Creating a thriving winery takes more than the perfect grape

As head winemaker of a newly renovated estate winery in Southern Ontario, Thomas Bachelder would argue the quality of the wine makes or breaks a project, but the design and layout of the site are equally important.

“The wine comes first, but the site makes the experience of trying the wine meaningful,” says Mr. Bachelder, founder of Domaine Le Clos Jordanne, which opened this month in the Niagara Peninsula’s Beamsville area. “It can’t just be any old building.