At its beginning, given his fledgling winery’s small production, Martin Malivoire supervised winemaking himself. As the next vintages brought higher demands, Martin turned to part-time consulting winemakers. By 1999, with the first Moira Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on the horizon, the time for a fully-committed in-house production team had come.
To lead the team, Martin recruited Ann Sperling, a UC Davis-educated Winemaker with an Okanagan Valley pedigree. Her Assistant was Shiraz Mottiar, an Ontario-born first-class graduate of the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute of Brock University. Ann oversaw the early years as Malivoire tripled production and originated distinctive styles. She was rewarded in 2004 by recognition as Ontario’s Winemaker of the Year.
The following year, as Ann departed for new challenges Shiraz assumed the lead role. More change was to follow as the new winemaking team enrolled the talents of Assistant Winemaker Dan Stouck and Assistant Winemaker Elisa Mazzi. The team, pursuing their own muses, ushered new varieties, styles and equipment into Malivoire’s program as production doubled again. In 2017, Shiraz made Malivoire, for the second time, home to Ontario’s Winemaker of the Year.