Bear River Vineyards

History in our roots. Growth in our future.

Shop now

History in our roots

The first vines in Nova Scotia were planted along the shores of Bear River in 1611 by French settlers. They recognized the warm and sheltered microclimate unique to Bear River was ideal for grapes. Almost four centuries later the original founder of our vineyard recognized that was still the case and planted vinifera not previously grown in Nova Scotia such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Gamay. Today our small vineyard is a mix of these tender varietals growing alongside other vinifera and hardier hybrids.

Growth in our future

We invite you to join us at Bear River Vineyards to experience the history that has shaped our beautiful property and to share in our anticipation as we expand our vineyard and our portfolio. In the last few seasons we have worked hard to replant the vineyard up to its original capacity of just under six acres, with many of the vines being propagated in our greenhouse. We also added in new varieties, both here and at our secondary vineyard on Clementsvale Road. In keeping with the long standing tradition at Bear River Vineyards of growing vinifera not common to Nova Scotia we even added a few Gewürtztraminer just for fun, not enough to make a stand alone wine, but enough to add unique detail in a blend. We are excited to expand our production further in the coming years, as our all of our new vines continue to mature.