Rigby Orchards Ltd. has just received a pair of new 1,000-litre tanks, bringing its total up to four. The move will actually triple Rigby's capacity as three different batches will be able to be worked on at one time, said Grant Rigby, its owner.
Unlike traditional wineries, Rigby uses a combination of raspberries, black currents and honey, rather than grapes, to produce its four different recipes.
Rigby grows raspberries and black currents on his farm near Killarney, located about two hours southwest of Winnipeg, and sources his honey from another Manitoba producer, Bee Maid Honey Ltd. He ferments the raw material, bottles the liquid one at a time and carefully places a label by hand on each one.
He said his wines are popular with Manitobans because they can appreciate the unique ingredients.
from Western Investor, January 2011
