Celebrating Inniskillin’s 50th Anniversary

Inniskillin: Rare & Historically-Significant Canadian Wines

Released and tasted five decades ago, the three original bottles of Inniskillin wine, alongside a bottle from Château-Gai, featured in our September Fine Wine auction represent the turning point for the Canadian wine industry.

Stored at only 6º C and not moved for more than four decades, Eugene Mlynczyk, Master of Wine and National Sales Manager at Principle Fine Wines, the luxury team within Arterra Wines Canada, confirms that these rare bottles are all in outstanding condition and are likely to be perfectly drinkable today. 

a Canadian success story

Celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, Inniskillin is renowned for its award-winning wines and for its pioneering role in establishing the Canadian wine industry.

Inniskillin, Canada’s first estate winery, located in Niagara on The Lake, was granted the first Ontario winery license since prohibition in 1929. Read about Inniskillin.

Internationally accredited wine judge and acclaimed columnist, Michael Vaughan, wrote in Toronto Life in October 1975: “Inniskillin House is betting that (a) they can make good wines and (b) people will buy them.” Read the article.

an overdue revolution

Originally tasted at Canada House in London in 1976 at an event organized and hosted by Vaughan, attended by leading British wine experts, including Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson and Steven Spurrier, the wines were deemed “vastly superior to the wines of even a few years ago.”

Of the 40+ Canadian wines presented, these were the highest scoring:

• First place was Inniskillin Maréchal Foch 1975, lot 13 in our auction.

Followed by three reds all tied for second place:

• Inniskillin Chelois 1975 made by Karl Kaiser, lot 12 
• Inniskillin Vin Nouveau 1974 made by Karl Kaiser, lot 11
• Château-Gai Gamay Beaujolais 1975 made by winemaker Paul Bosc Sr., lot 14

Following the tasting, Vaughan wrote for Toronto Life’s Summer Restaurant & Gourmet Guide: “Now for the news: the tasting was a smashing success, with several of the wines astonishing the panel with their quality.”  Read the article.

parting with history

The curator and consignor of these wines, Michael Vaughan, admits “it was a difficult decision to part with these historic bottles after such a long time. Their one-of-a-kind condition makes them among the rarest in my collection. The catalyst was this year’s 50th anniversary of Innsikillin. I was close to both winemakers, Paul Bosc Sr at Château-Gai in 1973 and Karl Kaiser at Inniskillin in 1975. I was fortunate to be able to visit, travel and taste with them over several decades.” 

Our September Fine Wine Auction

Bidding available online September 8 – 16, 2025. Browse now to find your favourites.

Our September Fine Wine Auction offers a rare and spectacular twenty bottle vertical of Château Mouton Rothschild (1980-1999) and highlights bottles from the first vintage of Inniskillin Winery now celebrating 50 years of pioneering wine in Ontario and Canada. A 2006 Duclot Bordeaux Prestige Collection and a large selection of cult Napa wines, outstanding Burgundies, rare and iconic Champagnes, Super-Tuscans, many original wooden cases (OWC’s) and perfect 100 point wines are also showcased.

Browse the gallery and view the digital catalogue. Bidding begins September 8.

Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.