My friend Yolanda went to PEC last month and I asked her to write about her experience!
Here is what she wrote:
We decided to rent a little farm house in Prince Edward County for the august long weekend. We went with another couple, and decided that since none of us had ever been on a wine tour we would do it. We used Prince Edward County Wine Tours and had a private vehicle all to ourselves for 4 hours with our own guide!
Farmhouse we rented
PEC has almost 40 wineries and what makes their wines unique are the limestone-rich soils. The natural minerality of the soil is highlighted in the wines along with other flavours developed from the nutrients and minerals that the grapes absorb as they grow.
We started our tour at Hillier Creek Estates wineries. I really should have thought twice about brushing my teeth right before we left! (Wine tour Virgin!) We did pick up a bottle of the Estate Reserve Pinot Noir and had it with our steak dinner the following night and it was great! It was Lovely brick colour with hints of spice and a flavour of cola and raspberry with red fruit. It was very nice and so smooth!
We visited a few others that I wasn’t overly impressed with so I will skip to the highlight of the tour: Sandbanks Winery and Karlo Estates.
Us at Sandbanks
Sandbanks Winery was my favourite. They were having their Summer Wine Release Party. They had a band and it was buzzing with wine lovers. It was such a relaxing atmosphere and you could order a glass of wine and sit on the Muskoka chairs and enjoy the band our relax amongst their beautiful grounds.
They were VERY generous with their samplings which is important. I mean who wants to try only 2-3 wines. At Sandbanks we tried 11 samples! The vineyard was planted in 2000 with hybrids and vinifera. Hybrids were chosen because they ripen early so they obtain the desired sugar levels, even in colder years. They are the perfect choice to handle our tough Canadian winters. At Sandbanks, they practice sustainable farming and do not use any herbicides or pesticides which I love!
They are well known for their Baco Noir which is sold at the LCBO. It is A full-bodied red wine with intense plum and wild cherry flavours. Notes of toasted oak provide a lingering finish.
My favourite wine at sandbanks!
We purchased one of their newly released reds called Mouton Noir which I absolutely loved and now have to order a case from their website (not in lcbo yet!)! It’s A full-bodied rustic red charmer with exciting flavours of coffee and raspberry, with spicy notes and layers of toasty oak. Aged in local oak barrels.
We really enjoyed their new Pinot Grigio and you can purchase it at the LCBO. It had nice pear and fig flavours, blended with exotic fruit flavours. Delicious and light!
Karlo Estates
Karlo Estates was a favourite as well. “Karlo Estates is an artisanal winery which integrates the best of old world and new world winemaking. Wild fermentations, minimal filtration and reserved use of oak create clean fruit driven, well balanced wines with great complexity.” What was unique about that experience was you could order a flight of wines for tasting and each tasting was paired with food. Each sample was only $1!
We tried 7 different wines. The food pairing was such a unique experience as most of you wine lovers knows! It really brought out the distinctive flavours of their wines. The most surprising to me was their Port. When I thought of Port drinkers I think of my grandpa (who got a great gift from me after this wine tour).
Trying port for the first time at Karlo Estates
The port was paired with dark chocolate (yum!) and it had a spicy dark raspberry flavour and nice and sweet like most ports. Here is the official description: Our Port is a first in the county. Spicy black raspberry and cassis dominate the nose with red licorice and cedar. Round and full on the mouth with rich ripe fruit and a lingering finish.
I highly recommend a visit to PEC! It was a wonderful experience and great to try something different than Niagara. Their small boutique wineries are charming and welcoming.
-Yolanda Sharp
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