The inauguration of Pillitteri Estates Winery in June of 1993 was the realisation of a lifelong ambition for Gary Pillitteri. His dream had been to create his own winery since he arrived in Canada from Sicily in 1948, after working as a grape grower and amateur winemaker in Niagara. The grapes are mostly picked from the family’s 100-acre vineyards, which are planted with vitis vinifera and French hybrid grape varietals. Every Pillitteri family member has worked on the farm or in the winery. Today, Gary and Lena’s grandsons, the 5th generation of the family, run the increasing export side of the business, travelling throughout the world to promote Canadian Icewine.
