Paul Pender
The Canadian wine community was shocked to learn acclaimed winemaker Paul Pender had been murdered on February 3.
Pender was the Director of Viticulture and Winemaking for Tawse Wine and Spirits and Redstone Winery, the company said in a statement.
“Paul died unexpectedly under tragic circumstances,” the statement said. “We will all miss him more than words can express. He was not just our manager but our good friend as well.”
The 54-year-old winemaker was pronounced dead at his cottage in Selkirk, Ontario, just west of Niagara Falls. Bradley House of Hamilton, 31, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Pender leaves behind several children and grandchildren, and his wife Allison Findlay, who works as the winemaker at local winery Flat Rock Cellars.
Pender joined the winery in 2005 and became the head winemaker soon after in 2006.
In a tribute to his skill as a viticulturalist and winemaker, Tawse was named Canadian Winery of the Year four times between 2010 and 2016; a rare honor.
As well, Pender himself was named as winemaker of the year in 2011 by the Ontario Wine Awards.
Pender also led the winery to become a leader in sustainability, adhering to a ‘non-interventionist’ approach to winemaking, and introducing chickens and goats that graze in the Tawse vineyards.
Other winemakers in the region recalled him as a mentor, who became an important early advocate for biodynamic and organic grape growing.