Jost Vineyards: A Taste of Success
NOTE: The following is a feature story written by Margaret MacQuarrie for the Nova Scotia "Come to life" initiative. "Come to life" is a public-private sector initiative that markets Nova Scotia as an excellent place in which to live, work, invest, play, and visit.
When you think of the great wine-making regions in Canada, what comes to mind? The Niagara Peninsula? The Okanagan?
Hans Christian Jost believes that one day, in the very near future, Nova Scotia will be added to that list. His family's winery, Jost Vineyards, is already making that a reality.
Jost's 1999 Vidal Icewine was named Canada's wine of the year at the All-Canadian Wine Championship held in Ontario in 2000. That's the first time in the 20-year history of this prestigious competition that a winery outside of Ontario or British Columbia has taken first place. Hans Christian believes it won't be the last.
So what does it take to become an award-winning wine-maker in Nova Scotia?
As any wine connoisseur will tell you, a great glass of wine is the result of a rare combination of the fruit, the land, the weather, the people and, in some cases, a little luck.
The Jost story is no different.
In 1970, Hans Christian's parents decided to move to Nova Scotia from Germany's Rhine Valley, where they were part of a wine-making lineage dating back to the 1640s. They weren't just replanting their wine-making roots, they were pulling them up and throwing them away. The family's plan was to reinvent themselves as general farmers growing grains, corn and strawberries; and raising hogs and beef. Anything but grapes.
They settled down on a plot of farmland in Malagash, on Nova Scotia's Sunrise Trail, and set about becoming farmers.
Luck soon came knocking on the door in the form of Donald Craig from the Kentville Research Station. Dr. Craig had a keen interest in researching strawberries but also dabbled in grapes.
"My father was interested in strawberries, not grapes," says Hans Christian. "They met and Dr. Craig pointed out that his team of researchers had been unsuccessful in making decent wines. He gave my father some vines and grapes to make wine from, and they were both pleasantly surprised (with the results)."
So what did Mr. Jost have that the research station's chemists and biologists didn't?
"A chemist trying to make wine is a little like trying to teach you to ride a bike by reading a book," explains Hans Christian. "You have to get used to it; get a feel for it. It's the same in wine. You need a gut feel, an instinct."
As luck would have it, the farm the family bought in Malagash is on the 45th parallel -- the same as parts of France and Germany. Without realizing they'd done it, the Josts had bought a piece of farmland that was perfectly suited to growing grapes.
That special geographical feature of Malagash and Mr. Jost's instinct for wine-making meant it was time for the family to make a decision: should they continue on as general farmers, experimenting in wine-making, or commit themselves to their instincts and skills as wine-makers?
After living in Nova Scotia for more than a decade the family had become real Bluenosers, so they did what any Bluenoser would do: they chose to be true to themselves, their heritage and surroundings. They sold all of the animals and farm equipment and became Jost Vineyards.
From humble beginnings making wine in the family garage, the winery is now holding its own in one of the most competitive industries in the world.
Go into any NSLC outlet and you'll see wines from more than 20 countries and thousands of producers. The United States has 5,000 wineries. France, Italy, and Spain have more than 40,000 each. And now on shelves across Atlantic Canada, into western Canada and even in parts of Japan, there is Jost Wines.
As Hans Christian tells it, one of the most important ingredients to his family's business success has been the people of Nova Scotia.
"There is a good thing in the blood of people here," says Hans Christian. "Those who have been farmers or fisherman in previous generations -- they have a can-do attitude that keeps things going."
And he doesn't underestimate the role Nova Scotian friendliness has played in the vineyard's success. More than 40,000 people from all around the world visit Jost Vineyards every year. They enjoy award-winning wines and drink in the glorious view of the Atlantic Ocean and Northumberland Strait, just 182 metres away. But the most frequent comments in the guest book are about the staff. "They like the people," says Hans Christian. "Friendly staff. I think it's important with any business. People should be made to feel good in their transactions."
He believes that friendliness is genuine -- born of the special quality of life Nova Scotians enjoy. And his appreciation for it grows every time he leaves the province to visit family back in Germany. "Germany is a beautiful place to visit, but it's a stressed out population you don't get here. Not in Malagash, not even in Halifax."
As he once told a German magazine, "It takes me four a half minutes to drive to work. On a bad day, I'm stuck behind a school bus for 15 seconds. That's my version of rush hour. I think that says so much."
In wine-making, the term "terroir" refers to the way in which the total environment affects the taste of the wine. For Jost Wines, the terroir is the taste of success in Nova Scotia.
For more Nova Scotia success stories visit www.novascotialife.com .