Book Launch: The Winemaker's Gamble

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Join NOTL author Jill Troyer to hear about her new book. "The Winemaker's Gamble."

From ridicule to recognition: the story of Canadian wine and the man who led the charge.

In 1962, Paul Bosc fled war-torn Algeria with a suitcase, a dog, and a passion for wine rooted in the vineyards of France. When he arrived in Canada, Niagara’s wine scene was dominated by hybrid grapes and low expectations. What followed was nothing short of revolutionary.

The Winemaker’s Gamble tells the story of how one man’s vision—to grow European vinifera grapes in a region everyone said was too cold—laid the foundation for Canada’s modern wine industry. More than a personal biography, this is a story of entrepreneurial grit, agricultural innovation, and the birth of a new global contender in premium wine production.

From early struggles with unforgiving winters to decades of innovation, mentorship, and resistance to compromise, Bosc shaped not only Niagara’s vineyards but also the culture, regulations, and markets that define Canadian wine today.

As global trade disruptions and shifting consumer tastes reshape the industry once again, Niagara is seizing new opportunities on the world stage. Bosc’s gamble, rooted in quality, sustainability, and faith in the land, is still paying off.

Jill Troyer lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake where she is immersed in her twin passions of writing and wine. An award-winning journalist with more than 50 honours in both broadcast and print, she has completed the advanced WSET Level 3 certification and writes regularly about Niagara’s wine industry for The Lake Report.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing by the author.

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Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum

We passionately collect, preserve, research, promote, and bring to life the history of Niagara-on-the-Lake and its communities for people of all ages and stages of their lives to engage with, learn, and celebrate that history.

We are Niagara-on-the-Lake’s museum, connecting the past to the present for people to inform and build their futures.