It’s a Natural Wine Paradise at Paradise Grapevine!

Paradise Grapevine is one of Toronto’s hotspots for natural wine, beer, cider and much more! Winemakers and co-owners, Christian Davis and David Everitt, both have a background in the restaurant industry and met while working at Bar Volo together. Their intention was to open up a type of wine bar that they would both enjoy hanging out at. So in 2018, what previously used to be a Greek restaurant, became the home of Paradise Grapevine, which is located at 841 Bloor Street West.

In an age where we have the resources to discover every detail about what our bodies are consuming, therefore making us more aware of ingredients and additives, the “natural” aspect of natural wine is more appealing now than ever. From Piquette to Pét-Nat, Paradise Grapevine’s focus on natural wine stems from the idea that natural wines are simply “more interesting and delicious.” By allowing natural yeasts and different bacteria to develop, more complexity is introduced to the flavours and aromas within the wine. With that being said, natural winemakers take a very organic, biodynamic and experimental approach. Both Christian and David agreed that the “pull of natural wine is the combination of flavours that become possible,” which further emphasizes how truly delicious these natural creations are.

The lack of rules and barriers surrounding the production of natural wine allows for more experimentation, and sometimes the world’s best things are created unintentionally. For instance, their most recent release was the 2020 Pep Talk Rosé, and this canned beverage was entirely experimental. This canned “fruit-bomb party in your mouth” is a combination of 2020 Gamay and Cabernet Franc. The grapes were first gently pressed, then direct-pressed with some Vidal clusters, which is a hybrid grape commonly used for ice wines. The juice fermented for 10 days on the red skins before being transferred into stainless steel barrels for 6 months. The final result was a cherry and raspberry flavoured Rosé with a hint of fizz.

Over the next few months, Paradise Grapevine will be releasing an Orange wine along with several other one-of-a-kind natural beverages. They also just came out with custom bucket hats that you can purchase to rock all summer long!