Robert Bell's

Wines of Canada

Since 1992

Mason Vineyards

With her reputaion as an amazing winemaker she took the next step!

Located on the Beamsville Bench Mason Vineyard is the home of winemaker Kelly Mason. Kelly Mason, the founder and winemaker who almost a decade ago purchased the vineyard and began tailoring the site with a clear vision — to make only extraordinary estate single vineyard, low yield, small batch, minimal intervention Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc wines that express the character of the site.

"Have no illusions, what it takes to produce beautiful and distinct wines is nothing short of fanaticism and relentless focus. As a result, we’re going to be straight with you — this winery is about us, not about you. Us meaning the wine, and you meaning, well you. "

"It is our belief that truly extraordinary wines result from applying all of a winery’s resources and attention toward making the wine, avoiding the distractions of conventional wine tourism."

Kelly is also winenmaker for a’s Domaine Queylus (where she works with the famous Thomas Bachelder) andthe Farm, a boutique pinot noir specialist. She also makes the wine at Honsberger Estate Winery.

I run around between three vineyards on 70-plus acres, moving around all the time. And I do all the manual work on my own vineyard. So that takes up my Saturdays and Sundays, and sometimes before work, I’ll start in the morning really early, say quarter to six and then go until 8:15, head to my job and then back on my vineyard in the evening from 5 to 9 pm. I like not being in an office. We have the ability to always be active. Whether you’re in the cellar or the vineyard, you’re constantly moving around. You don’t have to be chained to a desk, which would drive me crazy. And you get to do something from the beginning to the end. From the growing to the winemaking, at all three places, which is awesome.

Kelly was born and raised in Montreal. Mason who earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Western University in 1995 and an International MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University, quietly purchased the original vineyard in 2012 while working as an intern at Le Clos Jordanne and was virtually an unknown in wine circles. She bought it with money that she had been saving since her 20s and while working and earning a good living with auto parts maker Magna International. However, it was wine that was in her blood, not the corporate world, and at age 32, she began her quest to realize her dream of making wine and owning her own vineyard.

Her winemaking career began in 2007 in the Carneros subregion of Napa Valley with an internship at Saintsbury Winery under a Burgundian winemaker.

She then studied Winemaking at Brock University before working first at Tawse Winery and then at Le Clos Jordanne, always focused on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. She also owns and farms the Mason Vineyard on the 20 Mile Bench, planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc.

Mason Vineyards occupies a very important strip on the Twenty Mile Bench. It survived the harsh winter of 2023-24 far better than numerous Bench wineries. The vineyards climate and soils are ideally suited to the temperament of the three noble varietals that we focus on: that’s Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc

Kelly Mason Winemaker.

Our passion is to make small lot wines from — single vineyards on exceptional terroir — which are expressions of place — following obsessive vineyard management methods and low yields — pursuing sustainable or organic practices — hand harvested in clusters with attentive hand sorting — fermented from wild yeasts — avoiding manipulation and intervention — and attentively aged with appropriate time to express the vintage.

I believe that our site and other vineyards in Niagara are especially ideal for making the best wines in the world. It’s really that simple. Incredible terroir produces beautiful wines and our terroir is second to none. I can’t wait for you to try them, it’ll have been worth the wait.

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