A Vineroutes publication written by Leah Spooner

Winery President and CEO Michael Leskovec shares the journey of revitalizing one of Prince Edward County’s most historic wineries.

Situated on over 100-acres of land in Prince Edward County, Ontario is a 200-year-old barn that became home to one of the region’s pioneering wineries: The Grange of Prince Edward. Vineyard planting began in 2001, and it quickly became a must-visit stop for wine lovers passing through the County’s small town of Hillier – well known for its stunning rustic setting and vibrant County wines.

However, for much of the last decade, vineyard care and winemaking efforts at The Grange appeared to be in an unfortunate state of decline. Investment partners Robert Cudney and Michael Leskovec of Northfield Capital stepped in to revitalize the winery in fall of 2021, launching a complete transformation to restore it to its former glory.

With a full-scale rejuvenation, The Grange of Prince Edward has once again established itself as a premier wine destination, celebrated for its charming property, food, events, and most importantly, exceptional terroir-driven wines. I sat down with The Grange President and CEO, Michael Leskovec, to learn more about this incredible journey.

Michael Leskovec is the President and CEO of The Grange of Prince Edward — **It’s been so exciting following the winery’s revamp and seeing how much work has been put into the new Grange. Let’s start with the takeover – what was that like in the beginning?**

The first thing we did was to secure our vineyard manager Mike Peddlesden. He was the original vineyard manager for The Grange. He was there for the original plantings in 2001 and the following decade, so that was our first priority since at that point there weren’t really any grapes for the wine. We also needed a roll-your-sleeves-up kind of winemaker and Jonas (Newman) loved The Grange terroir and he wanted to get involved and help steer things. Before the end of 2022 he was teeing up our 2023 growing season with Mike.

Then came the name. We brought in a design team to help come up with a name, and we eventually settled to leave it the same [Michael laughs]. I thought a name change would separate us from the community itself, and we didn’t want the change of the name to symbolize change. That’s a non-community-thinking approach.

The positive impact of keeping the name – although it didn’t gain immediate results – was a powerful message to send to the community itself. That, a) we are the original founders and have just been a silent partner up until now, so it’s our turn with the terroir and to make this place the best version of itself. We want to put it back on that pedestal again to where The Grange and its property and terroir is where it should be. And b) we believe in the brand, and we always have. The cool thing that happened, and is still happening, is that people are re-tasting the wines and coming back to the brand. It’s a slower build, but more powerful and resonating.

Did you see this operation as something that was needed in the County, or was it more of a “if you build it they will come” objective?
I think a bit of both to be honest. The County is full of smaller operations that fit the quaintness of the County, but I saw an opportunity to offer something different on the experience side of things. The ability for us to stand out with the assets we have on the property with the historic barn, sunsets over the vineyard, and substantial size, amount of production, plus the beauty of the property, we thought we could really make something special here to elevate the brand in general, while showcasing County terroir. We are in a “rising tides lift all boats” mindset.

Collaborations played a big role with this undertaking, and I think it’s important to represent them with pride the way you do with your Farmer’s Series. What made you decide to go that route?
The Grange previously being estate-only is unique for any winery here in Prince Edward County in that they are creating wines in volume. We needed a portion of the portfolio to collaborate with other farms and wineries, so we thought let’s start that now with the quality we are aspiring for to get the brand out there. Harness the portfolio in a way that will celebrate our relationships with other farms and wineries, which I think is refreshing in itself because a lot of other wineries try to mask that, and we are putting it out there.

Transparency to consumers is important. The Farmer’s Series bridged the gap for us from that side of the portfolio. The series is where we control costs too; we control the quality but give value with the wine in that series and can really get the brand out there.

There’s been a strong culinary focus at the winery. How is The Grange’s food program unfolding?

Paul Tobias is joining us as Executive Chef officially on Nov. 1st. The food will be elevated to match the wine portfolio and we are really looking forward to having him on board. Having a more elevated cuisine in the off season is our goal. With his skillset he’s been a great addition to stabilize our culinary side.

It’s easy to see (and taste!) the improvement from The Grange’s wine, food, and experience, but what do you want people to know about the team behind it all?

We have an all-star team with everyone and what they’re doing. Without Mike Peddlesden (Vineyard Manager), the vineyard wouldn’t be the same. He’s very on top of things and the vineyards are looking good despite a hard vintage. So, years like this vintage, it’s his expertise that really pays off.

Marlise Ponzo (Sales & Events Manager) is a work horse. She’s been a key player in everything from being our somm and head of events and sales. She takes really good care of people, helps with weddings and even the wine program. She’s at the forefront with Jonas and Mike giving her opinions and comments on the wines and for the marketing, news releases, bottle language, liaising with licencees – she’s pretty amazing! I’m super grateful to have someone like her on our team.

Also on our team is John Peddlesden, who is Mike’s brother. He is our builder and general handyman. He’s built our stage and wedding arbor, garden, anything we need– he’s amazing. John’s the on-site carpenter and he’s going to be transforming our loft. He’s truly an unsung hero at the winery.

Our winemaker, Jonas Newman comes with a pedigree and reputation in the industry. He thinks like an owner, and I love that view. We can collaborate on stuff, and we tell each other what’s on our minds. Having Jonas be a part of our team gives him the opportunity to play in that still wine space, and his knowledge of the terroir and his skillset is just a perfect match (for The Grange) to all come together. Everyone here is really combining passions to drive things forward.

**What’s your hope for consumers trying your wines for the first time or revisiting it now?**

We are really trying to expose people to the brand again and get our wines in front of people and that’s what we are doing through our charities, sponsorships, events, etc. We want to bring people back to our brand and be able to punch above our weight and exceed their expectations. That way they become almost like new brand ambassadors with this secret of the new Grange. We also want to make our wines more accessible for people to try (referring to price point), and we can do that because of our scale.

What can we expect now from the new line of wines and the new Grange?

The Grange has 20+ year-old vines and not many other wineries are this old in the County. The last couple years have been nursing the vineyards back to health and doing replants. We are really trying to make it the best it can possibly be and to showcase it the best we can.

We thought by 2026/2027 the winery would be dialed to where we want it to be and we are reaching the end of our rehabilitation where our vines are supposed to be. Quality of fruit and health of the vineyard are apparent from the work that’s been put in.

We are now in what we call our full circle vintage, where we are seeing the fruit from our first replants. The Estate line that will be coming in will be the pillar of what our farm is about. What we are about to embark on is what our farm can do. When we get to our full capacity yield, that is when we will really be a force to reckon with.