The world renowned wineries of the Niagara Region in Southern Ontario have made quite a name for the grape that bears its name. With more than 90 plantations and vineyards – many of which predate Confederation – it’s understandable that visitors and even residents are shocked when they hear that a handful of Canadian distillers are making a name for spirits in the land of Jackson-Triggs. But did you know that it isn’t all about the grape in Ontario? When Adam and Patricia Szymkow, the owners of Polonée Distillery in St. Catharines, Ontario spoke with Spotlight on Business in August, I left with grain on the brain. In the province of Ontario, I learned, grain farmers are a $9 billion industry. “People always assume that all Canadian grains come from the Prairie Provinces, but that isn’t so. We ferment and distill off Ontario-grown grain using our state-of- the-art GENIO still and fill and seal each bottle of Kannuk vodka by hand.”
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2017
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