Our Story
The Family Farm
What originally started out as reclaiming the MacMillan family farm, has evolved into a family run vineyard and winery. In 1792, John Roy MacMillan immigrated to Canada from Scotland with his two brothers and in 1793 was granted 200 acres of forest near Lochiel in Glengarry County. This was one of several Scottish immigrations to the area since the conclusion of the American Revolution and the area today remains rich with Scottish history, and is known as Ontario’s Celtic Heartland.
A beautiful stone house was built on the property in the early 1800’s with money John Roy earned from his military service, including in the war of 1812, and farming endeavours. In 1841, the 200-acre farm was split into two parcels, thereby enabling two of John Roy’s sons (of 13 siblings) to farm 100 acres. The farm comprising the west half remained in the MacMillan family in succeeding generations of sons until 1921, when it was sold. In the ensuing 87 years, the farm was successively owned by six different families. In 2008, Craig MacMillan, an eighth-generation descendant of John Roy, privately purchased the farm from the owners with his wife Joanne.
The previous owners had planted a small vineyard comprised of two rows and 16 varieties of cool and cold climate experimental grapes. After working with the grapes and making wine for a few years the vision of a vineyard and winery on the property began to grow.
Stonehouse Vineyard is a five-acre vineyard, situated in a park like setting, producing cold climate grapes, ideally suited for the Eastern Ontario region. In addition to a beautiful stone house, a large timber and beam barn is a prominent feature on our property and provides scenic views of the surrounding vineyard and farmlands. The barn has been renovated to pay homage to the Scottish history of the property and region and is the site of our winery and store.
Stonehouse vineyard is a small family business run by Craig and Joanne with the help of their two children, Lindsey and Ewen Roy.