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his own winery. Instead, he works as a traditional on both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grape vari-
“micro-negocient,” purchasing grapes that he’s etals. He worked creating multiple expressions
handpicked from the top producers in Niagara and of both grapes from different vineyard sites each
from specific vineyard sites he deems the best. This year and continued to sample them against each
allows him to experiment with the vast growing other. While he says Burgundy remains his favorite
conditions within the area, focusing specifically on expression of the grapes, he found that Niagara
making chardonnay and pinot noir that express the wine was what really interested people.
unique terroir from numerous plots within Niagara.
“We keep our licenses in both places…but for the
Originally from Quebec, Bachelder started his past six years I’d go out, and everybody would want
career as a wine journalist before moving to the Niagara wines. What we are doing in Niagara
Burgundy to study winemaking. He always had an is more novel and different than just another
interest in French culture and French wine, and, Burgundy,” he said.
combined with his interest in terroir, Burgundy
was his ideal destination. At the time, Bachelder Many restaurants already have a wine list full of
dreamed of having his own small organic vineyard Burgundy and Oregon pinot noir. Niagara wine is
in Burgundy, but, ironically, by 1993, he was in what most excites people because it’s different. It’s
Oregon working as a winemaker at Ponzi Vineyards up and coming. So three years ago, Bachelder made
in Willamette Valley. Bachelder continued his a decision.
winemaking journey over the next 20 years, jump-
ing between Burgundy, Oregon and Niagara. He “We were hitting our heads against a wall and
worked as a winemaker in Meursault and then as spending so much money trying to do all three
the founding winemaker at Le Clos Jordanne in the [countries] when everybody wants Niagara. The
Niagara Escarpment. Bachelder became known as Niagara warehouse would always be empty.”
a “Master of Elevage,” using minimal intervention
to produce elegant, terroir-driven wines. It was this He decided to start focusing more of his time and
chapter of his life that inspired his “Three Terroirs efforts in Ontario. He quickly realized that there
Project.” was no one in Niagara producing single-vineyard
wines from sites that spanned across the Niagara
In 2009, Bachelder started producing and bottling Peninsula, a 70km distance from Hamilton to
chardonnay under his own label from all three Niagara-on-the Lake. He already had a reputa-
countries he had worked in over the years: France, tion in the region as a founding winemaker at Le
the U.S. and Canada. He wanted to study and Clos Jordanne as well as Domaine Queylus in the
compare the wines to one another and have other Niagara Escarpment. People in the Niagara region
critics do the same. The concept was for those who knew him and liked what he was doing. It gave him
discriminated against certain regions to be able to the edge he needed to start his next project, and
taste wine from the same grape made by the same so, he began selecting the best fruit from the best
hand from all three regions. This would allow peo- plots in the Peninsula.
ple to be able to taste distinctions in the wines that
came from the terroir and other climactic factors Bachelder now releases wine twice a year from
versus a variation in winemaking style. vineyards that span from east to west in Niagara.
He still has no fixed address and does not own any
His intention at the start of the project was to grapes of his own. He rents all the winemaking
focus entirely on chardonnay, but, after commit- space to produce, bottle and store his wine. You
ting to producing Chardonnay in Burgundy, Oregon can only taste his wines by appointment, in a tiny
and Ontario, Bachelder was offered 800kg of Old space he rents to store his barrels and lovingly
Vine Pinot Noir grapes from Wilma Lowrey. The refers to as “The Bat Cave,” but hours are irregular
Lowrey vineyard is one of Bachelder’s favorite and mostly take place once a week on Saturday
sites in Niagara, located in the St. David’s Bench afternoons. The entire operation remains Bachelder
sub-appellation. Being a Pinot Noir lover at heart, and his wife, Mary, who takes care of the business
by 2011, Bachelder was growing Pinot Noir in all side of the operation. The couple sells their wine
three countries as well. It was then that Bachelder through their website, https://bachelderniagara.
was able to truly discover the impact of terroir com/.
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