Frequently Asked Questions.
We have compiled a list of our most asked questions at Alton Farms Estate Winery. If you do not find what you are looking for, please contact us by email ( info@altonfarmsestatewinery.com ) or phone (519 381 1112).
When are you open?
See our Contact page for current hours.
Do you ship wine out of Ontario?
No, the current laws do not allow us to ship wines across provincial borders.
What are your shipping costs?
These vary and we have special rates on at the moment. See this link for the rates.
Are Alton Farms Estate Winery Wines in the LCBO?
Yes, we are are in select local LCBOs. We do not push into the larger LCBO organization as our volumes are limited by the need to make high quality local wine.
Do you take back the empty bottles?
Not really. The beer store is set up to do this in Ontario and they are will pay back the 20 cent deposit. We do not re-use bottles in our process, which may seem counter-intuitive for sustainability, but cleaning the bottles increases a chemical waste step that we do not want to take on currently.
Do you make Fruit wine?
Grapes are fruit. But we currently do not make our wines from anything other than grapes, the best (balanced in both sugar and acid content) fruit for wine.
Does Alton Farms have a restaurant?
No. We do have a small list of restaurants that we allow to use our patio on the weekends. See our events page for a specific date. We also maintain a short list of quality restaurants for catering your event.
Does Alton Farms grow it’s own grapes?
Yes we grow 6 acres of grapes. Our 7th acre of grapes is still is only 2 years old and we wouldn’t grow grapes on these vines until they are mature.
How much Sulphite is in the wine?
The answer to this question varies by the length of time the wine is in the bottle, but we aim for a small amount of sulphite on bottling to preserve the wines. This is typically in the 30-40ppm range. Ask about our amounts if you are interested.
How much Sugar is in the wine?
Typically 3-4 grams per liter. But we do have a few varieties of off-dry wine with higher amounts. See the individual wine RS number at our on-line store.
Do you have any wines without Tannins?
Usually white wines are low in tannin. Hybrid red varieties are a bit higher in numbers. Red Vinifera varieties typically can express the most tannins, and this will depend on the variety and on the season.
Why does it say the wine has baking spices in the tasting notes? Do you put it into the wine?
Nothing is added to our wines, no fruit or spices, so if you see a fruit or a spice is the tasting notes it is because the grape has expressed this aroma or taste during the fermentation process. Fermenting grapes into wine is a magical process.
Why do some bottles of wine have crystals or a bit of sediment on the cork, or in the bottle, when I open it?
Our wine bottles are new and sterilized before use, so you don’t have to worry about any foreign crystals being dangerous. So no, it’s not glass (unless you chopped the top off the bottle – we have thought of doing that when we forgot a corkscrew). If you look closely at the sediment you will see these are actually wine crystals. Wine is a living product and as wine ages, or it gets too cold, it can deposit tartaric acid crystals/sediment in the bottles. Click here for more details.