About

Our Story

Lightfoot & Wolfville is owned and operated by the Lightfoot family who have been farming in the Annapolis Valley for eight generations. Originating in Northern England, the Lightfoot name referred to the swift-footedness of our forebears who traditionally worked as messengers. At Lightfoot & Wolfville we like to think we bring a light touch and enlightened approach to both the agricultural and artisanal parts of our work – working in harmony with nature and letting the land offer up its innate best, without subjecting it to aggressive inputs.

We believe being present on our land means recognizing the living memory of its past inhabitants while keeping in tune, daily, with the life of our soil and vines. Our Home Farm has been in Michael’s family for four generations – working the land is in our blood. We’ve also found evidence of earlier history on both our sites, including Acadian and Planter artifacts and even an Acadian-era house foundation where our current winemaking facility stands.

  • Scottish Thistle

    From our ancestry

  • Fleur-de-Lis

    Homage to France & Acadia

  • The Bee & Butterfly

    Vibrant organic agriculture

  • Vines & Leaves

    Reflecting our vineyards

  • The Mayflower

    Symbol of Nova Scotia

Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyards Logo Ampersand The ampersand (&) in our name reflects our belief in the pairing of people and place, and the close collaboration of the two necessary to grow truly fine wines.

Ethos

We believe that the best wines are the result of a deep connection between PEOPLE & PLACE, as reflected in our winery’s name - “LIGHTFOOT & WOLFVILLE” - “Lightfoot” is our family name and “Wolfville” is the name of the town we call home.

We believe great wine is grown by farmers and viticulturists respectful of the land’s particular gifts and energies. That management of a vineyard in harmony with nature allows for maximum expression of its unique individuality. Our commitment to regenerative agriculture practices is driven by a duty to protect and promote the vitality of our soils for future generations, and has led us to successfully pursue organic certification through Ecocert Canada and biodynamic certification by Demeter Canada.

Minimal-intervention vinification from healthy, balanced fruit allows us to produce distinct wines that faithfully convey the purest sense of time and spirit of place.

The Place

GROWN ON THE SHORES OF THE MINAS BASIN

The Annapolis Valley is a long, relatively narrow valley located on the western edge of Nova Scotia, situated between two parallel mountain ranges, along the shores of the Bay of Fundy. Close proximity to the Bay of Fundy and the world’s highest tides creates an incredibly unique growing environment with tremendous potential for the production of distinctive cool-climate wines.

Our 40 acres of vines are planted on two distinct sites along the shores of the Minas Basin, an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, where hilly slopes extend the frost free period and provide excellent exposure. Natural airflow and incessant saltwater breezes off the basin provide an important moderating effect, especially critical during the winter months when temperatures dip below freezing. Throughout the growing season, these same cool breezes slow ripening, extending the hang times of our fruit. This microclimate creates balanced, full-flavored grapes that tend to have relatively low sugar content, yet full phenolic maturity and beautifully retained natural acidities. The ultimate result is wines that are firmly rooted in a distinct sense of place, characterized by vibrancy, freshness, finesse, and a brilliance and clarity of flavor that can only be achieved in very cool climate regions.

The Vines

People

Lightfoot & Wolfville is owned and operated by co-founders Jocelyn and Michael Lightfoot. Michael is a 7th generation Annapolis Valley farmer, and the 3rd generation to farm the current land where the winery sits today. Jocelyn, a certified sommelier, has a background in the travel and tourism industry. Avid travellers and wine enthusiasts, Michael & Jocelyn had the vision to diversify the family farm and create a world-class agri-tourism destination, inspired by the blossoming food and wine culture of the Annapolis Valley. They began planting grapevines for wine production in 2009 following extensive terroir study in consultation with internationally renowned wine consultant Peter Gamble. The first wines under the Lightfoot & Wolfville label were released in 2015, with the winery hospitality facility opening its doors to the public in 2017.

facility

The Lightfoot & Wolfville hospitality facility, opened in the summer of 2017. The award-winning design was created by local architect Vincent den Hartog. The connection of people to the land is a key component to making great wine, so making a strong connection between the building and its ‘place’ was an overarching philosophy during the design process for the winery facility.  Wood was the natural material choice for structural systems and finishes to pay homage to the heritage of agricultural buildings of the Annapolis Valley.