W I N E RY P R O F I L E
always an experimental something-or-other
planted.”
While 99 per cent of the winery’s
grapes are estate-grown, in certain years
they have occasionally bought from trusted
growers in the province, most recently
white grapes, which aren’t a big part of the
CARONE vineyard portfolio.
In 2019, the family branched out and
began making grape-based spirits, too,
marketed under the brand names Black
Raven (gin), Utica (eau de vie) and Brereton,
inspired by a family member’s homemade
rum recipe.
“We embrace all alcoholic beverages
equally,” Hoodspith said with a laugh.
Despite a growing list of accolades,
the region where CARONE is located is
not yet renowned for its grape-growing or
winemaking. Lanoraie, the town closest to
the winery, is one of Quebec’s oldest and
was originally famous for its tobacco farms.
As tobacco has decreased in popularity,
those original farm families have looked for
alternatives. Rather than plant low-profit
crops such as potatoes and onions, they’re
increasingly switching to vineyards, even
adapting old tobacco equipment to use in
the vineyards.
“Our region has not been known
or marketed much as a wine region,”
Hoodspith said. “But it is considered the
green belt of Quebec, and it’s incredibly
strong in agriculture.”
The first Wine Growers Canada
member from Quebec, CARONE has long
seen the value in having a membership
in the national organization. Anthony
Carone, the company’s current president,
winemaker and distiller, is a former Wine
Growers Canada board member and was
also on the executive committee.
“We’re not as active as in the past, but
we still value our membership,” Hoodspith
said. “It gives such insight beyond the
Quebec borders. It gives us a national scope
and an idea of what could be achieved in
terms of wine in Canada.”
The corporate structure at CARONE
has been fairly simple since Day 1.
Pina and Pietro were born in Italy;
Pina’s family grows grapes, while Pietro
sold wine before immigrating to Canada in
the 1960s.
Their son, Anthony, grew up
making wine alongside his father, while
Hoodspith, his wife and business partner, is
vice president of the company.
Everyone in the family plays a role,
including the couple’s three children:
Victoria, Olivia and Katrina Carone, as well
as Anthony’s mother.
“Anthony takes care of everything
up until the wine is in the bottle,”
Hoodspith said. “But I select the bottle
and I take over after that.” She handles
the winery’s branding, marketing, sales
and communications.
With an eye to the future, but a nod
to their deep Italian roots, CARONE’s
environmental sustainability initiatives
include using equipment instead of
chemicals, glass bottles instead of plastic
and cork closures instead of plastic-lined
screwcaps. “We’ve always used cork
because it’s from a sustainable tree and it’s
recyclable,” she said.
The family contributes to local
non-profit organizations and charities,
including local food bank programs, toy
Just as they had done in their
Montreal garden, they decided
to plant a few grape vines, too.
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