The wines I talked about with John Tory are as follows
Sullyzwicker White 2010 – $14.95 – LCBO 214478
Sandbanks Shoreline Red (Cabernet/Merlot) 2010 – $14.95 – LCBO 159962
Norman Hardie Unfiltered Pinot Noir 2010 – $35.00 – Vintages 125310
The way I have been reviewing wine is simply put, if I don’t like it I’m not going to talk about it. Keeping that in mind, I just returned from my first visit to Prince Edward County. My experience with the County has been completely by the bottle. Wines I had already enjoyed from the region were Baco Noir from Sandbanks, and of course the Sullyzwicker White from Rosehall Run. I frequently make trips to Niagara-on-the-Lake and spend a lot of time visiting the wineries around Beamsville and arrived in the county eager to see what they had to offer.
There is a lot to be seen and experienced in the County. Right when you arrive there is a vibe that you get from the region that something exciting is going on there. I had a chance to stay at Wellington Willows, a Bed and Breakfast in Wellington (http://www.bbcanada.com/8129.html /). I have never stayed in a Bed and Breakfast before, but I have to say I really enjoyed the experience. I was very busy the whole week leading up to my stay, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing when have trouble falling asleep because it’s so quiet it’s almost eerie.
I had a chance to check out some of the “fine dining” in Wellington. Take it from me, growing up in Saskatchewan, and spending many years in small towns, “fine dining” outside of big cities does not exist! We ate at East and Main Bistro (http://eastandmain.ca/) right up the street from the Bed and Breakfast. The restaurant has a very good, diverse menu. The wine list was exceptional and featured primarily wines that were produced in the region. One thing that I found interesting was that while it was “fine dining” the food still had a homemade quality to it. East and Main had the sort of ambiance that is elusive under the shadow of the CN Tower.
The next Day I had a chance to visit seven of the county’s approximately thirty wineries. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the vibe that you get from the people working at the wineries is different than anywhere else. There is almost a sense of aggressive pride… but not quite cocky. Let’s just say the people know they are making good wine, and they are enthusiastic to share it. I won’t list the highlights here … to hear those you will have to tune in on Sundays at 8:45 am on Newstalk 1010 in the coming weeks. But I have no shortage of content for the coming weeks. Here is a list of all the wineries I had a chance to visit. I am looking forward to my next visit.
Wineries Visited:
Keint-He Winery www.keint-he.ca 613-399-5308
49 Hubbs Creek Road Wellington, Ontario
Sandbanks Estate Winery www.sandbankswinery.com 613-399-1839
17598 Loyalist Parkway Wellington, Ontario
Rosehall Run Vineyards www.rosehallrun.com 613-399-1183
1243 Greer Road Hillier, Ontario
Casa-Dea Estates Winery www.casadeaestates.com 613-399-3939
1186 Greer Road Hillier, Ontario
Norman Hardie Winery www.normanhardie.com 613-399-5297
1152 Greer Road Hillier, Ontario
The Grange of Prince Edward www.grangeofprinceedward.com 866-792-7712
990 Closson Road Hillier, Ontario
Closson Chase Vineyards www.clossonchase.com 613-399-1418
629 Closson Road Hillier, Ontario
