Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario- Pillitteri Estates Winery is so honoured to be Niagara-on-the-Lake’s 2016 Company of the Year. The Spirit of Niagara Awards Ceremony in partnership with the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce made the announcement at a ceremony held at Queens Landing on Tuesday February 2nd. The Pillitteri family moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1965 and Pillitteri Estates Winery has been a proud member of the community for 23 years.
Gary Pillitteri along with his wife Lena, their children Connie, Lucy and Charlie opened the winery in 1993 on Niagara Stone Road. They began as a small winery with 3,500 case production and over the past 23 years the winery has grown to produce 100,000 cases of wine annually. There are 8 family members managing the winery with over 40 full time employees. Well known as the largest estate winery producer of Icewine and the eighth largest winery in Canada. Pillitteri has gained international attention as a premium wine producer.
“The entire Pillitteri family is thrilled to be honoured by our community as Company of the Year. Having raised my family in Niagara-on-the-Lake and operating our family winery here for more than 20 years, we have always felt the tremendous support of the community. Knowing we have their support allows us to take our business globally and share our homegrown product with the world. I would like to thank our amazing staff for their hard work, we think of them all as an extended part of our family and share this award with them.” – Gary Pillitteri, Owner and Proprietor
This award follows, a series of recent accolades for the family. In September 2015, Gary Pillitteri’s son-in-law Jamie Slingerland was crowned Niagara’s Grape King for recognition of grape growing excellence. In 2013 the winery received provincial recognition when Premier Kathleen Wynne presented the Food Exporter of the Year Award to Charlie Pillitteri.
The Spirit of Niagara Awards are an annual award ceremony to honour local citizens and businesses which are involved in the community of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Award categories include: company of the year, citizen of the year, excellence in hospitality, extraordinary vision in business, entrepreneur of the year, and community leadership.