The story behind Malivoire
Before he made wine, Martin Malivoire spent about thirty years running motion-picture special effects for film and television. He and his partner Moira Saganski bought land below the Escarpment in 1995 and released their first wines in 1999.
They built the winery into a recycled Quonset hut on the Beamsville Bench, and it became the first gravity-flow winery in Ontario.
Gamay, done seriously
Malivoire is best known as a Gamay specialist, an unusual thing to hang a whole winery on, with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and rose alongside. The gravity-flow design moves the wine gently by its own weight.
Winemaker Shiraz Mottiar, named Ontario Winemaker of the Year in 2017, has shaped the style for two decades. The winery is certified under Ontario's sustainable winemaking program.
Frequently asked questions
What is Malivoire known for?
Malivoire is a Beamsville Bench winery known above all for Gamay, plus Chardonnay and rose. It was the first gravity-flow winery in Ontario, and it was named Winery of the Year at the 2021 National Wine Awards of Canada.
Who founded Malivoire?
Martin Malivoire and Moira Saganski. Martin spent about three decades as a motion-picture special-effects director before turning to wine in the mid-1990s, which is a fairly unusual path into a vineyard.
Where is Malivoire?
On the Beamsville Bench of the Niagara Escarpment, near Beamsville, Ontario. The Bench is one of Niagara's most respected stretches for aromatic whites and cool-climate reds like Gamay.
