Mary McDermott

Winemaker, Sommelier, Explorer. Mary’s wine journey began as a Sommelier at Niagara’s fine dining restaurant, Inn on the Twenty, while finishing her Bachelor of Science in Oenology and Viticulture at Brock University. Obtaining her first taste of winemaking, she landed at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s prestigious Stratus Vineyards as Cellar hand and then assistant cellarmaster at Cave Spring Cellars. Soon thereafter, Mary joined Niagara’s premier winery family, Peller Estates premium wineries; Trius Winery at Hillebrand and Thirty Bench as their winemaker. A desire to pursue a lifelong dream of crafting quality wines in the picturesque Okanagan Valley prompted Mary’s move in 2014 to B.C.’s renowned Naramata Bench as winemaker for Township 7 Vineyards & Winery. Now with multiple vineyards to oversee, two locations for Township 7, and many small lot wines to craft, Mary is a calm and collected wealth of winemaking knowledge. She believes winemaking starts in the vineyard and works closely with our viticulture team recognizing the nuances of each site. She and her husband are intrepid travelers, having visited wine regions across the globe. Fittingly, Mary’s wine philosophy: each bottle should take you somewhere, and express where it came from.