Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to pay tribute to the Pillitteri Estates Winery, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Founded by my friend Gary Pillitteri, former Liberal member of Parliament for Niagara Falls, the Pillitteri Estates Winery has become the world's largest estate producer of icewine.
The Pillitteri Estates Winery has its roots in Sicily, where Gary helped his father and grandfather tend the vines on the family farm. In 1948, Gary came to Canada, and he married Lena Agro in 1960.
In 1965, the Pillitteris bought a farm and settled down to raise their family, but their dream of opening a winery remained strong. In 1988, Gary won a gold medal for his icewine in Niagara's amateur wine competition and knew he could make his dream come true, but only with the commitment of his family. With Gary and Lena's children Charles, Connie, Lucy, son-in-law Jamie and grandson Richard forming the executive team, the Pillitteri Estates Winery is indeed a family affair. Even the grandkids chip in when school lets out in the summer.
As a visitor to the Pillitteri Estates Winery, I can attest that this is a Canadian success story and a tribute to the power of dreaming big, the devotion of family and decades of hard work.
[Member spoke in Italian as follows:]
Tanti auguri alla famiglia Pillitteri.