Fall/Winter 2009

Ontario’s newest wine appellation — Prince Edward County — has arrived. And the region’s biggest fans are hoping no one notices.

Midway between Toronto and Montreal, Prince Edward County has escaped travelers’ notice for years, set off from any expressway and outside the view of passers-by.

But food and wine lovers are beginning to discover this emerging destination. Prince Edward County’s rocky, limestone-rich landscape, buffeted by bitter winters and cooled by summer lake breezes, presents challenges to the six vintners located there. As a result, winemakers have focused on varietals best suited to this unique region — Rieslings, Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Francs — and their wines are drawing the praises of critics. Visitors will also find seldom-grown grapes, varietals typically unknown in warmer climates: Gewürztraminer, Geisenheim, Marechal Foch, Baco Noir and ice wines.

Outstanding wine is one way to draw tourists, but Prince Edward County offers even more. Member wineries give travelers an excuse to meander the rolling Ontario countryside, shop for antiques, visit a quiet beach or dine on farm-fresh produce between tasting stops. Locally raised ingredients are the rule in Prince Edward County, at small diners and elegant restaurants alike. B&Bs and country inns provide the most common accommodations and with so few tourists around, prices in Prince Edward County remain low and streets uncluttered.

Such are the advantages of being an undiscovered wine region. That is, of course, until word gets out.

- State - Ontario

- Type - Vintage Escapes

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