Wine & Food
Discover the artisanal foods and wineries of Prince Edward County
Great artisanal foods and master chefs are peppered among the award-winning wineries of Prince Edward County. This edgy young region on the shore of Lake Ontario midway between Montreal and Toronto offers a compelling alternative to Niagara wine tours. Stop for a tasting or tour and stay for dinner. You can learn while you sip at the cooking schools and wineries of Prince Edward County. Michael Hoy of Huff Estates and Cynthia Peters at From the Farm Cooking School draw inspiration from the fresh produce of local farms. The local-food movement is in full swing here, providing pure dairy for artisanal cheeses, excellent cidery apples, and barley for distinctive
micro breweries. Try the County Cider Company for a hard cider and lunch of locally-grown goodies on their patio overlooking Lake Ontario.
Love apples? Pick your own in South Eastern Ontario
South Eastern Ontario grows more than grapes – it’s also the place to pick your own apples for a satisfying late summer or fall crunch. Visit picturesque Channel Orchard in a waterfront setting or Kilmarnock Orchard near colonial Merrickville which offers over 20 varieties of fine pick-your-own apples on 15 acres. When your bushel is full, Kingston’s energetic restaurant scene and historic Fort Henry isn’t far. Chez Piggy, on a romantic courtyard, is a popular choice for lunch. For a menu of locally-sourced ingredients, including a Baco Noir from just down the road in Prince Edward County, try West Seventy 6 Grill on the shore of Lake Ontario. You could do worse than to eat and sip your way along The Great Waterway from Trenton in the west to Cornwall in the east.
Glengarry Highland Games
The Great Waterway Classic
Kinsmen Cornwall Liftoff
Cycling
Follow your nose for an Ontario wine tour
For a fun way to do just that, start your South Eastern Ontario wine tour by finding your favorite vintage in Prince Edward County. Then ask for it by name as you follow the Great Waterway along the shore of Lake Ontario and the mighty Saint Lawrence River. A great way to finish a half-day 1000 Islands boat tour in this area is with candle-light Italian dining at the Trinity House Inn by the river in Gananoque. Further downstream in Morrisburg, Milano’s Pizzeria offers more than just pizza and plates feature local walleye caught fresh. With local and artisanal fare available all along The Great Waterway, you will really need to work at it if you want to go hungry. And judging by the buzz around Ontario wine right now, visitors who are familiar with Niagara wine tours in Southern Ontario are quickly adding the cideries and wineries of Prince Edward County to their lists of ‘must-do’ Ontario wine tours.
The wine and cheese culture of The Great Waterway has been helped along by a full calendar of festivals and cultural events. If you like the pipes and drums, don’t miss the Glengarry Highland Games.
- Bryan, Ottawa
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