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Map of Lake Erie Islands
23 June 2005
Lake Erie

Credits:
Wikipedia, Bass Islands; Created by Norman Einstein

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Introduction
The vineyards on Pelee Island have both a historic as well as a contemporary presence. Today, the Pelee Island Winery holds a prominent place on the island, both for the making of wine and for the tourist industry. But there are signs still visible of an industry that once boasted six wineries on this small island in Lake Erie. Two structures from the 1800's are still in good condition and are prominent on the island. They are now used as private homes; as they were when they were build, once belonging to the families of Wardroper and Rehberg. There are two other ruins, that of the Vin Villa Winery and the Finlay Winery, they are both partly concealed by the local flora. A fifth winery, owned by J.S Hamilton of Brantford was located in the vicinity of the West Dock, the only evidence remaining being a small knoll which was the front entrance to the house. The sixth winery likely belonging to Charles Heaton has no site evidence.

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Vin Villa
Built in 1868
Pelee Island, Ontario

Credits:
London Free Press Photo
Pelee Island Heritage Museum

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Map of Pelee showing location of pioneer family settlements
Circa 1870
Pelee Island, Ontario

Credits:
Jeff Hasulo
Pelee Island Heritage Museum

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Various artefacts of the wine industry can still be found on the island. Wine bottles, labels, presses, recipes, remnants of barrels and early advertisements have survived.

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Vin Villa wine press
Circa 1950
Pelee Island, Ontario

Credits:
London Free Press Photo
Pelee Island Heritage Museum

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Wine Recipe from 1898
5 July 1898
Pelee Island, Ontario

Credits:
Pelee Island Heritage Museum

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Bottles of St. Augustine Wine
Circa 1890s
Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Terry Matz Collection

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Sweet Catawba label
Circa 1880s
Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Pelee Island Heritage Museum

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Over the years Pelee Island has hosted three native grape varieties, including the southern Riverbank (Vitis riparia) Grape. However, the North American hybrids namely the Catawaba grape was the species that put Pelee on the map for viticulture. By 1823 the Catawaba had been planted on the Ohio River and within twenty years due to favourable climate it had migrated north to the Lake Erie Islands. In 1842 Datus Kelley brought Isabella and Catawaba vines from Rockport Ohio to Kelley's Island (19.3 km south of Pelee Island). By 1850 Charles Carpenter of Kelley's Island had made the first wine from an acre of grapes. By 1858 several entrepreneurs had planted vines on South Bass Island. Within twenty years 550 acres of vines were cultivated at South Bass alone. On Kelley's Island the industry had expanded as well and after thirty years of the Datus's planting the first vines twenty five cellars were in operation.

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Island Vineyard (Kelley's Island)
1910=1918
Kelley's Island, OH, United States of America

Credits:
Charles I. Frohman Collection
R.B. Hayes Presidential Center

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Acres of Vineyards (Kelley's Island)
1910-1918
Kelley's Island, OH, United States of America

Credits:
Charles E. Frohman Collection
R.B. Hayes Presidential Center

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It was this island climate that proved attractive to the potential grape growers and wine makers of the time. But it was also the increasing real estate prices on the neighbouring American islands that drew these early entrepreneurs to Pelee Island. A third reason for Pelee's attraction existed, at least for one of its wine makers. Mr. D.J Williams had been a grape grower and wine maker in Kentucky and had interests in the grape growing developments on Kelley's Island. As a rebel sympathizer Mr. Williams moved his family to Windsor Ontario after the end of the American Civil War in 1865. It was in Windsor that Mr. Williams met Captain David McCormick (son of William McCormick and Mary Cornwall). This meeting led to a tour of the Lake Erie Islands. By August 1865 D.J Williams returned with his brother Thomas S. Williams and a relation, Mr. Thaddeus Smith, also from Kentucky.
On Pelee Island a Mr. Thomas C. McCormick (a relation to Captain David) offered the Kentuckians a choice location for a vineyard and cellar. The property was at the north end of the island at Sheridan Point. The price was $4000, one hundred per acre for 40 acres of land. On the sale of this land a partnership was formed between the three men (the Williams brothers and Thaddeus Smith) known as Smith, Williams &Co. In 1866 twenty five acres of grapes were planted and the next three years saw the vineyard expanded to thirty-three acres, with a wine cellar with two stone vaults

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Advertisement
23 September 1872
Pelee Island, Ontario

Credits:
Pelee Island Heritage Museum