Behind the Scenes at Canada’s Newest Winery: The Juice Wine Company

HOLR MAGAZINE EDITORIAL

LifestyleTrending

Canada’s wine landscape is evolving, and at the forefront of this transformation is The Juice Wine Company — a family-run venture bringing a modern, adventurous spirit to Ontario’s VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) wine scene.

Founded by influential sommelier, TV host and educator Angela Aiello and Niagara College winemaking graduate Ryan Zanette along with their son Luca, this boutique winery has released their first vintage, with three wines from the Niagara Benchlands in Ontario, Canada.

Aiello and Zanette share not only a passion for wine, but a united vision for The Juice Wine Company. To them, it’s more than a winery—it’s a reflection of their family’s creativity, drive for innovation, and deep commitment to growing the Canadian wine category. “Our Juice is made to be crushable,” says Zanette. “We’ve done the thinking for you—these wines are juicy, fresh, and fancy all at once.” For Aiello, building a brand with purpose is just as important as crafting great wine. “We’re not just here to make something delicious,” she adds. “We built this company with a clear vision of giving back to our community.”

Two Palates, One Purpose: Great Juice

By leveraging their combined expertise, Aiello and Zanette are hoping to break traditional barriers and invite a broader audience to explore the world of Ontario wine. Their goal is to meet people where they are by using great juice and an artful approach.

As a well-known sommelier, wine communicator and entrepreneur, Aiello started the largest wine club in Canada and continues to be part of a tightly-knit wine community. With two decades of experience in the wine industry — from global travels and countless tastings to leading educational programs across the country— her deep understanding of flavour, style, and storytelling informs each Juice Wine Company varietal, creating a lineup that’s not only delicious, but storied.

Ryan Zanette is a talented winemaker with strong industry roots and a financial mind. With a Winemaking diploma from Niagara College and a passport full of harvest stamps from around the world, he knows his way around a cellar (and a spreadsheet). A natural-born brand builder and deal closer, Ryan blends business savvy with a personal passion for the craft, creating wines and partnerships that truly pour with purpose.

The couple spent over a year artfully designing their labels, meticulously selecting grapes from established terrains of Niagara that resonate with quality and terroir, forming a true partnership with Niagara Custom Crush Winery. “Making our own wine is a dream come true. We wanted every detail to be perfect” says Aiello.

Crafted by Curiosity, Grounded in Expertise

Rooted in years of experience, curiosity, and craftsmanship, the winemaking philosophy at The Juice Wine Company. is about creating vibrant, low-intervention wines that let Ontario’s grapes speak for themselves — fresh, expressive, and full of life.

Aiello and Zanette bring a global perspective to every local vintage. By blending international knowledge and know-how with their deep respect for Ontario’s terroir, they craft wines that are both rooted and revolutionary.

Aiello’s palate has tasted thousands of wines from all over the world, while Zanette’s is shaped by hands-on harvests in Germany’s Mosel, the rolling hills of southern England, British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, and right here in Ontario’s Niagara region. Together the two have cultivated a bold, contemporary approach to winemaking — one that celebrates precision, place, and playful experimentation.

“Our winemaking philosophy is all about keeping it real—with low-intervention techniques that let the grapes speak for themselves. From every exceptional vineyard to the final bottle, we prioritize purity, balance and freshness to celebrate the true character of Ontario’s distinct terroir” says Zanette.

Rooted in Biodiversity and Exceptional Terroir

Welcome to the Twenty Mile Bench, a remarkable sub-region of the Niagara Escarpment nestled within a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve (established 1990). This extraordinary limestone ridge—rich in forests, cliffs, wetlands, and wilderness—is Southern Ontario’s most topographically diverse landscape, rising over 430 metres in elevation. This area is truly an exceptional setting for quality viticulture. The unique terroir nurtures distinctive grapes and yields outstanding wines. In particular, fruit from the Walker Vineland Quarries (where all Juice Wine Co. grapes were sourced) portfolio has become some of the most coveted in all of Niagara. A picturesque location, from many locations in the Benchlands you can see the beautiful skyline of Toronto and is one of the most scenic landscapes in Ontario.

Pouring It Forward

With a strong commitment to community, a portion of the proceeds from every vintage is donated to charitable initiatives, making each sip a small part of something bigger. Proceeds from the inaugural vintage will be donated to youthLEADarts, a Canadian charity dedicated to empowering at-risk youth through arts education. With Indigenous roots, youthLEADarts partners with schools and community centres across the country to deliver free, inclusive programming. By blending in-person and digital learning, youthLEADarts uses technology and the arts as powerful tools to inspire creativity, build confidence, and foster leadership in young people.

The Gold Leaf Collection

The two say that working with Ontario’s standout grapes — Chardonnay, Gamay, and Cabernet Franc — was absolutely essential and something they agreed upon from the very beginning, knowing that these grapes truly thrive in the cool-climate terroir. Showcasing Ontario’s best, Aiello and Zanette are celebrating local excellence by crafting wines that are rooted in local culture and offer versatility and freshness — perfect for any table, any occasion, anywhere.

“We are making multi-faceted wine; we’ve put so much time and effort into designing the taste, the look, and the feel. Our wines are intended to capture all of your senses,” says Aiello.

Their inaugural release, of the Gold Leaf Collection, features three meticulously crafted Ontario VQA wines with 100% of each grape labeled in the bottle (they are single varietal wines, never blended) from the limestone rich Niagara Benchland sub-appellation of Twenty Mile Bench. Each label showcases the leaf of the variety in a metallic and pastel cover meant to attract your eye and educate consumers about ampelography – the study and identification of grapevines, particularly based on their physical characteristics. It is an art that bridges the gap between tradition and innovation, capturing the story of each grapevine and their journey from the vineyard to the glass.

Zanette adds, “We wanted to teach people about botany at the same time as they are sipping great wine. Each wine in the collection pays tribute to the essential qualities of its grape varietal while incorporating a creative and inspired twist.”

A New Chapter in Ontario Winemaking

The Juice Wine Company is showcasing a fresh perspective in the Canadian wine industry, collaborating with Niagara Custom Crush Studio (known as ‘The Crush’) to produce their expressive and approachable lineup of wines. The Crush is a dynamic hub for independent wineries that was founded in 2022 with the vision of supporting boutique wine producers. By offering access to cutting-edge production facilities, premium winemaking services, and fruit from Niagara’s most exceptional vineyards, The Crush empowers its partners to craft some of Ontario’s highest quality wines while growing their businesses within a collaborative, state-of-the-art environment.”

The thoughtfulness and consideration taken by Aiello and Zanette showcase their commitment to quality, community, family values, and innovation, positioning them as a winery to watch. As they uncork their first bottles, wine lovers can look forward to a new, exciting addition to Ontario’s VQA offerings, with much more on the horizon.

You can taste the The Juice Wine Company portfolio at Niagara Custom Crush Winery located at 3201 King St, Vineland – just a short drive from Toronto or Buffalo.

Opening Tip: For bottles sealed with wax, we recommend inserting a waiter’s corkscrew directly through the wax for a clean and effective opening. If additional leverage is needed, a winged corkscrew or a rabbit-style opener can also be used to assist with ease and control.