They named the winery Henry of Pelham after great-great-great grandpa’s son, Henry, who had a pretty dry sense of humour, nicknaming himself “Henry of Pelham” after a British Prime Minister. He was quite the entrepreneur, building an inn and a tavern on the property and operating a toll road. He raised sheep. And grew grapes — some of the first to be planted in Canada. The current tasting room and wine store are in Henry’s carriage house.
Visitors to their winery often ask, “What is the Short Hills Bench”? Hint: It’s not somewhere to sit. (Though it is a wonderful place to picnic.) “Short Hills Bench,” as seen on a wine label, means that the grapes were grown on a tiny piece of land along the Niagara Escarpment.