General Information

Hairdresser Joseph DeMaria first tried icewine from the Niagara Region in 1991. Taking a keen interest in this up-and-coming industry, Joseph applied for, and received, the winery licence for Royal DeMaria Wines.

In December 1996, Joseph purchased his 25 acre property which is nestled between the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario in scenic Vineland. So in 1998, having no previous winemaking experience, Joseph made his first icewine from a surplus of Vidal icewine juice.

Misunderstanding the process of making icewine, he made a major error midway through the process. Not knowing what else to do, Joseph continued making the wine. The resulting 1998 Vidal Icewine had all the varietal characteristics of a fine wine, the traditional sweetness of an icewine, yet did not have the rich, cloying texture within the finish.

This first icewine went on to win 5 international awards and the 'error' has become the wine making technique that the hairdresser-turned-winemaker has used successfully ever since! Since the first vintage in 1998, Joseph DeMaria has left his mark as being the only winemaker to specialize exclusively in the production of icewine.

Royal DeMaria icewines are now so well known and highly valued that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II requested 6 bottles during her Jubilee Visit to Canada in 2002. Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group visited the winery in September 2003 and Royal DeMaria Riesling Icewine was served at the G8 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan in 2008

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