Going Sideways in the County
By Margaret Swaine
(Ottawa Citizen, July 9, 2005)
You’ve seen the movie Sideways. Or at least you heard about the romp through the California vineyards by two aging college buddies. Winery visits helped them escape their disappointing lives, find romance – both good and bad – and brought them more adventure than they hoped. You can do your own version just a few hours away in Prince Edward County minus the pretension and illegal activities. The romance is up to you.
The “County” has expanded from a solitary winery in 2000 to nine now open to the public and more on the way. PEC already has a wine route in place, wineries with dining on premises and a “Taste Trail”. All the ingredients for a good weekend cruise through the vineyards of this bucolic virtual island (a canal cuts the isthmus from the mainland).
While today’s wineries are freshly planted, the area has always been an agricultural haven. Its watery surroundings, namely its numerous bays and Lake Ontario, temper the climate just enough for fruit orchards and vegetables. The first wave of European immigrants were Empire Loyalists who settled here over two hundred years ago. By the early 1800’s they were well into farming. A saying of the times was “wheat bought the farm, barley paid the mortgage”. There was even a winery in the 1870’s in Hillier.
The first modern day vineyard was planted in 1993 in Waupoos. The diverse limestone soils are exciting to today’s wine growers – especially those keen on pinot noir and other cool climate varieties. Now there are about 550 acres under vine and a dozen operating wineries. Influential Canadians drawn to pioneer winemaking in this new wine region include chef Jamie Kennedy, winemaker Deborah Paskus, Imax filmmaker James Lahti and TV/film producer Seaton McLean and actress wife Sonja Smits. Still there are some thorns in this bed of roses. The winters can be cold enough to kill vines and the growers often have to bury their plants to protect them. Jeff Innes, the winemaker at The Grange, told me that thanks to the nasty 2004 winter, “Every vine above the dirt is dead.” Spring frost can be as late as mid-May and the first fall frost as early as mid-October. This makes the growing season the shortest of Ontario’s viticultural areas.
Day One. Get off the QEW at Kingston and take the beautiful Loyalist Parkway (Highway 33) to the Glenora Ferry (it runs every 15 minutes and is free). On the other side of the bay, you’ll connect to County Road 7 for a picturesque drive overlooking the waters of Adolphus Reach and loop around onto route 8 to find County Cider Company, the first winery (albeit apple) in the region. Poised atop a limestone shingle ridge, it has great views of South Bay and Waupoos Island.
County Cider Company winery store and tasting room is located in a restored 1832 stone barn. The family house on the property is a Regency style 1837 historical landmark. (The property has an illustrious past. Sir John A Macdonald held the first mortgage on the land.) Take advantage of their million dollar view overlooking Lake Ontario by sipping a cider sitting on their outdoor patio (BBQ light lunches are served). Their delicious hard apple ciders are made from 11 different varieties of apple, six of them European cider apples which add a great complexity and depth of flavour. Their “champagne” method sparkling cider is so good it constantly sells out and the county premium is dry and refreshing. They also make an award winning ice cider, made from apples frozen on the trees and pressed in that state. While cider master Grant Howes and family have tended the orchards for over 25 years, their chardonnay, Geisenheim, zweigelt, pinot noir and gamay grape vines were just planted in 1999. Their first vintage was released in 2002 and wine still is only 10 per cent of the production. After five years experience, Howes feels chardonnay and pinot noir are the best bets because they really respond to his limestone soil.
Down the road from County Cider, in the mouth of Prince Edward Bay overlooking Lake Ontario, is the first grape winery of PEC, Waupoos Estates (Waupoos is an aboriginal word for running rabbit and also means “big chief” in a spiritual way). From the back balcony of the wine store you have a wonderful view of gardens, vineyards and the Lake. “We started the mad wine business here,” said owner Ed Neuser. He bought the property originally as a weekend retreat and since it had an apple orchard he tried his luck with apples. After ten years, in 1992 after a night of pondering about the farm over a bottle of wine or two, he decided vineyards were the way to go. He consulted with friend and Niagara winery owner Klaus Reif and chose his grapes, starting with vidal in 1993 and then trying 12 different varieties to see what would grow. Not only did vines grow but so did tourism. “On a long weekend five years ago we’d see three or four strange cars and wonder what’s happening,” he added noting that now there’s a constant stream of visitors – in the high summer season over 10,000 a month. He sells a healthy 50,000 bottles out of his wine store. The great majority of his wines are from his own vineyards. Join the crowd and taste samples of chardonnay, vidal, St. Laurent, gewürztraminer and baco noir. Young gals and light drinkers are fond of his Honeysuckle, a blend of white hybrids and French Canadians really take to his red hybrid blend called Pearl Noir. Take your lunch in the gazebo shaped restaurant, a separate small building among the vineyards. It seats 60 outside but only 36 inside. Be aware just those with reservations are guaranteed an indoor table if it rains.
Next stop Long Dog Vineyards & Winery named after the owners dachshunds. You’ll find them on Brewers Road just off county road 10, four kilometres south of Milford. They have vineyards of pinot noir, pinot gris, gamay and chardonnay. Half of the production is pinot noir, their specialty – so take note Sideways fans. “We’re still the only winery in the county that produces one hundred per cent from our own vineyards,”
said James Lahti, one of the owners and an IMAX filmmaker. Lahti struggles with getting the best out of the heartbreak grape pinot noir. The 2003 vintage was so difficult “I was ready to shoot myself” he said. However the pinot turned out “not bad at all” he said adding that his 2004 vintage “is spectacular”. While most lost entire fields of pinot noir in the past few brutal winters, Long Dog’s all survived. After seven years tending his vines, Lahti said, “My head’s not in the sand anymore, my canes are. We bury 25,000 vines.” Their tasting room is a beautifully renovated old 1860’s apple barn. Across the road is the winery with its storage area in a former pig barn. His pinot noir and pinot grigio sell fast but he’s also proud of his gamay and his Long Dog rosé, a blend of mainly pinot noir and gamay with ten per cent each of chardonnay and pinot gris.
The final stop of the day is Black Prince Winery located just outside of Picton on the Loyalist Parkway. It’s the brain child of John Sambrook, general manager of The Opimian Society, Canada’s largest wine club founded in 1973. Black Prince is an invented name coming from research on the Royal “Edwards” in British history. Edward “The Black Prince” was the son of King Edward III and a legendary jouster. In his honour the winery holds a jousting show, scheduled to run every year on Father’s Day weekend. This year’s event drew 600 spectators to watch “Knights in armor” try to knock each other off their steeds. Of course the Black Prince won. The winery grows seven varieties of grapes. Among their 100 per cent County wines are a chardonnay, auxerrois and cabernet franc.
Day Two: Start your day at the new state-of-the-art Huff Estates on County Road 1 just five minutes from Bloomfield. This multi-million dollar winery has all the accoutrements for fine wine – gravity fed cellar, stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. It also has the more fanciful such as an outdoor patio surrounded by a moat with a waterfall where light lunches are served catered by Kingston based Affordable Gourmet. There’s an observation deck that overlooks the vineyard property and even a helicopter landing pad. Plantings include pinot gris, chardonnay, vidal and at their South Bay vineyards cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot gris. Owner Lanny Huff is a local gent whose family has been in the County since the 1820’s. He’s building a 20 room luxury inn on the property with decks overlooking the vineyard. Scheduled opening for The Inn at Huff Estates is this November. Sample their pure Prince Edward County grown pinot gris and cabernet franc rosé on the patio and observe the action.
Next head further east on County Road 1 to The Grange on Closson Road near Hillier. Housed in a restored loyalist barn circa 1830, it’s surrounded by a pretty landscape of rolling vineyards, old country laneways and wetlands. The estate’s first vines were in the ground in 2001, but the winery only opened to the public last June. It’s a family affair. Former Ford model Caroline Granger left the Paris high life to join her Bay Street lawyer father (Bob Granger) assuming the role of president of the winery. Her Dior gowns and Manolos have been replaced with plastic spray suits and rubber boots but she digs it. “I grew up on a farm,” said Granger “for me it’s like coming full circle.” Wine maker Jeff Innes who has been there since the first vintage buys Niagara fruit to augment what he can grow. “We did get some pinot gris, chardonnay, riesling and melon de Bourgogne from our property” said Innes talking about the last vintage. However most of it is blended with Niagara fruit at this point. They serve a light lunch catered by the Devonshire Inn in nearby Wellington.
Your third stop of the day is for lunch and tasting at Carmela Estates winery with its delightful gardens and restaurant Vines, overlooking the vineyard. If you’re partial to chess you can even play on the enormous outside board with its two feet high Kings and Queens. Carmela first produced under the name Peddlesden named after minority owner Mike Peddlesden, now working at The Grange. South African born wine maker Norm Hardie is a former Four Seasons sommelier who went on to produce wines in South Africa, New Zealand, Burgundy and elsewhere before returning to Canada. On the estate grounds are riesling, chardonnay, pinot gris, pinot noir and cabernet franc grapes. However because of winter kill, only their 2002 cabernet franc is pure Prince Edward County grapes. Others like the riesling, for example, are blends of County with Niagara grapes. Niagara grapes will always be their back-up plan according to Hardie. “We are at a viticultural edge,” he explained. He feels his cabernet franc is a great indicator of what’s going to come from the County. (Look for Hardie’s own winery due to open in September).
Call it a day at By Chadsey’s Cairns Winery on Loyalist Parkway, just five kilometres west of Wellington. This 200 year old farm has its winery in a little brick building circa 1840’s. The name comes from the elaborate stone fence build by an original settler Ira Chadsey. Partners in marriage and with the winery, Richard Johnston, a former educator and MPP and psychotherapist Vida Zalnieriunas handle much of the winery work themselves. Zalnieriunas said the job as wine maker has fallen to her, “just because I’m more meticulous….I never thought I’d know how to do parts per million calculations”.
For whites they grow riesling, chardonnay, chenin blanc, gewürztraminer and muscat for blending. In reds they have pinot noir, gamay and St. Laurent. They’ve pioneered a system which adds a gold sticker to the label of one hundred per cent County grapes so look for the gold.
If you have the energy to keep going, the newest winery to open to the public is Closson Chase partially owned by Sonja Smits with wine making done by the talented Deborah Paskus. But give it another few months and Norman Hardie and Rosehall Run wineries will be open to the public as well as the new Inn at Huff Estates. A return visit will always find further delights as long as you haven’t burnt your bridges like the Sideways boys.
Grape varieties
Know your grapes and you’ll be on the way to knowing your wines. Here are some of the locally grown wine grapes in PEC. (Many wineries also import grapes from Niagara to augment their supply. For example chardonnay, riesling and cabernet are grown in PEC but are also among the imports.)
Whites
Chardonnay: famous in Burgundy, easy to enjoy varietal that can be oak aged or not therefore styles range from buttery, toasty to crisply fruity.
Riesling: classic noble European variety can make bone dry to dessert sweet styles – in dry versions look for crisp, racy character with citrus and mineral flavours.
Gewürztraminer: love or hate this European varietal for its distinctive perfumed lychee fruit flavours and soft acidity.
Auxerrois: particularly enjoyed in northern France, similar to pinot blanc, quite neutral with a good body.
Pinot Gris: aromatic European varietal, sometimes spicy with a body that can be cool climate crisp to quite full and soft when fully ripened.
Geisenheim: hybrid grape with one parent riesling so has some of the characteristics.
Seyval Blanc: French-American hybrid at its worse weedy, at its best crisply pleasant.
Vidal: hybrid with a high natural acidity that makes great ice wines.
Chenin Blanc: famous in The Loire, versatile, it can be made in all levels of sweetness starting at bone dry – look for floral, quince and honey notes that linger in the best.
Reds
Pinot Noir: temperamental Burgundian variety difficult to grow and vinify, made famous by Sideways – considered a great hope for PEC – at its best expect earthy flavours of sour cherry, strawberry.
Baco Noir: hybrid produced from French variety folle blanche and American vitis riparia – tends to be full bodied, deep coloured with high acidity and muscular tannins.
St. Laurent: robust early ripening grape related to pinot noir but without the finesse – tends towards deep colours, fruity flavours and low tannins.
De Chaunac: French-American hybrid with mild tannin levels and fruity character.
Gamay: famed grape of Beaujolais, France – charming, fruity with relatively high acidity.
Cabernet Franc: close cousin of cabernet sauvignon this Bordeaux varietal has adapted well to Canada – tends to be less tannic than its cousin with flavours of raspberry, currants and herbs.
Wineries
1. County Cider Company Estate Winery: Shingle Ridge Vineyard, County Road 8 (657 Bongards Crossroad) 613-476-1022 www.countycider.com
2. Waupoos Estates Winery: 3016 County Road 8 Waupoos ON 613-476-8338 www.waupooswinery.com
3. Long Dog Vineyards and Winery Inc: 104 Brewers Road 613-476-2921
4. Black Prince Winery: 13370 Loyalist Parkway, Picton 613-476-4888 www.blackprincewinery.com
5. Huff Estates Inc: 2274 County Road 1, Bloomfield 613-393-5802 www.huffestates.com
6. The Grange of Prince Edward Inc. Estate Winery: 990 Closson Road, Hillier 613-399-1048 www.thegrangewines.com
7. Carmela Estates Winery: 1186 Greer Road, Wellington 613-399-3939 www.carmelaestates.com
8. By Chadsey’s Cairns Winery & Vineyard: 17432 Loyalist Parkway, Wellington 613-399-2992 www.bychadseyscairns.com