During the summer and early fall we made a few trips to Prince Edward County (aka, The County or PEC) to visit some wineries. Prince Edward County is a municipality in southern Ontario with coastline on Lake Ontario. It is a popular destination for wine tasting, beach-goers, antiquing, and shopping in the small downtown shops.
We were in Prince Edward County primarily for wine tasting and sightseeing on our visits. Here are all of the wineries we visited in the Prince Edward County area, and what I thought of our experiences.
Huff Estates Winery
Month Visited: Mid-August
Atmosphere
We made our first stop at Huff Estates Winery which is located in almost the centre of Prince Edward County. This winery is one of the largest wineries in the area has a restaurant and an inn, so you can make your visit here into an overnight stay (if you book far enough in advance!). The location is very beautiful and they had a lovely outdoor tasting area and a nice big patio for those eating at the restaurant. Since it was a beautiful sunny day, it definitely added to the experience.
Wine Tasting
When we arrived just after 11:00 am it was already quite busy. There was a tasting area set up outside with beautiful views of the winery. Due to social distancing, there was a sign-up to reserve your spot (not reservations). We only had to wait about 5 minutes before we were seated and could begin our tasting. We got a flight of 3 wines (served in proper wine glasses) and tried a riesling, rose, and a pinot noir (I think!). The wines all tasted great to us, and we had no complaints on the quality or flavour.
Overall Experience
We enjoyed the wine, but I would say our experience felt rushed. Overall, I’d give this experience a 7/10. We were there on a beautiful Saturday morning, and it was fairly busy with limited seating. If you’re looking for a relaxed tasting experience, try to visit during the off-peak months. Or visit the on-site restaurant and enjoy a glass of wine there instead of doing a tasting.
Long Dog Vineyard & Winery
Month Visited: Mid-August
Atmosphere
Long Dog Vineyard & Winery was off the beaten path, and the tasting room was located in a small barn-like structure. We liked how secluded it felt there and that is wasn’t right on the side of the road like some of the other wineries in the area. It was definitely a charming winery immersed in nature. So immersed actually, that you had to walk a fairly narrow path from the parking lot through a field of tall grass to get to the building. There was wine tasting inside the building, or there were a couple tables outside on their deck where you could sit with your wine.
Wine Tasting
We did our sampling indoors at the bar. After learning a bit about the wines, we decided to sample 3 wines here as well. Two of the wines were different chardonnays and the third was a pinot noir (served in proper wine glasses). We really enjoyed the tasting notes of all three wines, but since I’m especially partial to chardonnay, I really enjoyed those. The wine tasting fee here was also waived if you purchased two or more bottles of wine.
Overall Experience
I really enjoyed the wine – so much so that I bought 2 bottles of their chardonnay to take home and enjoy later. It didn’t feel like a rushed experience, and I’m pretty sure it was one of the owners doing the tastings. He was quite knowledgeable about the wines and spent the time telling us more about what we were tasting. If there was more outdoor seating and an outdoor experience I would rate this higher, but I would definitely go back. Overall I give this an 8/10 overall experience.
Waupoos Estates Winery
Month Visited: Mid-August
Atmosphere
Waupoos Winery is located on Lake Ontario and has beautiful water views. The grounds were beautiful with walking areas, various sitting areas, and tents with tables for visitors. They had multiple buildings on site for tasting, a restaurant and also an outdoor tasting bar in one of the tents. Overall, a lovely winery.
Wine Tasting
Due to the amount of people and how busy it was, we didn’t feel comfortable doing a wine tasting here.
Overall Experience
The grounds here were very lovely and there were plenty of areas to walk or sit with your wine. However, due to the pandemic, we didn’t feel comfortable with how crowded and busy it was here. Many guests were not maintaining safe distances and we felt like there were too many people on site. We plan to try again another time, but this experience would be a 4/10 for me.
Black Prince Winery
Month Visited: Mid-August
Atmosphere
Black Prince Winery was located on a main road and had a large outdoor area to sit and enjoy your wine. There were 3 tasting areas including one inside (closed for the pandemic), one on the upper deck, and one by the pizza ovens at the back of the property. I liked that there were lots of picnic tables and umbrellas spread out so you could enjoy your own space. You could even come here just for pizza – it looked pretty good!
Wine Tasting
Our wine tasting was not the smoothest experience. The lower tasting area was really for tasting their vinegars. However, since it was quite busy, they were also serving wine tastings there as well. We tried 4 tastings here including a rose, chardonnay, riesling and cabernet franc (in plastic cups). I enjoyed all of the wines we sampled here – especially the rose.
Overall Experience
It was nice that they served pizza here as well and I wish we knew this in advance so we could have arrived hungry (that’s poor planning on my part!). The staff were extremely friendly, but I felt like it was really busy when we were there and the crowd was too much for them to handle with their two tasting areas. But overall, we enjoyed the wine and the lovely seating area so I’d give this a 7/10 overall experience.
Kinsip House of Fine Spirits
Month Visited: Mid-August
Atmosphere
Kinsip had the most beautiful grounds. It was located on a farm property with 2 barns, picnic tables, benches, Muskoka chairs and a drive through pick-up area (for the pandemic). There were fluffy chickens roaming around, twinkle lights and just an overall country feel. I would give this place 10/10 for atmosphere.
Spirit Tasting
Unfortunately we arrived 4 minutes after they stopped serving. So we weren’t able to sample any of their spirits. We purchased a bottle of whiskey to take home, and really enjoyed it. Though it would have been much nicer to sample on their beautiful grounds.
Overall Experience
It was a big let down that we arrived only 4 minutes too late to do a tasting. It looked like a great place and those who arrived earlier looked like they were enjoying their samples and cocktails. The staff were very friendly and when we purchased our whiskey and 2 Kinsip sampling glasses, they threw in a free hand sanitizer which I thought was really great. They also boxed up our glasses very well so they made it home safely. We would 100% go back again and pre-book our tasting to we can give this place a full review. Overall impressions here and interaction with the staff make this an 8/10. I’m sure it would get a 10/10 if we go back and do a sample!
Gravel Hill Vineyards
Month Visited: October
Atmosphere
Gravel Hill Vineyards is owned and operated by a husband and wife on their homes’ property. There is a long gravel road to get to the winery tasting area and shop, and a beautiful outdoor tasting area. There were a few picnic tables, some high-top barrels to stand around, a few metal tables with chairs and some Muskoka chairs. The tasting area was located right beside the vineyard so there were beautiful sights to enjoy while you sipped your wine.
Wine Tasting
Here you could purchase a glass of wine, a tasting of 4 wines, or a tasting of 5 wines including their fortified wine. I ordered the flight of 5 at the tasting bar, paid and then the owner delivered it to us at our table on a tray with a flyer that had details about each wine. I really enjoyed their 2018 Smiling Girl, 2018 Kildeer and the 217 Crowns Reign, but if I’m being honest – I liked all of the wine here. The fortified wine had a very unique flavour which was a combination of wines and neutral spirits – something I’ve never tasted before. We enjoyed the Kildeer so much I actually bought 2 bottles before we left so we could enjoy them at home.
Overall Experience
I would give this experience a 10/10. During our tasting the owner came over to see how we were enjoying the wine and to chat. That’s when we learned that only he and his wife work at the vineyard. Together they run the vineyard, harvest the grapes, make the wine, and run the tastings. Their flyer on the tasting tray had their story printed on the back and it was really interesting to learn just how much work goes into a winery operation. If you’re in the area, stop here and support a small, family run winery. The wine tasting was great!
Lacey Estates Winery
Month Visited: October
Atmosphere
Lacey Estates Winery was located just off the road in Prince Edward County. The main building was lined with Muskoka chairs overlooking beautiful vineyards below, so it was a lovely setting. We actually sat at one of the tables along the side of the building and still had a great view of the vineyards.
Wine Tasting
We had 2 flights of 3 so that we could try all of the wines. There were 5 varieties in total, so I doubled up on chardonnay for our tasting. Overall, I wouldn’t say that the wine here was for me. But it also wasn’t terrible. The two groups beside us were raving about the flavour and taste, so it really comes down to what your preferences are.
Overall Experience
The tastings were very reasonably priced and the staff inside were very friendly. I liked that they had indoor washrooms here and a one way traffic flow through the main building. The grounds were lovely. Unfortunately, I just didn’t love the wine here, so I would give my overall experience a 7/10.
Norman Hardie Winery
Month Visited: October
Atmosphere
Norman Hardie Wines is one of the more well-known wineries in the area and is quite a large winery. They have a beautiful patio area for dining that is open seasonally from 11-6. They serve wood-fired pizza and other items on their menu. The tasting area is at the back of the building up the hill. There were numerous tasting bars in the back so that people could socially distance. We were surrounded by the vineyards so it was a lovely spot.
Wine Tasting
I liked every single wine I tried here. And I tried all 10 that they were serving… a few of them twice! Our wine associate was actually in training/volunteering at the vineyard to learn how they make their wines so he could eventually open his own winery. This was the most engaging wine tasting experience we’ve ever had. He was with us almost the entire time explaining about each wine, the flavour notes, the grapes, how it was made, unique elements of each wine that would make it taste a certain way. I wish I could remember his name, because he made this a fantastic wine tasting experience. My favourite wines were actually their county wines, which meant all grapes were grown in Prince Edward County.
Overall Experience
This did not feel like a large winery to me. We had a very thorough and leisurely wine tasting. I didn’t feel rushed at all, and our wine tasting associate was fantastic. The wines were on the high side from what we saw at other wineries in the area, but I still purchased a few that I really liked. I would 100% return to this winery and highly recommend that anyone visiting the County adds this winery to their itinerary. This winery definitely gets a 10/10 from me.
Prince Edward County Wineries Summary
There are so many wineries in the area that you could spend multiple weekends trying to visit them all and still not check them all of the list. I suggest picking a few in the same area and when you find a nice location to stay and enjoy! Not all wineries are created equal, and not all winery experiences are of the same quality. Whatever your wine tastes, preference for tasting (indoor, outdoor, seated, standing) you can definitely find something to suit you in Prince Edward County. You can even do some shopping at the charming stores in Bloomfield and Picton, go antiquing in the area or stop somewhere for food. This is definitely a lovely area.
If you want to hit a lot of wineries, there are many different tour companies (by bus, car or bike), drivers for hire (who drive your car), or individuals with their own vans you can hire to drive you around for the day. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you do it responsibly!
