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The Best County Wine Tips for 2020

Aug 31, 2020

We’re busy rounding up the best wine experiences for the 2021 season. Meanwhile, here’s a taste of what you can expect.

There’s plenty of change in the world these days, but this we know for sure: County wine is here for you. The winegrowers are working harder than ever to grow, produce and serve wines that delight both curious sippers and hard-core oenophiles.  

We want you to make the most of your County wine time. Read on for pro-tips on winery visits, finding County wine at local restos, practising your at-home tasting skills and more.  There are enough ideas below to fill a weekend, so book your accommodations early and start planning!

Choosing wisely at The Grange of Prince Edward’s tasting bar. Photo by Daniel Vaughan.

County Wineries Year Round

Summer

Summer at County wineries can be electric. Wineries are [physically-distantly] full of folks eager to taste the latest releases and find their new favourite bottle. Girl gangs and bromances take selfies in front of the vines. Serious sippers find a quiet corner to swirl and taste.  

Fall

As the summer turns to fall, and fall to winter, the winery vibes relax into an intimate experience. Chances are, the person serving you in the tasting room is also the winemaker, vineyard manager or owner. The quieter months offer a unique opportunity to chat with your pourer and hear the stories behind the wine.  

In late September or October you can see the vineyard in action. Some wineries invite the public to participate in harvesting parties, picking grapes and watching the crush. Join in Wassail events in November and December to celebrate the end of the growing season and putting the vines to bed for the winter.

Three women enjoy wine in the winter outside.
Enjoying a winter winery event at Hinterland Winery. Photo by Robbie Garden.

Winter

January and February offer dramatic views of snow-covered vineyards. Vinterfest offers special events at the wineries on the Family Day weekend. Try snowshoeing through the estates at Sugarbush Vineyards, find an outdoor fire pit, or shake your booty at the annual snow pants dance party at Karlo Estates.

Spring

Early springtime is a sweet time to visit; many wineries take part in Maple in the County each March, including Sugarbush Vineyards, Waupoos Estates Winery and Three Dog Winery who each have sugar bushes on site. Visit in April or May to hear heroic tales of protecting the Springtime buds from the last frosts of the season.

Wine, sugar bush and dog-friendly vibes on offer at Three Dog Winery.

Regardless of when you visit, you’ll have the very best experience at County wineries if you remember these tips:

  • To start, check the Prince Edward County Winegrowers’ Association website for a map and up to date listings;
  • Then call ahead or send a DM to check opening hours and whether reservations are necessary;
  • Plan for 3-4 wineries in a day, with stops for snacks and lunch;
  • Bring your own refillable water bottle to stay hydrated and rinse your palate;
  • Designate your driver – whether it’s a member of your party or one of The County’s tour operators;
  • And finally, heed the COVID-19 travel tips and pay close attention to signs and instructions at each winery.

And remember: a tasting is nice, but a bottle is better. There’s no better way to thank a winemaker for their year-round efforts than to walk away with a bottle or two in your bag.

Charcuterie and County wine.
Creative charcuterie at the restaurant at Waupoos Estates Winery.

Winery Dining

From gourmet hot dog carts to farm-to-table restaurants, County wineries have a variety of food offerings to keep you fuelled.

For a sit-down lunch or dinner, check out the gazebo restaurant at Waupoos Estates Winery. This Feast On certified resto features estate grown produce, proteins from their farm, and of course their estate grown wines. La Pergola restaurant at Casa Dea offers Italian cuisine at their restaurant and patio overlooking their vines.

Wood fired pizza and wine are a match made in heaven. Stop in at Norman Hardie Winery for their popular wood-fired, thin crust pizza. Hillier Creek Estates serves their ‘za on the prettiest creek side patio. Three Dog Winery in Sophiasburgh offers wood fired pizza on weekends, including gluten-free options. For authentic Italian ingredients and a traditional dough recipe, visit Tony at TerraCello. Next door neighbours Huff Estates offer wood fired pizza and wine by the glass at their contemporary tasting room. Closer to Picton, head to Black Prince Winery and sample one of six gourmet pizzas on their pergola covered patio.

County wine is a perfect match for wood fired pizza at Black Prince Winery.

Craving something different? Head to The Grange of Prince Edward for gourmet hot dogs served by Old Salt Cocktails, or visit the hand-made pasta bar at The Old Third Vineyard. Enjoy a pretty drive to Cressy and visit Cape Vineyards who offer a farm market and traditional English pastys from the County Pasty Co. Vegans and vegetarians can get their fill at Karlo Estates Winery, who serve plant-based picnic boxes.

Just need a snack? In that case, make a perfect wine and cheese pairing at Lighthall Vineyards. Artisanal gouda, manchego, cheddar, brie and more are made onsite by the winemaker.

The County’s wineries shake up their food offerings regularly and host pop-ups, food trucks, culinary events and more. You’ll want to check in with your favourites and plan your perfect wine and food combo.

County wines star on the Drake Devonshire wine list. Photo by Johnny CY Lam.

Top Notch County Wine Lists

You’ll be hard pressed to find a County restaurant without local wine on the list. Some restos have gone a step further offering excellent County wine programs – either exclusively local lists, or a big County focus with knowledgeable servers who can recommend the right pairing.  

Staying near Wellington? If so, you could make a reservation at East and Main Bistro, a County mainstay. They focus on local wines to pair with a luxury comfort food. Also in the village, The Drake Devonshire offers a wine by the glass menu that is stacked with County classics with house wine on tap from Rosehall Run. Around the corner on Main Street, La Condesa matches their authentic Mexican menu with an all-County wine list.

The Merrill House offers an extensive cellar with a County wine focus.

If you find yourself in Picton, you have plenty of options. The Merrill House in Picton, for example, has an extensive cellar of wines with dozens of County bottles and wine by the glass. The in-house Wine Director Astrid Young is well versed in local wines and offers tasting experiences as well. Another Picton haunt, The County Canteen, offers an exclusively County wine list alongside their extensive Ontario craft beer offerings and elevated pub fare. Also in Picton, Stella’s Eatery has a County-forward wine list and passionate staff who know how to recommend the perfect bottle.

County wine abounds outside the main towns, too. The Milford in – you guessed it – Milford, offers a tight but thoughtful County wine list to pair with its comfort food menu.

County Wine + County Take Out

2020 is the year of takeout, and you can easily elevate your take out experience with a bottle of County wine. To that end, we asked a few local restaurateurs what they would recommend with their star take-out dishes.

Chef Guerin Sykes at The Marans delivers a perfect pairing for their all-County wine list.

Chef Guerin Sykes from The Marans suggests pairing Closson Chase‘s Vineyard 2018 Pinot Noir with his popular Mapo tofu with braised Walt’s Sugar Shack pork.  “The touch of spice on the nose of the Pinot Noir brings out the warm cinnamon and Schezwan peppercorn aromas wafting from the plate,” says Sykes. “The extra-dry, light flavour of the wine compliments the pork in this dish by cutting through its richness.”

The Bloomfield Public House Market’s cooler – stocked with County beverages to be paired with Judy’s Original Fried Chicken.

Laura Borutski of the Bloomfield Public House Market has got the perfect match for their classic take out dish. Try Judy’s Original Fried Chicken plus Lightall Vineyard‘s The Fence sparkling rose. “This go-to County wine is one of our best sellers,” she says. “We like it because it cuts through the richness and pairs beautifully with the spices in the chicken. It finishes crisp, dry and refreshing.” Grab the chicken from the patio restaurant and the wine from the on-site Market.  

Pair La Condesa’s Mushroom Taco with Rosehall Run’s Unoaked Chardonnay

Chef Samantha Valdivia of La Condesa pairs two of her popular take out dishes with Rosehall Run‘s Unoaked Chardonnay: the Mushroom Taco with poblanos, queso fresco and pumpkin seeds, and the Ceviche Tostada with lime-cured seafood, cilantro, tomato and guac. “The Unoaked Chardonnay is the perfect pairing for our ceviche and our mushroom taco,” she says. “The refreshing citrus with the floral Chardonnay makes it a perfect match!”

There are endless possibilities when it comes to pairing County wine and County takeout. Many restaurants can sell wine by the bottle with takeout, providing one stop shopping at its best!

At Home Winery Experience

Play sommelier at home and craft a County tasting experience in the comfort of your own space. If your overnight digs don’t come with quality wine glasses, treat yourself to some new stemware at Zest Kitchen Shop or Susan’s Kitchen Drawer at Cooke’s Fine Foods. Once you have your drinking vessels arranged, have some water on hand to cleanse your palate, some classic wine snacks like chocolate, cheese and nuts, and pens and paper for taking notes.  

Picking the perfect bottle at Trail Estates. Photo by Daniel Vaughan.

Whether you pick up your County bottles at the LCBO or direct from County wineries, you’ll want to have a theme in mind. Maybe you’ll taste a few crisp whites and explore The County’s cool climate Chardonnay. Indulge in a flight of estate grown Pinot Noir to really taste The County terroir. Maybe bubbles are in order (The County offers many styles of sparkling wine).  You could try a white, rose and red from the same vineyard. You could do the tastings “blind” by concealing the labels, for added layer of fun.  

Now pour, swirl, sniff and sip. Don’t worry about doing it right, all that matters is that you enjoy the experience and have fun. Compare tasting notes – what do you see, smell and taste? There are no wrong answers. There are plenty of tips online for at-home tastings, so do a quick Google and set yourself up to explore!

Salut!

Perfect Autumn sunset at Closson Chase Vineyard. Photo by Jenny Thompson.

Questions, corrections or comments? Email the author.

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Prince Edward County β„οΈπŸ·πŸ½οΈπŸ
March isn’t over but with all of the delicious M March isn’t over but with all of the delicious Maple Festivities we couldn’t wait to share a recap so far.

BIG thanks to all of our lovely, hardworking local maple syrup producers and maple supporters. 🍁 

Every year March gets sweeter and sweeter so make sure you plan a visit to Prince Edward County during maple season next year.

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#PrinceEdwardCounty #PEC #CountyUp #DiscoverON #VisitTheCounty #SouthEasternOntario #TheCounty #BayOfQuinte #DiscoverOntario #Picton #SandbanksPP #VisitPEC #ExperienceTheCounty #MapleSyrup #March
Mark your calendars! This year's Waterfalls Tour Mark your calendars!

This year's Waterfalls Tour event is on April 8 & 9 from 11am - 4pm each day. A family friendly event organized by the Rotary Club of Picton to take in the beauty of two of Prince Edward County's picturesque waterfalls. Big thanks to the land owner's of Jackson Falls and Cape Vessey Falls for welcoming us all.⁠
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Entry is by donation in support of Back the Build, Ukraine Relief and other projects of the Rotary Club of Picton. ⁠

Enjoy a short hike outdoors with your friends, family or simply, just your camera.

Picture by Robbie Garden.⁠

For more information please visit https://pictonrotary.ca/page/waterfalls-tour

#PrinceEdwardCounty #PEC #CountyUp #DiscoverON #VisitTheCounty #SouthEasternOntario #TheCounty #BayOfQuinte #DiscoverOntario #Picton #Waterfalls #VisitPEC #outdoors
We will soon be in full bloom. 🌼 Let us know i We will soon be in full bloom. 🌼

Let us know in the comments πŸ‘‡πŸΌ the bloom you are looking forward to most. We are already dreaming up sunflowers over here.

This spring image in the County captured by @kassandramelnykphoto 
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#PrinceEdwardCounty #PEC #CountyUp #DiscoverON #VisitTheCounty #SouthEasternOntario #TheCounty #BayOfQuinte #DiscoverOntario #Picton #OutDoors #VisitPEC #ExperienceTheCounty #Spring #flowers
Finding colour & beauty despite the weather today. Finding colour & beauty despite the weather today. A grey day is all how you look at it. πŸ’›
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#PrinceEdwardCounty #PEC #CountyUp #DiscoverON #VisitTheCounty #SouthEasternOntario #TheCounty #BayOfQuinte #DiscoverOntario #Picton #SandbanksPP #VisitPEC #ExperienceTheCounty #travelphotography
🍽️ A Delicious Giveaway 🍽️ We're three 🍽️ A Delicious Giveaway 🍽️

We're three weeks away from Countylicious and to count down we're giving away $100 to each of our 16 participating Countylicious restaurants. 
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Comment on the post below and mention who you would want to take out for a Countylicious meal at one of the five following restaurants: ⁠
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🍽 Chef Sean Finnerty of @parsonsbrewing has worked up delicious $30 Lunch and $60 dinner menus featuring dishes such as Concinita Bibil Torta and Elote Caesar.

🍽 At @jacksonsfallscountryinn, Chef Chris Wylie has developed a $20 Lunch menu that can be enjoyed on weekends throughout Countylicious. If you struggle to choose between sweet and savoury brunches, this is the menu for you. 
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🍽 Chef Amanda Ray of @drakedevonshire is serving up an inventive $60 dinner menu with spring-inspired dishes like Mushroom & Leek Mezzaluna and Honey Chamomile Pannacotta. 
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🍽 At @pastaonesta Chef Martin Brzozowski's $20 lunch and $45 dinner menus will transport you straight to Italy with dishes like Focaccia with mortadella, arugula and fior di latte, and Rigatoni with quanciale, pomodoro and pecorino. 
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🍽 Chef Leah Marshall Hannon's $45 dinner menu @stellaseatery features a host of must-try dishes like Braised Bison Brisket and Cedar Crème Brulée. 
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Swipe to see their menus and head to countylicious.ca to book your table! Come back every week for even more restaurant features and giveaways! ⁠
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Content Rules:⁠
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1. Follow @VisitTheCounty on Instagram⁠
2. Like this post⁠
3. Comment and mention a friend. 1 comment with unique mention = 1 entry. Max 5 entries per person.

Winners for each individual giveaway will be contacted via Instagram DM and announced on stories the day following contest closure.⁠ Winners will be assigned a gift card at random from the group of restaurants featured in this giveaway post⁠. Winners will only be contacted by @VisitTheCounty. DMs from any other handles should be considered spam.⁠
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Contest closes March 29 at 11:59pm⁠
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#PrinceEdwardCounty #PEC #CountyUp #DiscoverON #VisitTheCounty #SouthEasternOntario #TheCounty #BayOfQuinte #DiscoverOntario #Picton #SandbanksPP #VisitPEC #countylicious
🍁 Maple in The County is back! 🍁 Maple seas 🍁 Maple in The County is back! 🍁

Maple season is in full swing and the celebrations in Prince Edward County will culminate in the long-awaited return of Maple in The County from March 25-26, 2023. Featuring 5 local sugarbushes and a host of local businesses, Maple in The County is a wonderful outing for the whole family. Come on out to tour a sap house, enjoy a pancake breakfast, walk through the maple woods, and so much more. Head to mapleinthecounty.ca for more information and to plan your Maple in The County route! 

Participating Sugarbushes: 

Sweetwater Cabin / Hubbs Sugarbush
Fosterholm Farms
Vader's Maple Syrup @vadersmaple 
Roblin's Maple Syrup @roblins.maple 
Loha Farms @lohafarms 

πŸ“· by Ramesh Pooran of the Wellington Times

#PrinceEdwardCounty #PEC #CountyUp #DiscoverON #VisitTheCounty #SouthEasternOntario #TheCounty #BayOfQuinte #DiscoverOntario #Picton #SandbanksPP #VisitPEC #mapleinthecounty
🌱 Spring Countylicious 🌱 Countylicious is b 🌱 Spring Countylicious 🌱

Countylicious is back for spring from April 12 - May 1, 2023! Come out to The County for three weeks of prix fixe dining at restaurants you know, love, and have been dying to try. Stay tuned as we reveal menus and gift card giveaway from all 16 participating restaurants: 

@flameandsmith 
@7numberspicton 
@bloomfieldpublichouse 
@555brewingco 
@parsonsbrewing 
@pastaonesta 
@theroyalhotelpicton 
@TheWaringHouse 
@DrakeDevonshire 
@MerrillHouse1879 
@JacksonsFallsCountryInn 
@BocadoPEC 
@MatronFineBeer 
@StellasEatery 
@HartleysTavern 
@waupoosestatesrestaurant 

Head to http://countylicious.ca/ today to start planning your Countylicious experience.

#PrinceEdwardCounty #PEC #CountyUp #DiscoverON #VisitTheCounty #SouthEasternOntario #TheCounty #BayOfQuinte #DiscoverOntario #Picton #SandbanksPP #VisitPEC #Countylicious
🍁 Maple & More 🍷 Wondering what to do in Th 🍁 Maple & More 🍷

Wondering what to do in The County this March? Check out our latest blog for a round-up of everything you can see and do this month, from indulging in maple treats at local sugar bushes and eateries with @maplemadnesspec  and @mapleinthecounty, to tasting wines at the inaugural Γ‰levage: PEC Winter Wine Festival hosted by @pecwine , and everything in between. We've also included a preview of what you can expect next month (hint: it's de-LICIOUS πŸ˜‰).

Link in bio πŸ‘†

Image description: Sweetwater Cabin at Hubbs Sugar Bush, Maple in The County participant, taken by Karen Palmer. Above the image is a banner which reads "Experience Maple & More in The County this March." 

 #PrinceEdwardCounty #PEC #CountyUp #DiscoverON #VisitTheCounty #SouthEasternOntario #TheCounty #BayOfQuinte #DiscoverOntario #Picton #SandbanksPP #VisitPEC #MapleInTheCounty #MapleMadnessPEC #elevagepec #pecwine #MarchinTheCounty
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