Welcome from Our Head Wine Maker Stacie Domio

Growing up on a family fruit farm just around the corner from Rockway Glen, I was exposed to wine and winemaking from a very young age. From drinking Grandpa’s homemade Italian wine, to helping my parents craft unique fruit wines and blends from our own homegrown fruit.

To everyone who knew me, it was no big surprise that during a High School Co-Op Placement with a local Niagara winery, I made the decision to enter a career in the wine industry - but I still had to choose what aspect I wished to focus on. Lucky for me, in the fall of 2000 Niagara College offered the new Diploma program for Winery and Viticulture Technician. Preparing students in every area of the wine industry, from grape growing and viticulture, winemaking and fermentation chemistry and biology, to the end marketing and sales.  This program seemed to be custom fit to my needs!

After graduating from Niagara College in 2003 at the age of 20, still unable to decide what direction my wine career was going to take, I was grateful to take a position at another large local winery.  My time there allowed me to work in their cellars AND vineyards! In the spring I worked in the vineyards, tending to the vines all season and through to harvest. As the harvest took off I then followed the grapes to the winery and took part in the crushing and pressing and entire winemaking process.

 Later, in 2006 I accepted the position as Assistant Winemaker here at Rockway Glen where I worked alongside Jeff Innes until the winter of 2007 when I took over as Rockway Glen's Head Wine Maker.   

The most important lesson I have learned will never be forgotten, Wine can only be as great as the grapes it’s made from!  By taking on the role as the Head Winemaker, and by working closely with the Vineyard Manager, I am able to ensure only the top quality grapes go into making our premium crafted VQA wines and I look forward to the vintages to come!