The name Leaning Post represents the essence of our project. Just as grapes can’t grow on their own, they need the support of posts and wires.
Nadia and Ilya have had to rely on the support of family, friends and financial institutions to make the dream of owning a winery a reality. Leaning Post began as a virtual winery and is so proud to now have the quaint tasting room at 1491 Hwy 8 on their home property in Winona, Ontario.
Ilya and Nadia are the brains and passion behind Leaning Post Wines. It started with a dream to take unique, interesting single vineyard blocks in Niagara and turn them into distinctive, terroir driven wines. Nadia and Ilya first met in their hometown of Winnipeg, MB where their passion for wine and each other was born.
Ilya has been a winemaker in the Niagara Region for the last 17 vintages working at Daniel Lenko Estate Winery, Foreign Affair and now at Leaning Post Wines. Ilya is also a consulting winemaker at the Good Earth Winery. Ilya’s true passion in life is to make world renowned wines from Niagara that really showcase the distinct terroir that Niagara offers.
Nadia fell in love with wine a short time after falling for Ilya. She spent the first part of her career as a banker, Controller and VP Operations, all the while dreaming about working along side her husband at the winery. Nadia left the corporate world and has recently joined the team full time. You can find Nadia in the tasting room or in the office trying to take some of the pressure off Ilya and make his equipment requests a reality.
Ilya and Nadia have three children, Yuri (8), Ruslan (5) and Luba (2). You can often find them riding their bikes and chasing the chickens on the property.