Prince Edward County
A small Island ( 1,048.3 km² (404.8 sq miles) sitting in the
north east corner of Lake Ontario. Prince Edward County is a mecca for artists,
nature lovers and anyone looking for a getaway … for a weekend break or for
life. Renowned for its sailing, fishing and giant sand dunes, The County also
offers live theatre, artists studios and galleries, unique regional cuisine and
a flourishing wine region
Like the Niagara region they are both on Lake Ontario. The
Niagara region is in the south west cornor. PEC is the north east side. Close to
Kingston Ontario
Here we find one of Canada's hottest wine regions. One that
just a few short years ago was unknown. Prince Edward County was designated as
the fourth and newest Designated Viticultural Area (DVA) in Ontario in 2007.
The first wine grapes were planted in the mid-nineteenth
century and achieved some notoriety when Dorland Nixon was awarded a gold medal
for his wine at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition. The modern era began when
Phil Matheson planted an experimental vineyard with vinifera grapes in the
1980s while Ed Neuser and Rita Kaimins established the first commercial
vinifera vineyard for their Waupoos Estates Winery in 1993 . They were granted
the second winery licence in the County (after Grant Howes and the County Cider
Company in 1996 and opened their winery in 2001. During the first decade of the
twenty-first century, new wineries have emerged at a furious pace, with
approximately 30 in operation in 2010. Even more important the wines are
achieving world class.
Waupoos Estate Winery is perhaps the best known winery and
most awarded. It was named after the local village was the first grape winery
to open in the region in 2001 by Ed Neuser and Rita Kaimins. The winery sits
majestically perched on a gently sloping hillside overlooking Lake Ontario in
beautiful Prince Edward County. Surrounded by orchards and perfectly manicured
vineyards, the Winery offers an array of wines at the Tasting room, shopping in
the Boutique and Dining in the full service Gazebo Restaurant.
The Black Prince Winery was conceived by John Sambrook
(General Manager of the Opimian Society) in 2000, who wanted to establish a
winery in this lovely, picturesque area of Prince Edward County. This region
has the viticultural landscape to produce first-rate wines with the vineyards
located on a fertile, sandy loam ridge The Black Prince was an Edward (Edward
County), eldest son of Edward III. Terence van Rooyen is their wine consultant
winning numerous awards including Chardonnay du Monde for their '08 Chardonnay
Terroir Elite VQA
Closson Chase is a quality-driven producer that has helped
spearhead the birth of the Prince Edward County wine industry. Since 1999, it
has been committed to creating distinctive wines that rival the world’s finest.
Set in Hillier, Ontario, the estate is over 30 acres of south facing,
limestone-rich soil under vine; planted high density to the classic
Burgundian-varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with small yields,
French-inspired vinification and careful barreling in 100% French oak. Geoff
Heinrick and Deborah Paskus studied the soil of Prince Edward County
determining that outstanding Burgundian could do well. After producing
successful wines Seaton Mclean and his wife Sonja Smits who had purchase a
country home in the area offered to back Deborah leading to the open of Closson
Chase in 2004.Deborah Paskus has been called by some the Master of Chardonnay.
The Grange of Prince Edward Estate Winery is a family run
business established in 2002 by Robert Granger and his daughter Caroline. The
building that houses the winery is actually a barn that was built in 1826.
Caroline Granger President & CEO has set a high standard for viticulture
and wine production. Her passion to produce authentic, handcrafted wines using
traditional vinification methods, modern processing facilities and 60 acres of
thriving vineyards have resulted in the award-winning wines of Trumpour's Mill
and Grange of Prince Edward single vineyard wines.
These are just afew of the wineries placing PEC on the world
wine map. Please read our feature on Rosehall Run http://www.winesofcanada.com/featured_winery_rosehall.html
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