I was fortunate enough to tag along on a weekend trip to Prince Edward County in exchange for planning the itinerary. Free trip+we get to do what I want? Yes PLEASE.
Once again, the trip was courtesy of my awesome brother (Bro, you're the best!)
Prince Edward County is well known for its wine production, so wine tastings seemed like a natural inclusion.
Full confession: I am a complete heathen when it comes to wine (or alcoholic beverages in general). Also, any alcohol/caffeine-processing capabilities my liver might have once had have been almost completely diverted to process fat and high fructose corn syrup.
First stop: Huff Estate Winery
We made it just in time for the morning tour. Since the grapes won't be ready for harvest until September, the production floor was quiet. Still, the guide introduced the different wine regions of PEC and went through the general wine production steps. Although, if like me, you don't know the first thing about wine (e.g. difference between a Pinot Noir and a Merlot. Ummm... what now?), you might be a little confused at times.
Then on to the tasting. FYI: "splash sample" is no splash. It's a good 4-5 sips so unless you are A) comfortable doing the "sip and spit" or B) leaving a wasteful amount of wine in the glass, you can get flushed pretty quickly. I certainly felt my cheeks start to burn after the third tasting. And that was only with a small sip per glass.
The good thing is that the winery provided a small description of what you're supposed to be smelling/tasting so instead of guessing blindly, you can at least pretend somewhat and affirm that yes indeed there was a note of berries with a peppery aftertaste.
Also on site was an inn, an art gallery, and sculpture garden, which had succulent plants (!)
After reading rave reviews about Imperial Submarine Sandwiches and their fantastic chicken+bacon sandwich in Picton, I had to try it. And while the sub was pretty good, it wasn't particularly memorable. I can see why it's a local favourite though. In the end, it was no match for my favourite sandwich, which is still the pate sandwich from The Golden Rooster deli in Kingston.
Lunch was enjoyed at Portabella. No photos because I felt somewhat self-conscious photographing my food...
And that was an outright lie. I completely forgot about taking photos because I was too busy eating, okay? The food was delicious. Portabella's fries. Wow. I might not know about wine, but I know my fries. They were like extra crispy McDonald's fries, but even better. Apparently, the trick is to freeze, blanch, then freeze the fries again before frying.
Lake on the Mountain Provincial Park
This freshwater lake is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. No one is sure how it was formed or where the water comes from. The Aboriginals believed gods lived in this lake.
I had planned for a solid 2-3 hours at this park exploring its 7.4km waterfront trail.
Well guess what? We stayed for 30 minutes.
Because that "7.4km trail" as advertised on prince-edward-county.com is a complete fabrication. Which I probably should have realized when I couldn't find a trail map online.
With 2+ hours to kill, it was time to improvise.
Well, not really, I had a backup list of places to visit just in case.
County Cider Company
Fifth Town Artisan Cheese
For a small tasting room, there were a lot of people. It was so busy that no one was available to tell us what we were tasting. A goat/sheep mozzarella? And a chalky cheese... we were pretty much carried out by the crowd.
Black River Cheese
Unlike Fifth Town, Black River is a little more mainstream and less "hipstery". Which makes sense since it started as a dairyfarmers' coop. No tasting room but self-serve samples. I liked their maple cheddar. They also had a little ice cream shop on the side, which was a nice treat.
Across the road is the cheesehouse where the company got its start.
Little Bluff Conservation Area
This was a risk - the reviews/details were scarce and it was out of the way. I only found out about this place via a photo on one of the PEC websites.
But it turned out to be quite a gem.
Pebble beach and crystal clear water. We had the place almost all to ourselves. Very very relaxing.
People were skipping rocks on the water (which takes a bit of skill to do well). I had my fun stacking rocks.
My original plan was to have dinner at the Blumens Garden Bistro (#1 in the county). Alas, they were booked solid for the entire weekend.
I'm sure I should have known better and reserved ahead, but if there's one thing I don't like to do on trips, it's restaurant reservations. I hate having to cancel reservations when schedules go awry (which they often do). Or maybe no one is in the mood for a fancy meal on that particular day.
Sure, we were disappointed but I don't feel too badly about it. Instead, we had a nice meal at the Painted Peppercorn where I had bison burger for the first time. Mmmmh... meaty.
Once again, the trip was courtesy of my awesome brother (Bro, you're the best!)
Prince Edward County is well known for its wine production, so wine tastings seemed like a natural inclusion.
Full confession: I am a complete heathen when it comes to wine (or alcoholic beverages in general). Also, any alcohol/caffeine-processing capabilities my liver might have once had have been almost completely diverted to process fat and high fructose corn syrup.
First stop: Huff Estate WineryWe made it just in time for the morning tour. Since the grapes won't be ready for harvest until September, the production floor was quiet. Still, the guide introduced the different wine regions of PEC and went through the general wine production steps. Although, if like me, you don't know the first thing about wine (e.g. difference between a Pinot Noir and a Merlot. Ummm... what now?), you might be a little confused at times.
Then on to the tasting. FYI: "splash sample" is no splash. It's a good 4-5 sips so unless you are A) comfortable doing the "sip and spit" or B) leaving a wasteful amount of wine in the glass, you can get flushed pretty quickly. I certainly felt my cheeks start to burn after the third tasting. And that was only with a small sip per glass.
The good thing is that the winery provided a small description of what you're supposed to be smelling/tasting so instead of guessing blindly, you can at least pretend somewhat and affirm that yes indeed there was a note of berries with a peppery aftertaste.
Also on site was an inn, an art gallery, and sculpture garden, which had succulent plants (!)
I couldn't resist.
Kind of creepy. But maybe that's the point.
Egyptian revival is coming back, people.
Giant metal pinecones. Because why not?
After reading rave reviews about Imperial Submarine Sandwiches and their fantastic chicken+bacon sandwich in Picton, I had to try it. And while the sub was pretty good, it wasn't particularly memorable. I can see why it's a local favourite though. In the end, it was no match for my favourite sandwich, which is still the pate sandwich from The Golden Rooster deli in Kingston.
Lunch was enjoyed at Portabella. No photos because I felt somewhat self-conscious photographing my food...
And that was an outright lie. I completely forgot about taking photos because I was too busy eating, okay? The food was delicious. Portabella's fries. Wow. I might not know about wine, but I know my fries. They were like extra crispy McDonald's fries, but even better. Apparently, the trick is to freeze, blanch, then freeze the fries again before frying.
Lake on the Mountain Provincial ParkThis freshwater lake is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. No one is sure how it was formed or where the water comes from. The Aboriginals believed gods lived in this lake.
I had planned for a solid 2-3 hours at this park exploring its 7.4km waterfront trail.
Well guess what? We stayed for 30 minutes.
Because that "7.4km trail" as advertised on prince-edward-county.com is a complete fabrication. Which I probably should have realized when I couldn't find a trail map online.
Why the lie? WHY???
Despite my somewhat disappointment, it's not every day you can see two different lakes just by crossing a parking lot.
View of the Bay of Quinte with the Glenora ferry (north of the parking lot)
Views of the Lake on the Mountain (south of the parking lot)
With 2+ hours to kill, it was time to improvise.
Well, not really, I had a backup list of places to visit just in case.
County Cider Company
Where we saw this little European beauty.
We tried the original hard cider and newer, flavoured ciders. It wasn't to my taste. One of them even tasted a little like cough syrup.
I guess I'll be sticking with apple juice+ginger ale.
The view was really nice though.
Fifth Town Artisan Cheese
For a small tasting room, there were a lot of people. It was so busy that no one was available to tell us what we were tasting. A goat/sheep mozzarella? And a chalky cheese... we were pretty much carried out by the crowd.
Black River CheeseUnlike Fifth Town, Black River is a little more mainstream and less "hipstery". Which makes sense since it started as a dairyfarmers' coop. No tasting room but self-serve samples. I liked their maple cheddar. They also had a little ice cream shop on the side, which was a nice treat.
Across the road is the cheesehouse where the company got its start.
Little Bluff Conservation Area
This was a risk - the reviews/details were scarce and it was out of the way. I only found out about this place via a photo on one of the PEC websites.
But it turned out to be quite a gem.
Pebble beach and crystal clear water. We had the place almost all to ourselves. Very very relaxing.
People were skipping rocks on the water (which takes a bit of skill to do well). I had my fun stacking rocks.My original plan was to have dinner at the Blumens Garden Bistro (#1 in the county). Alas, they were booked solid for the entire weekend.
I'm sure I should have known better and reserved ahead, but if there's one thing I don't like to do on trips, it's restaurant reservations. I hate having to cancel reservations when schedules go awry (which they often do). Or maybe no one is in the mood for a fancy meal on that particular day.
Sure, we were disappointed but I don't feel too badly about it. Instead, we had a nice meal at the Painted Peppercorn where I had bison burger for the first time. Mmmmh... meaty.
Sounds (and looks) like a really nice weekend. Glad you and your family were able to experience it! I'm starting to notice that most of your adventures seem to revolve around food and hiking. It makes for great pictures, though! Would have loved to see though extra crispy fries ;).
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