The roots of our award winning, eco-friendly, Twenty Mile Bench winery.
Featherstone Estate Winery is owned and operated by Philanthropist Rayla Myhal and businessman George Myhal. This transformative purchase took place in February 2024, amidst the 25th Anniversary of the inception of Featherstone. The winery is operated by a dedicated, long-standing team of retail and cellar staff. The team comes to the wine industry from a variety of careers but a common dedication to excellence in food and a passion for wine.
The Featherstone vineyard was first planted in the 1970’s and the grape crop was sold to a large wine conglomerate until 1999, when the first Featherstone wines were made. The Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc – planted in 1986 – continue to thrive and the Riesling, planted in 1978, is some of the oldest Riesling in Niagara. Today the entire grape crop is bottled to produce Featherstone wines, with approximately 9,000 cases a year being vinified. The winery has distinguished itself in Niagara as being insecticide -free since 1999 and practitioners of eco-friendly farming.
Featherstone Winery farms naturally and without the use of insecticides, growing wine in a way that is sustainable. We encourage an environment that is healthy and completely unique and believe that this individuality translates into our wines. As a result, we have been certified as a Sustainable Winegrowing Winery. The Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario (SWO) Certified logo assures consumers that the complete grape to glass cycle is sustainable – that the grapes are grown and the Ontario VOA wine is crafted with sustainability at the forefront of each winery and vineyard’s business philosophy. Look for this logo on Ontario VOA wine from SWO Certified wineries.
Our vineyard is on 23 acres of rolling hills on the prestigious upper Twenty Mile Bench along the Niagara Escarpment in the Twenty Valley wine region of Niagara. We are located a short 30-minute drive from the Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries.
Through biodiversity and reduced chemical intervention, we encourage an environment that is healthy and unique. We believe that this individuality translates into our wines. We hope you do, too.
The Twenty Mile Bench
The Twenty Mile Bench is a celebrated segment of the Niagara Escarpment. In places the land rises gently in large terraces, or benches, but there is a varied and complex topography, with changing slopes within this sub-appellation.
Glacial activity has provided deep clay with a high proportion of limestone and shale. Featherstone’s sheltered north-facing slopes are afforded year-round temperature moderation, the natural hills and contours provide excellent air and soil drainage and a winding creek ensures a constant water source.
Our Team Philosophy
We believe a healthy team creates a healthy winery. At Featherstone, we value work-life balance, supportive workplace culture, and paying a living wage rather than minimum wage. Investing in our people is just as important to us as investing in our vineyards.