HARBISON ESTATE WINES

We have made every effort to give our wines the chance to be the best wines they can be.

– Joe and Pat Harbison

Joe and Pat Harbison’s entry into the wine business was anything but typical. Known for his legendary wine cellar, Joe was often called on by various charities to create auction lots or rare and exquisite wines. Culling the best from his cellar, their generosity helped raise much-needed funds for over three decades. Recognizing wine’s importance in fundraising, they decided to produce their own label called JP Harbison with purchased fruit from Oakville. Norm Roby of Decanter Magazine called their project “the ultimate new boutique brand” when just six cases of the first vintage were made available for sale and the rest donated to charity. JP Harbison produced vintages from 1998-to 2007 and generated over $3 million for children’s charities.

The Harbison story was born in 2005, Joe and Pat were fortunate to find a small parcel of land on Oakville’s Eastside and began the development of their winegrowing estate. The site proved ideal for planting Cabernet Sauvignon and sits on the same uplifted alluvial fan and red volcanic dirt as its already famous neighbors. The estate is planted in three small vineyard blocks that yield a total production of approximately 75 cases of Harbison Estate Cabernet Sauvignon each vintage.

Harbison Estate’s winemaker, Jean Hoefliger, has decades of wine industry experience from Bordeaux and South Africa to Spain, Italy, and California. Together, they produce focused and graceful wines from the outstanding terroir on the estate.