“Born into a winemaking family of twelve generations,” says the Reif Estate Winery website, “Klaus W. Reif may have had his future preordained.”
No kidding!
Thirteen generations of one family doing the same thing for a living?
It’s like something in a novel.
Like thirteen generations of butchers, bakers or candle-stick makers.
What is it like? I wondered.
**
Klaus Reif is president of Canadian winery Reif Estate.
But his childhood home and vineyard are in Neustadt, Germany.
“Growing up in a winemaking family was a fun time, maybe the best time of my life. Since my early childhood I loved working with my father in the vineyard and the winery. Home was a great place. My parents had the incredible ability to integrate us kids into the winery business as a natural extension of our family life.”
In 1978, Klaus visited his uncle Eward in Niagara on…
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Cynthia Reyes 
All those generations of family and tradition…I think it’s wonderful. My grandfather split from his family tradition and went his own way doing something completely different. I often wonder what our lives would have been like if he hadn’t.
I wonder what it’s like to be the one who decides to do something completely different.
I never thought about Canadian wine, but of course there is lots of wine made in upstate NY, so it makes sense.
Four regions particularly have been scooping up international wine awards: Niagara region, Pelee Island and Prince Edward County — all in Ontario — and British Columbia wines have been making a name for themselves. I remember a time when we wouldn’t buy Canadian wines, so I am happy to see them holding their own at home and abroad.