recently relaunched Canadian Wine Library is a non-profit dedicated to researching and promoting the potential for aging Canadian wines. First established in 1988 by a club of local wine enthusiasts, it moved to Brock in 1998. The 19,000-bottle collection is managed by the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) and housed within the institute’s 44,000-bottle, climate-controlled wine cellar, which also holds research wines and wines for academic programs.  

“The goal for us is to get information back into the hands of winemakers and grape growers, so this is an opportunity to enable producers, consumers, educators, researchers to make informed decisions regarding the ageability of wine,” said Taylor MaGee, CCOVI operations coordinator and wine cellar manager. While access to the wine library was fairly restrictive in the past, a new, easy-to-use inventory software system is allowing the CCOVI to open its collection to a wider public, Mr. MaGee says. 

Currently, Ontario wines make up the majority of the collection but, as part of the relaunch, the library is also expanding its scope. The last time it accepted submissions was the early to mid-2000s. “At that time, it would’ve only been Ontario,” said Mr. MaGee. “But moving forward it will be Canada as a whole.” Since the announcement, “submissions are coming in pretty consistently,” he added. A committee will review the submissions to determine their ageability and potential for inclusion in the library. 

“I think it’s really valuable for them to be kind of revitalizing the program,” said Thomas Pennachetti, senior vice-president of Cave Spring Vineyard in Beamsville, Ont., a founding member of the library. To coincide with the relaunch, the Canadian Wine Library presented tastings of two of Cave Spring’s early submissions at the 2025 International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration in Niagara-on-the-Lake – a 1995 Chardonnay Reserve and a 1999 CSV Chardonnay. When told they wanted to present the wines, Mr. Pennachetti said he was skeptical. “My experience with those old vintages was that they were probably over the hill… [but] both of them showed beautifully and it was great exposure for us to have them tasted by so many people in the industry.”  

While many of Cave Spring’s wines are intended for long-term aging, previous construction in the winery’s cellar created less-than-ideal conditions. The library’s wine cellar “is built for ideal storage conditions,” Mr. Pennachetti noted. “Both those wines were tasting better out of that cellar than they would’ve out of ours.” 

Groups and individuals interested in accessing wines from the library have to apply via the institute’s website. Tasters are asked to fill out an assessment form regarding the quality of the wine, while researchers are asked to submit research results. The library, in turn, shares that information with the associated wine producers.  

Cave Spring Vineyard recently submitted about half a dozen new wines for inclusion in the library. Mr. Pennachetti says he looks forward to future tastings from the collection. “Before you know it, it’s 2030 and you’ve got all kinds of wines from 2020, 2022, 2023, that are showing great,” he says. “It’s kind of a hidden treasure there.” 

This article first appeared in the Nov.-Dec. 2025 print edition.