Robert Bell's

Wines of Canada

Since 1992

Saskatchewan Proving They Can

Yes, Saskatchewan has wineries. They are all fruit or Haskap wineries. They also have Mead and Cider producers.

Saskatchewan is a Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the United States. Saskatchewan and Alberta are the only landlocked provinces of Canada.

Saskatchewan receives more hours of sunshine than any other Canadian province. The province lies far from any significant body of water. This fact, combined with its northerly latitude, gives it a warm summer.

By growing fruit in Saskatchewan, you have a very diverse range of plants to choose from. Grapes, Plums, Currants, Apples, Sour Cherries, Saskatoon Berries, Haskap Berries, Pears, Strawberries and Raspberries. Location is important in selecting the right fruit to grow. Saskatoon berries lead the industry in acreage and market development. It is estimated that 1,100 acres of saskatoon berries are planted in the province.

The Bee & Thistle Winery is a family owned and operated fruit winery, specializing in Haskap-based wines, located in Debden, SK. They emphasize locally sustainable production and creation of fruit-forward wines that taste like the fruit they are made from. Currently growing 10,000 Haskap plants of different varieties, 500 German Wine Rhubarb plants, 400 Saskatoon plants, 100 Strawberry plants, 400 Ben Nevis Black Currant plants.

Peter and Margaret MacInnis started the Bee and Thistle Winery, as a retirement project. Peter's brother Collin and his wife Anne Greeno are partners. Margie is the winemaker trained at the University of California (Davis). Most of the fruit use is grown in Peter and Margie MacInnis’ Bee & Thistle Orchard and Collin MacInnis’ Ravensfield Estate Orchard.

There is a mystic air about the Saskatchewan Cypress Hills located in the southwest corner of the province. Here Marty and Marie Bohnet first opened Cypress Creek winery in 1995. They recently sold the winery to new owners are Dan and Kathryn Reesor. Kathryn is the winemaker.

Over in Battleford, Saskatchewan Diane and Walter Banach have been making fruit wine for close to 20 years. When they went commercial in late 1996, they started out with a chokecherry wine

Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada, after Saskatoon and Regina. It is situated near the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan Here you find Forest Fringe Orchards.

The orchard began with a small block of Saskatoon berry bushes planted in 2003. Since that time, a variety of other fruits have been added to cover almost 60 acres. The various blocks of fruit are interspersed amongst kilometres of shelterbelt trees and natural wetlands.

Forest Fringe Orchards Winery Wins 3 Honours at the Intervin International Wine Awards, October 2019. Winning the awards for her Haskap Noir, Spiced Apple and Cherry Vanilla wines.

Prairie Bee Meadery

Grandpa's Garden Ltd started in Caron a short distance from Moose Jaw. . "It began with a small sour-cherry orchard, as a retirement project for Dennis and Vickie Derksen. Within a year, ambitions had expanded to include a one acre high tunnel growing strawberries. When we found that we couldn't pick them all, we opened up to the public, allowing others to come and pick our berries. Vickie's daughter Crystal, and her husband Gerard, came on as partners, and the u-pick grew to include over 5 acres of raspberries, more strawberries, a small haskap orchard, and several vegetable gardens. Honey bees were introduced to the operation to ensure successful fruiting of the various food plants, and soon we were also selling honey, and making mead at home. Our fruit honey product was developed with the assistance of the Food Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, and as a (possibly) final step, we expanded in the latter half of 2015 to begin making mead commercially.

VQu’appelle Valley

Over The Hills Orchards is a fruit winery located in VQu’appelle Valley owned by Dean and Sylvia Kreutze. The Qu’Appelle Valley may be southern Saskatchewan’s most defining feature. Gouged by ancient glacial meltwaters ages ago, and now stretching over halfway across the province, the beautiful river and valley provide a striking contrast to the plains immediately to the north and south.

Over the Hill Orchards and Winery offers a serene escape with breathtaking views. Perched atop the valley, their patio provides an idyllic setting to unwind while savoring a glass of wine. A short and scenic drive northwest from Regina leads you to this hidden gem.

The winery is a unique organic grower specializing in exotic fruits, including Prairie Cherries, peaches from Georgia, blackberries from Arkansas, strawberries from France, and grapes from Europe and California.

Wolf Willow

Broderick a small village with a population of 96 is home to Sask newest winery Wolf Willow. A family owned winery & orchard that sits on 160 acres of certified organic land, situated on the shores of the South Saskatchewan River. A fruit winery located south of Saskatoon. They produce Cherry and Haskap wine. They have a summer patio featuring pizza and more.

Over in Battleford, Saskatchewan Diane and Walter Banach have been making fruit wine for close to 20 years. When they went commercial in late 1996, they started out with a chokecherry wine.

The types of fruit grown in Saskatchewan include cultivars selected from wild native species like saskatoon berry, and domesticated fruit like apples that have been bred to withstand our harsh climate.

Native fruit crops include highbush cranberry, Missouri currant, low-bush blueberry, buffaloberry, pincherry, lingonberry, chokecherry and saskatoon berry. Domesticated species include apple, dwarf sour cherry, black currant, haskap (edible honeysuckle), raspberry, strawberry, hazelnut, plum, sea buckthorn, grapes and various other marginally hardy introductions. Many of the commercially important domesticated species were bred by the University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program.

Dwarf sour cherries are a new type of sour cherry that was first released by the Fruit Breeding and Research Program in 1999. Acreage has expanded rapidly, and now 17 per cent of Canada's sour cherry orchards are in Saskatchewan

Haskap, or edible honeysuckleis a newest commercial fruit for Saskatchewan. This fruit is packed with nutrients that are linked to improved human health, making it well qualified to be marketed as superfruit.

Dr. Bob Bors from the University of Saskatchewan has bred many varieties of haskap. Releases like Tundra and Borealis have been eagerly anticipated by many new commercial fruit growers, making haskap production one of the fastest-growing sectors within the Saskatchewan fruit industry. The plants are extremely winter hardy and set fruit early, making it an ideal fruit for Saskatchewan.

Cider Producers ~ Mead Producers ~ Haskap Wineries

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Wines of Canada was developed and designed by Robert (Bob) Bell of Whi make or sell wine. Support is welcome as are suggestions and comments; should you see something that needs to be corrected please let us know.