Prince Edward County, Canada

Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada

Nestled in the northern part of Lake Ontario is a lovely little jewel known as Prince Edward County. Settled by Loyalists in the late 18th century, “The County” as it has know become known grew from a small rural community, to a thriving agricultural area. Many years later it has become one of Ontario’s fastest growing tourist destinations with restaurants and spas that will rival the best Ontario has to offer.

Prince Edward County is an amazing mixture of history and culture, surrounded by and intertwined with a natural beauty that will truly amaze your senses. 1,100 miles of maintained roads wind and twist through quaint rural communities full of artisan studios and historic homesteads, before leading you to breathtaking views of nature at it’s absolute best.

You can find everything from warm sand beaches, to fields of wildflowers, from preserved wetlands to soaring rock cliffs. Fill your senses with the sound, the smell, the sheer power of waves crashing against the shore...or surround yourself with the heady aroma of fruit trees and grapevines.

The island itself is 404.8 square miles in size, and within this area you will find no less than 14 different types of Terroir (or earth) producing grapes for more than 20 different Vineyards. There are vines that grow and flourish here in everything from Clay Loam to Gravelly Sand, and each unique type of soil produces a distinctive taste that expresses itself in the flavour of the wines.

The Vineyards themselves are almost as unique as the soil on which they sit...some ultra-modern, some proudly rustic, and ranging in size from 2 acres to 50. The one thing their owners all seem to have in common is a true love for the earth and the bounty that it can provide...a determination to prove to the world that their wines can compete with the quality of any other region...and a passion for wine.

The other thing that makes the Winegrowers of Prince Edward County truly unique, is the sense of comradery between them. Growing wine is a risky business...one unexpected freeze can ruin years of painstaking work and the men and women who choose to battle Mother Nature know how fickle she can be. They have learned to stick together.

This means that Prince Edward County Winemakers grow, pick, market and sometimes bottle as a group. The spirit of competition that happens in most Wine regions, here has become the spirit of cooperation. They have come together to create a truly welcoming atmosphere, where you can freely tour from vineyard to vineyard tasting and comparing. Many of the vineyards have added small cafés to their tasting rooms and guests can sit happily among the heavily laden vines sipping and snacking , often with breathtaking views of the lake.

My personal favourite, The Waupoos Cider Company, sits high atop a hill. In the spring apple blossoms scent the air, and wild daffodils wave in the breeze. In the fall, apple trees abound and grapes hang heavily in rows that run straight towards the lake. You can relax, cider in hand beneath a vine covered pergola watching hummingbirds flit from flower to flower. Far below, showing in glimpses of bright blue between the rows of vines...the lake sparkles in the sun.
Places like this abound here, calling to passers-by to sit, relax, unwind...and we do.

Mealtime can mean anything from a hotdog, cooked steps from the beach to a Gourmet Wine Tasting Gala cooked outdoors by renowned chefs amongst burgeoning vines. Prince Edward County is a rare anomaly in the world of today, it is rural but cultured, quiet yet busy, domestic but untamed.

Visit in the summer and enjoy the teeming energy of sandy beaches or the quiet awe of crashing waves. Shoreline abounds here, at any given time you can stroll miles of flat sandy beaches or hike wilderness trails on cliffs high above preserved wetlands and pebble beaches. Picnic on flat rock shelves full of fossils that jut into the lake or do yoga on the dunes. Pick strawberries or raspberries fresh from the bush. Shop designer boutiques, and then enjoy tea with fresh scones, or spend a happy day touring the artisan studios scattered throughout the island. Cycle miles of highway or relax in the spa...it’s all here.

Spring is a celebration of new life, of growth and rebirth...and Maple. Maple trees abound in The County and every spring people come from miles around to explore this truly Canadian tradition. Bundled up to stay warm, families stroll through the trees, listening to the drip of sap into buckets while proud syrup producers explain the painstaking process of turning gallons of sap into a few precious cups of golden syrup. Deep in the trees you can find the sugar shacks, smoke billowing from the chimney, manned by families who have been producing Maple Syrup for generations. Watch it bubble, smell the sweetness of it and listen to your stomach rumble, before sitting down to a plate of pancakes and bacon, or a piece of sweet Maple Taffy. When your stomach is no longer rumbling, ride a Hay Wagon back to the homestead/giftshop, some of whom sell a myriad of Maple Treats, Jams, and handicrafts as well as syrup.

Autumn in rural Ontario means Harvest, a time to celebrate the bounty that surrounds us, and to enjoy the startlingly vivid colour of the falling leaves as they flutter by or crunch underfoot. It is a time for festivals and fairs, fresh fruit markets and bake sales, for pumpkin carving and apple picking or following clues through a Corn maze. It is a time for local chef’s to challenge each other with Harvest Menus, and for Vintners to start the time honoured tradition of the grape harvest.

Winter in The County is not for the weak of heart...but for those who can appreciate the stillness and beauty of it, there are miles of trail through trees weighted with snow or along frozen shoreline...you can see thundering falls erupting from a seemingly frozen stream, droplets freezing in midair, or sit on the rocks beside a lighthouse and listen to the creak and groan of the frozen lake. You will see snowmobilers and cross country skiers, laughing children on toboggans and birdwatchers alike braving the cold of a Canadian winter, and loving every minute of it.

Season to season, there is always something to see in The County. I could talk for hours about the beauty that surrounds me here, but I would rather you see it for yourself...and I hope someday you will.

We’ll be waiting...