Prince Edward County Region

The Crush is on at Oxley Estate Winery

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

On my recent visit to the Lake Erie/Pelee Island area I visited a few wineries that I hadn’t been to before, and I also made a point of stopping in again at Oxley Estate Winery – one of my favourite wineries in the area. IMG_0969

I stopped in to find out what was going on and how their summer went. Co-owner Ann Wilson said they had a busy summer, which is great to hear. In addition to a very attractive tasting bar (one that feels like a well-appointed gourmet kitchen), Oxley has a full-service restaurant on weekends that is very popular. I stopped in on a Saturday night after returning from Pelee Island and I could not get a table on the patio because it was full. Fortunately they had a few empty tables inside, so I stayed for dinner. The dinner was delicious and the service attentive, even though I was the only guest indoors. Next time I’ll be sure to make a reservation.

IMG_0967

As I sat down to write this blog, I e-mailed Ann to find out if they’ve started picking and she reported that they’ve already harvested Auxerrois, Bianca, Hibernal, GM318 and they are  “Picking, sorting and pressing Pinot Noir right now”. So if you’re in the area over the next couple of weeks, stop in at Oxley – you’re likely to find it bustling with the buzz of the crush going on.

As well, on the weekend of September 28-29, 2013 Oxley will be featuring Micah and Delia – musicians who’ll be performing lively “east-coast kitchen style music” on their lovely patio.  The duo will perform on Saturday from 5-8 p.m. and on Sunday from 2-4 p.m.  IMG_0968

 

Terroir in Prince Edward County

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

I’m just back from a GREAT long weekend in Prince Edward County where a friend and I visited a lot of wineries and attended Terroir 2013. The only complaint I have is there is so much going on in The County that we didn’t get to all the placed I had hoped to visit. The up side of that complaint, mind you, is that I’m already planning my next trip.IMG_0195

The themes for the weekend are easy to summarize

  • Commitment — the winemakers and industry folks that I spoke with are clearly committed to making The County a fantastic destination for wine lovers and explorers. All of them saw the potential of the unique terroir of The County and in the early 2000s they went all in, buying properties and planting. (And, because of the climate and conditions, most of them have the additional task of burying the canes, which means there’s even more work.) Thankfully, their work and vision is paying off now, with lots of terrific wines on offer.IMG_0199
  • Enthusiasm — every person I talked with shares an unbridled enthusiasm — for their vines, their wines, and The County. They’re anxious to share their stories and their wines.
  • Pride — The County winemakers are proud of their work and so they should be.

IMG_0157So, my current task is to add entries to the App for the wineries and other interesting places there are to visit in PEC (like The Carriagehouse Cooperage and 66 Gilead Distillery). So, stay tuned