Our History
A labour of love we built from the ground up.
John Rufa’s dream was to own a winery. His life-long interest in wine and his passion for winemaking lead him and his wife Trish Dougherty to open Kawartha Country Wines in July of 2004. Making quality wine has always been his objective.
With our first 500 litres bottled, we opened our doors, offering three wines: apricot, cherry, and rhubarb. And, there has been no looking back. Emphasizing quality, not quantity, John continuously tinkers with his process. He tries new innovative techniques and blends to produce fresh, exciting wines that are superbly drinkable and pair magnificently with food and friends.
Today, we produce 20,000 litres a year, and have 35 different delicious wines, ranging from dry and semi-dry to sweet dessert and ice wines.
As our reputation spreads, so does the pressure to expand. But, at our heart, we remain a homegrown family business. We make the wines we want to drink and bring to our friends.
We hope you’ll enjoy them too.
When 1866 and 1889 Came Together
Our winery and tasting room is a beautiful destination in its own right. The winery is housed in an 1866 authentic pioneer log cabin and an 1889 board and batton house. The two buildings were moved to their current location and lovingly restored.
