Weekend Itinerary for the Best Girl’s Summer Getaway in Prince Edward County

I used to make a trip to Prince Edward County every summer with my girlfriends and it was so much fun! Now, I love hosting my friends for girl’s weekends at our lake house in the County. We always make time for wineries, restaurants, the beach and a little shopping! There’s so much to do in the County, so it can sometimes be difficult to create a weekend itinerary. It was tough, but I’ve narrowed down what I think are the best spots for you to enjoy with your girlfriends this summer! Read on for my weekend itinerary for the best girl’s summer getaway in Prince Edward County.

Friday

On your way into the County, your first stop has to be The County Emporium! They carry everything to make your girls weekend the best. Pick-up matching rompers, local goodies and a few bottles of wine. Maybe even stay for one of their delicious wine slushes to get your weekend started!

If you have time before your accommodation check-in, head down the road to Redtail Vineyards for your first wine tasting of the weekend. Redtail has some of my favourite wines in the County! Definitely make sure to try their Rosé, Field Hand Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. They also make some really fun Piquette’s that are perfect to pick-up for the weekend.

I realize it’s difficult to get accommodation anywhere in the County this summer, but if you can book a room at The June Motel I think it’s the absolute best place to stay for a girls getaway! Friday night dinner will be at the popular Drake Devonshire in Wellington. It’s one of the only places to stay open kind of late in the County, so also stay for some drinks! You can now make reservations for indoor dining, or take your chances for patio seating. Either way it’s a fun vibe, great food and yummy drinks!

Saturday

Spend your Saturday morning in Picton. There are lots of great spots to get good coffee. You can choose from Beacon Bike & Brew, The Bean Counter, Miss Lily’s Cafe, or the Agrarian Market. If you go to the Agrarian Market, make sure to pick up one (or two!) of the almond croissants – they are the best! Enjoy your coffee and treat while browsing the stores on Picton Main Street. Some of my favourites include Books & Company, The Ye11ow Studio, PEC T-Shirt Company, Gilbert & Lighthall, Kelly’s, and City Revival.

Then it’s off for an afternoon of wine tasting! Start at Closson Chase for a wine tasting in the beautiful garden. Make sure to get a group pic with the fun purple barn! Enjoy a delicious lunch at their new restaurant Au Verre by The Marans (on of my favourite restaurants in the County!). Their menu has lots of vegetarian options and many Closson Chase wines to choose from. Just down the road, you’re onto the Grange of Prince Edward Winery next. They are not doing tastings this summer, but you can get a glass of Grange wine or a cocktail from the Old Salt Cocktails pop-up. Enjoy your drink overlooking the beautiful vineyards and property. A very instagrammable location for those wine country pics! Your last stop of the day will be at Hinterland Winery. Toast to your day with a flight or glass of sparkling wine!

Saturday night dinner is at The Lakeside Motel. And with the views and vibe you’re definitely going to want to stay for drinks! The Lakeside Motel is in Wellington and has a gorgeous patio with the best views of Lake Ontario. As the sun sets, the string lights come on and the DJ starts her set. A great place to spend a Saturday night in the County!

Sunday

Start off your leisure Sunday at Cape Vineyards with a picnic brunch. Their Sunday brunch picnic special comes with two sandwiches and a salad. Best part is the bottle of Gypsy Lola Sparkling Red or Cressy Sparkling Cider that’s included! Make sure not to miss their cute animals at the winery farm.

Spend the rest of your Sunday at the beautiful The Beach Club at Wander Resort. The Beach Club is located just outside of Wellington on a pristine 2 acre waterfront white sand beach. Purchase your lounge package ahead of time which includes access to daybeds, loungers and umbrellas. You’ll also have access to towel service, onsite snack purchase and kayak/paddle board rentals. And there is live music daily from 4-7pm. The beach is unlicensed but you can BYOB – the perfect opportunity to taste some of that wine you’ve purchased. I cannot think of a better way to end your Girl’s Summer Getaway Weekend in Prince Edward County!

Cheers!~GDW

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Ontario Winery Guide: The Grange of Prince Edward

The Grange of Prince Edward is one of my favourite wineries in Prince Edward County, Ontario. As you turn off the road and drive (or preferably bike) up the long driveway, you are met with the most picturesque country scene. Tall mature trees open up to a little pond sitting in front of a beautifully restored barn, all surrounded by rolling rows of vines.

Behind the Grange of Prince Edward Winery is the mother-daughter winemaking duo of Caroline and Maggie Granger. Back in 1974 Caroline’s parents bought a small farm in Prince Edward County. Years later, Caroline Granger moved back to her family’s farm,  transformed it into a vineyard and opened her winery in 2004. In 2010, Caroline’s daughter, Maggie, also found herself moving back to the family farm and joining the winery. Caroline and Maggie now together create beautiful wines that are an expression of their piece of Prince Edward County.

I recently had the opportunity to do a tasting with Maggie and try a lineup of wonderful Grange wines. The lineup included their new cider, 2016 Victoria Block Chardonnay, Pet Nat Sparkling Chardonnay, 2016 Pinot Noir and 2016 Cabernet Franc. All were so good! And can we talk about the beautiful labels?! I especially loved the Cabernet Franc, which you can read about here. The Grange wines see little intervention, as Caroline and Maggie like the county land to be expressed naturally through each bottle.

When in the county, the Grange of Prince Edward Winery is a must! I’ve now visited  in the winter and summer and both experiences were great. In the winter, the tasting room in the wood paneled barn with large stone fireplace creates the coziest atmosphere to sit and wine taste. In the summer, your wine tasting can be taken outside to the lovely picnic tables set up in the vineyard and enjoy delicious picnic lunch packed in a cute wicker basket.

From winter fireplace sips to picnic wine lunches in the vineyard, the Grange of Prince Edward Winery provides a memorable experience in the county. And then, of course, the wine! Beautifully expressing the county land, each wine is an unique example of the varietal. Caroline and Maggie Granger bring Prince Edward County to life in each glass that you’ll taste at this amazing Ontario winery.

Cheers!~GDW

Wine Your Way Through Mono: Adamo Estate Winery

Did you know that Mono, Ontario has a winery? I was surprised when I heard about Adamo Estate Winery, located in the Hockley Valley which is about an hour north of Toronto. This region is not known for winemaking but in 2014 the owner, Mario Adamo, planted some test vines. These test vines have since grown into a vineyard of 23,000 vines, 25 acres and a 2000 sq. ft. facility. The vineyard and winemaking is now run by well known winemaker, Shauna White. Adamo winery uses organic and biodynamic farming practices and focuses on cool climate grape varietals like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

I visited the winery last weekend with my mom and sister. The facility itself is very impressive with soaring ceilings, artistic décor and large windows overlooking the vineyards. We started our visit with a tasting flight of four wines for $12 – I had the Gamay Rose, Pinot Noir Rose, Vidal and Cab Franc. The friendly wine associate guided us through an enjoyable tasting with helpful information about the wines and winery. All the wines were good, but we all especially LOVED the cab franc and I now regret not purchasing a bottle!

After our tasting we enjoyed a glass of wine and charcuterie on the beautiful patio out back. The patio has impressive views overlooking the vineyards and rolling Hockley Valley hills. During the week, the winery’s Paddock Café offers charcuterie, cheese and snacks. If you visit on a Saturday or Sunday there is a full menu available for lunch. The food was great and the views cannot be beat! Sitting outside on the Adamo patio with wine and charcuterie was the perfect way to spend a September afternoon.

I cannot wait to visit again! Adamo winery will be beautiful in the fall with the changing leaves on the trees. And they have so many great events happening right now. On Fridays you can enjoy their Wine and Unwind Pasta Sociale Nights featuring housemade pastas, wine and live music. The fall series of the Winemaker’s Dinners includes 4 seasonally-inspired courses paired with Adamo wines. And on Saturdays and Sundays public tours of the winery are offered at 12pm and 3pm. I will definitely be back this fall for another visit…plus I need a bottle of the cab franc!

Cheers~GDW

 

 

Ontario Wineries Making Craft Cider

Have you jumped on the craft cider bandwagon? I remember when the LCBO had selection of maybe four different ciders and now there’s a whole large section dedicated to the drink! While wine is my true love, I will occasionally cheat and have a cider. My interest in cider was especially peaked this summer when I learned about all the wineries in Ontario making their own ciders. All over Ontario wineries are getting in on the cider trend, and they’re making some great stuff! I tasted five ciders made by Ontario wineries this past weekend and here’s what I thought…

No Boats on Sunday

No Boats on Sunday cider is originally from Nova Scotia. When Halifax was once Canada’s busiest port, the no boats on Sunday policy was created so that locals could pull up their oars and spend time with family and friends. The cider was created to honour this mentality. And with this delicious cider it’s not difficult to put your oars up, unwind and enjoy. In Ontario, the No Boats on Sunday cider is made by Peller Estates Winery in Niagara using 100% Ontario apples. It’s light and fresh with a bright sweetness and smooth dry finish. Variations of the cider are also made in Nova Scotia and BC using local apples. I also saw cranberry rose cider available on the site that I am very interested in trying! In Ontario, you can purchase the Ontario cider at the LCBO or The Wine Shop.

Rood Apples Cider

Rood Apples is produced by Creekside Estate Winery in Jordan Ontario. Rood is the Dutch word for red and this cider is made from five different types of red apples. They chose the Dutch word for red because Jordan, where Creekside is located, was founded by the Pennsylvania Dutch. Rood cider is one of the most unique tasting ciders I’ve tried, in a good way! It has a lot of intense and complex apple flavours with a touch of sweetness. The “creek geeks” say this cider is best enjoyed over ice, on a mountain, in a hammock….basically to be enjoyed wherever you want!

Tawse Cider

Tawse is an organic and biodynamic winery in the Niagara Escarpment. They produce beautiful old world wine and their cider is no different. After losing about 40% of the grape crop in 2014 and 2015, the Tawse winemaker decided thought cider would be great to fill the gap. What started as 20L kegs of cider only sold to restaurants is now widely available in cans at LCBO stores across Ontario. The Tawse cider is exactly how I like my cider; dry, clean and crisp. There’s a touch of sweet macintosh flesh that gives the cider a nice smooth finish. As with their wines, Tawse has created an exceptional cider.

Shiny Pinot Cider

Apple cider and Pinot Noir? Yes please! Combine wine with anything and I’ll try it. And this combo worked. The Shiny Pinot Cider is 10% pinot noir grapes and 90% apple cider. You can definitely taste the distinct pinot noir grapes, which give this dry cider distinctive fruity and earthy flavours. It’s produce in Niagara-on-the-lake by Small Talk Vineyards, who’s land has been in the family since 1954. They originally farmed fruit and then in 1985 planted grape vines. Re-branding in 2014 as Small Talk Vineyards with the release of Shiny Cider, I think they’ve done a great job creating a unique cider in the ever growing Ontario craft cider market.

Ardiel

Located in Beaver Valley in the Blue Mountains, Georgian Hills Vineyards produces cool climate wine varietals expressive of this unique region in Ontario. This northerly region is also in the heart of apple county where local farmers grow unique varietals like Cortland, Spartan and Russet apples. These are crisp, tart and higher acid apples that produce a dry flavourful cider. Under the Ardiel Cider House, Georgian Hills Vineyards produces three different types of cider: dry, hopped and pear. Available at the LCBO is the Ardiel dry cider which is a “classic” style cider, which means that it has a full body of flavour and clean finish. This also means it’s delicious!

I love that some of my favourite Ontario wineries are starting to produce cider. As I mentioned, if I’m going to cheat on wine it’s probably going to be with cider. Most of the ciders I tasted are going to be at the Toronto Cider Festival at Sherbourne Common on August 24th and 25th. The line up is extensive and a great opportunity to sample different ciders if you’re new the cider world. Visit the Girl Drinks Wine Instagram for your chance to win two tickets to the event!

Cheers!~GDW