Browsing Tag

Chardonnay

Meet our Wineries: Trail Estate Winery

Trail_Estate_Small_Less4cmGuest blog by Hannah Stein

In 2011, Anton and Hildegard Sproll embarked on the journey of owning a vineyard, when they fell in love with the 14 acre property situated where Benway Road intersects the Millennium Trail in Prince Edward County. No strangers to hard work; they had just retired from running a successful bakery for 30 years. The family has all its bases covered to start up a business, with son and graphic designer, Alex Sproll and daughter and accountant, Sylvia Sproll. They enlisted the help of winemaker and grape grower, Mackenzie Brisbois to craft their wines. Trail Estate Winery is a passionate winery that strives to produces terroir-driven wines of exceptional quality.

We spoke to Alex Sproll about the highlights of his family’s own, Trail Estate Winery…

What sets your winery apart from others?

I think that what sets us apart is our focus on great food-friendly wines, made in small batches. This allows for the making of wines without being excessively commercial. This year, for example, we made some skin contact whites in insanely small batches and they’re brilliant! It’s not to say we’ll always keep things that small, but we do have the flexibility for it. This allows the winemaker to consistently push the envelope and provide interesting tasting experiences for guests — and we’ve got no animals on our labels! We also want to get people to interact with the winemaker and learn more about viticulture and wine. This year, we’ll be having a set of winemaker-led tours and tastings every Friday and structured tastings every Saturday. They’ll last anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour and are bound to be a great addition to the winery.

Which of your wines is your personal favourite and why?

I don’t have a favorite; I think one of the great things is to keep trying new things! If anything though, I do prefer wines with great floral and flinty aromatics — be it Pinot Noirs, Rieslings, Sauv Blanc or Chardonnay — I just find them more lively and interesting. Wine should have life! I shy away the majority of Merlot, Cab Sauvs or anything else too sweet and cloying.

What should people most look forward to when visiting your winery during this year’s Terroir Run?

This year, watch your step! Since we’re in a bit of an expansion phase, the entrance is through the roll-up door at the back, therefore, we’ve shifted the tasting bar to be in the middle of the winery. It’s a bit make-shift but the tasting bar is now literally beside the barrels! It’s also all smooth gravel around our winery at the moment, so runners can enjoy our section of softer, pothole-free road!

 

May 24, 2016 by

Meet our Wineries: Closson Chase Vineyards

imgres-5Guest Blog by Hannah Stein

Opened in 1998, Closson Chase Vineyards is a quality-driven wine producer, located in beautiful Prince Edward County. Their vines produce premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and their dedication to quality, small-scale harvesting and production practices help to make their wines stand out. In their high-density, 30-acre vineyard, all grapes are hand-picked, and carefully selected, as to consistently produce the best quality wines possible. With the skills of winemaker Keith Tyers, Closson Chase is committed to creating distinctive wines that rival the world’s finest.

We spoke to Erin MacInnis of Closson Chase Vineyards, about all that this winery has to offer…

What sets your winery apart from others?  

At Closson Chase, we are viticulture focused; we take the time to tend to our fruit and give it what to needs to thrive in our particular climate. Our staff are dedicated to sustainable practices throughout our vineyards and winery.

Which of your wines is your personal favourite and why?

I love the Vineyard Chardonnay, as I feel it is a very pure interpretation of the diversity of both our soil and climate.

What should people most look forward to when visiting your winery during this year’s Terroir Run?

The wine, of course!

May 22, 2016 by

Meet our Wineries: Norman Hardie Vineyard

Norm and Rebecca

Norm and Rebecca

Guest blog by Hannah Stein

Set amongst the vines, Norman Hardie Vineyard is situated in idyllic Prince Edward County, Ontario. Winemaker and owner, Norman Hardie first opened his doors to the public in 2005 and his wines can now be found across Ontario, in many Canadian Provinces, and in numerous international markets. On a clay limestone hill in Prince Edward County, Norman’s passion for fine wine is put to the ultimate test.

We spoke to Norman Hardie, winemaker and owner of Norman Hardie Vineyard, about the highlights of his winery…

What sets your winery apart from others?

What sets my winery apart is our commitment to quality; crafting exceptional wine from the unique terroirs of Ontario is the cornerstone of our operations, and continues to be our guiding principle. However, our pursuit of excellence doesn’t end in the cellar; every year our team welcomes visitors from near and far to enjoy wood-fired pizzas with a glass of wine on our patio. It is truly a County experience that’s not to be missed!

Which of your wines is your personal favourite and why?

My current favourite wine is our 2013 Unfiltered Chardonnay. The chardonnay has an exhilarating acidity, a rich mouthfeel and exceptional length. It’s also a perfect pairing with a tarte flambe pizza on the patio.

What should people most look forward to when visiting your winery during this year’s Terroir Run?

Again, this year the Terroir Run participants will be ending their run at Norman Hardie Vineyard. We are very much looking forward to welcoming the enthusiastic runners with a glass of wine on the patio overlooking the vines. It is always a fantastic lunch, filled with delicious treats from local producers, the best from neighbouring wineries and, of course, artisanal pizzas from our own wood oven.

May 20, 2016 by

Meet our Wineries: The Grange of Prince Edward

Maggie Belcastro & Andrew Mackenzie

Maggie Belcastro (Grange Winery) & Andrew Mackenzie

Guest blog by Hannah Stein

The Grange of Prince Edward is a family-run winery in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Now with the help of her daughter Maggie, Caroline Granger has spent the last 15 years discovering the great potential of this unique region. The Grange grows 6 varietals on a 60-acre vineyard; with chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling, gamay, pinot noir, and cabernet franc. The winery produces only 100% estate grown and made wines to reflect the region and its distinct style.

We spoke to Maggie Belcastro, winemaker & daughter of owner Caroline Granger, about what their winery, Grange of Prince Edward, has to offer…

What sets your winery apart from others?

The setting… The Grange winery is housed in a historical c.1826 barn on a beautiful estate. Our wines are also unique. Our production is 100% estate grown and made; there are no vineyards quite like ours and the wines we produce are unique because of this. We love ‘terroir’ at the Grange!

Which of your wines is your personal favourite and why?

Gamay is a favourite around here because it’s unique, versatile, food-friendly and all around a fun style of wine to drink. Sip it chilled in the summer and you are good to go.

What should people most look forward to when visiting your winery during this year’s Terroir Run?

Because we are a water-station, Terroir Run guests don’t get to see much of the winery as they run past so we wanted to offer guests a chance to stop by, explore the property and taste our wines. That’s why, on Friday May 27th at 4:00pm, we invite any and all Terroir Run participants who are already in the County to join us for a private tour and guided tasting. We will walk the vineyards, explore the winery and barrel cellar, and taste a few of our best estate grown and made wines.

May 16, 2016 by

Meet Our Wineries: Rosehall Run

imgres-3Guest blog by Hannah Stein

In 2001, Winemaker and proprietor Dan Sullivan set the first Pinot Noir vines in the limestone-laced clay that would become the Rosehall Run Vineyards. Over the last 15 years, Rosehall Run has expanded to now include one of the largest wine processing facilities in the County, an underground barrel cellar blasted into the limestone, a spacious and modern concept Tasting Room, a grocer area offering unique locally produced gourmet foods and an outdoor performance tent, featuring seasonal professional theatre and a blues festival. The impressive portfolio of wines that Dan produces continues to offer an exceptional quality to value proposition, exemplifying some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay being produced in the country today. Joining the lineup for 2016, is the highly anticipated methode traditionelle Estate-Grown, multi-vintage CEREMONY, “a well-balanced, rich and flavourful sparkling chardonnay” as described by Master Sommelier John Szabo at an Ontario wine tasting.

We spoke to Dan Sullivan, winemaker & owner of Rosehall Run, about all his winery has to offer…

What sets your winery apart from others?

When talking about the best of Rosehall Run, it is first and foremost about the wine, followed closely by our knowledgeable staff, the friendly people from the vineyard to the tasting room.

We offer a set of unique tasting and drinking experiences that run the gamut from our signature JCR Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to our fun, fizzy, flamingo-coloured Pixie sparkling wine.

Which of your wines is your personal favourite and why?

I like to think of our wines as offering a unique personality that sets them apart, but as with many things taken with that which is the newest. With that in mind, our new method champenoise sparkling wine called Ceremony, made from our Hillier grown Chardonnay, is my muse for the upcoming summer of love. Stop by for a splash and see for yourselves!

What should people most look forward to when visiting your winery during this year’s Terroir Run?

We look forward to having PICNIC food truck back again this summer at Rosehall Run, dishing up super tasty and healthy food that can be enjoyed with a glass of wine overlooking the vineyards from our deck or lawn.

May 14, 2016 by