WineTalk Radio Welcomes The Foreign Affair Winery!

Len and Marisa Crispino, owners of The Foreign Affair, did what most people only dream: quitting the corporate life, they founded their Niagara winery in 2000 and never looked back.

Join us Saturday, May 2 at 3pm on NewsTalk 1010 to hear their uplifting story of going from a corporate life of suits and ties to boots and jeans on their very own winery.

Missed the show? Listen to the podcast here.

Dream Catchers

If you don’t yet know the story of The Foreign Affair winery, prepare to be inspired, intrigued… and maybe even a little bit jealous of owners Len and Marisa Crispino.

Born in Italy, both moved to Canada as small children. They met in highschool and in the early 90s moved their family back to Italy, where Len worked building Italian and Canadian business relations as the Chief Trade Representative for Ontario.

Stationed in Milan, Len, unbeknownst to the Ontario government, submitted a dozen or so Ontario wines at the prestigious VinItaly. Ontario ended up taking seven out of 13 awards in categories entered.

Moving back to Ontario, Len and Marisa, more in love with the Ontario wine industry than ever before, would often drive from their GTA home to Niagara and dream of owning their own winery.

After Len had a scare with serious health challenges, it was Marisa who said it was time to turn their winery dream into reality.

Be Unreasonable

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists on trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw

Adapting Shaw’s quote as a personal mantra, the Crispino’s used critics’ warnings of failure as fuel for pushing forward with opening The Foreign Affair. Creating Ontario wines with the ripasso method – the style of Amarone – The Foreign Affair was focused on making elegant, robust and powerful wines that were inspired by Italy, but firmly Ontario.

Art in the Bottle – and On It

The Foreign Affair uses distinct labels, taking a famous painting of the Italian country side, and super imposing iconic Canadian animals on it – like moose, bear and Canadian geese. The moose has become so symbolic for the winery that its now part of Foreign Affair’s logo – and you will see it on the highway tourism sign along the QEW directing visitors to the winery.

Wines

Conspiracy 2013, $19.95 – LCBO Vintages Essential 149237 (see our review here)

Gran Q 2010, $150.00 – LCBO Classics Collection 397877

Dream 2012, $29.95 – LCBO Vintages 364380