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鈥淭he VQA panel has rejected our Rieslings for being oxidative and reductive, and I don鈥檛 think they鈥檙e either of these things,鈥� says Brent Rowland, the passionate and articulate Australian winemaker who joined the team about 18 months ago. 鈥淭he tasting panel is simply trying to articulate something they鈥檙e not familiar with and turning to their repertoire of terms.鈥�

VQA stands for Vintners Quality Alliance, the provincial regulatory authority meant to guarantee quality and authenticity in wine. Without VQA approval, a wine can鈥檛 be widely exported. Nor is it eligible for a key rebate when sold in restaurants. In short, without it, a winery is put at a major disadvantage.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not making the Cosmopolitan magazine of wines made with genetically modified yeast then fined and filtered; we鈥檙e making natural wines with all of the wrinkles and cellulite and everything else 鈥� from beginning to end,鈥� insists Rowland. 鈥淎nd the VQA panel isn鈥檛 used to tasting that, so they鈥檙e calling it a fault. I call it flavour.鈥�

Pearl Morissette is a partnership between Quebec-born, Burgundy-trained Fran莽ois Morissette and the deep-pocketed, Toronto-based developer Mel Pearl. So it would seem they have the resources to dabble and explore.

鈥淲e are seen as rebels and black sheep all the time, but we like to be leaders. Pioneers,鈥� says Morissette, unsmiling. He never seems to smile.

鈥淎fter the VQA had rejected our 2010 Riesling repeatedly, Mel told me we had been blackballed,鈥� Morissette told me at the winery over a glass of the most recently rejected 2014 riesling. Which by the way was pretty good juice.

It was a bit atypical, yes. Slightly more orange than lime or peach in character maybe, but with the classic seam of steely acidity for which Riesling is known. It tasted quite concentrated and clean with the potential to develop more complexity with time. Frankly, I was pretty impressed.

To be fair, typicity is fairly important with wine. When you buy a bottle of say, Riesling, you want it to taste a certain way. Riesling, you think, should probably be lime-scented and crisp, maybe a bit like stone fruit if it was grown in a warm place. But the argument from Rowland is that VQA鈥檚 idea of typicity is too narrow.

But I digress. The point is, Pearl Morissette capitalized on being blackballed. They painted their winery and on-site event space black. They launched a wine club called The Black Ball Wine Society, which is free to join and gives members access to rare wines and tastings 鈥� and will in time include larger dinner events. And they are replacing the would-be VQA seal with an image of a blackball on VQA rejected wines.

So far, the VQA has rejected Pearl Morissette鈥檚 2010, 2012, and 2014 Ontario Rieslings but the panel has approved its Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, which are quite delicious.

Pearl Morissette wines can be tasted by appointment at the winery only. Tastings are available weekends at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and are free of charge but capped at 10 people. Expect just a tasting with the winemaker in the winery and the chance to buy bottles; there is no fancy restaurant or vineyard tour available yet. But they鈥檙e working on that.

So book online at , plan a trip and go. But don’t expect the winery to be easy to find; it’s not. The property has no sign and is located off the beaten path in Jordan Station, Lincoln. Like Pokemon Go for grown-ups, you’ll need to find the tiny address sign that reads 3953 Jordan Road. And maybe watch for the black buildings.

Remember, this is not the glossy Cosmo wine experience you get elsewhere but it鈥檚 not about that. It鈥檚 about tasting Ontario wine made by a small team of mavericks on a mission to find Ontario鈥檚 truest tastes. And there鈥檚 beauty in that.

Carolyn Evans Hammond is the Star鈥檚 wine critic.