Like every other exciting drama.. What happens when a Canadian Expat fell in love with an Italian Temptress?
The Founders, Len and Marisa Crispino, were living as expats in Italy when they discovered the wonders of Amarone, or 'Appassimento' wines.
The more they learned about this technique and grew to love these wines, the more excited they became at the prospect of bringing this incredible craftsmanship back with them to Ontario.
And so, they did.
In 2000, taking a leap of faith, Len and Marisa bought 40 acres of prime farmland in the Vinemount Ridge sub-appellation of Niagara's Twenty Valley wine region, starting their journey to becoming trailblazers of Appassimento winemaking in Canada.
They sourced quality vinifera varietals from Europe, and after three years of carefully nurturing vines, 2004 became the inaugural vintage of Foreign Affair wines.
While the first vintages had many challenges with this approach, the big, bold red wines they produced as a result spoke for themselves, and so Len and Marisa persisted.
Today, The Foreign Affair Winery offers a unique and diverse selection of award-winning wines, all touched by the Appassimento process in some way, and many stories to share about the journey.
An old-world style of winemaking, known as 'Amarone' in Italy and adapted to the new world setting of Niagara wine country.