This virtual exhibit
chronicles the history of
grape farming and wineries on
Pelee Island from the mid-
1800s to the present day.
With the successful migration
of the Catawaba grapes from
the Southern United States to
the Lake Erie Islands, Pelee
Island was poised to become a
| wine making settlement. The
unique climate, soil
conditions, cheaper real
estate and haven for Civil
War ex-patriots made Pelee
Island ripe for settlement.
With the planting of grapes
at Vin Villa in 1886, it
would become the first estate
winery, and would lead
| viticulture and wine making
into becoming the major
agricultural element that
brought about the birth of a
Community. This project
highlights the Pioneering
families that made Pelee
Island home and the
establishment of their
vineyards on the Island.
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It is this establishment
that brought about the
transformation of the Island
into a place that blossomed
into a community and became a
successful wine growing
region. Despite the hardships
and challenges of Island
life, the pioneering families
endured and overcame
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