At a time when freedom had to be won, it was bold imagination coupled with bravery that made our pioneering ancestor, Catherine ’Cat’ Smith, truly free. In the 1790’s, Cat and her husband, an Iroquois/Mennonite soldier and United Empire Loyalist, took a leap of faith and settled land overlooking a verdant valley in Niagara’s Short Hills Bench. In this area, the Scarlet Tanager and many other songbirds served as a backdrop to the daily chores and pleasures of family life.

With the years of war behind her, Cat was free to chose her company and her way of life. Her power to unapologetically do something in a new way continues to inspire, including with this naturally lively wine.