Browsing Tag

Norman Hardie Winery

Wine not come to County Terroir?!?!

Our lucky runners are being treated to complimentary passes to attend the  2018 County Terroir, an annual celebration of spring wine releases from Prince Edward County Wineries! For those of you who weren’t able to register for our run (we SOLD OUT in February), you can still come and have some terroir fun! On Saturday, June 2nd from 11am to 4pm at the Crystal Palace you can wine, dine and dance your way through some of the counties finest 2018 releases from 18 County wineries.

New for 2018, on Sunday, June 3rd you can partake in VIP Cellar Tours for $20 per winery at Lacey Estates Winery, Sandbanks Winery, Huff Estates Winery, Broken Stone Winery, Three Dog Winery, Grange of Prince Edward Winery, Black Prince Winery, Karlo Estate Winery, Rosehall Run, Half Moon Bay Winery, Norman Hardie Winery, Keint-He Winery & Vineyards, Traynor Family Vineyard and Trail Estate Winery. Many thanks again to Prince Edward County Wineries for supporting the Terroir Run!

Terroir Run 2018: Bigger, Better, Backward?

With the holidays quickly approaching we’re getting a lot of inquiries about the 2018 run. We’ll be opening ticketing shortly to returning runners and then to the general public so everyone can secure their place or share a place as a unique gift for those lucky experience seekers in your life. Every year we ask our runners for their feedback and introduce tweaks to improve the run and 2018 will be no exception – actually we have a few big changes to share:

  • We’re moving the date ahead a little to accommodate those who run the Ottawa half-marathon, or miss the Ottawa half-marathon. The 2018 Terroir Run will be held on Saturday, June 2nd.
  • For 7 years we’ve run the bucolic backroads of Hillier wine country and arrived at Norm Hardie Winery for pizzas & pinot (and lots of other great local bites and sips) but this year we’re mixing it up, and surprising our runners with a special new County food experience. So many runners who came to 2017’s “Back To The Start” party loved eating, drinking and hanging out with Jens & Bruno so this year we’re reversing our route, and finishing at The Old Third Vineyard.
  • As a result, the start will also be new and the good folks at Rose Hall Run have offered to host our gang. Although we’ll miss Bruno’s usual bird-banger start, Dan and Lynn Sullivan promise something really fun.
  • We’re moving our start time from 9AM to 10AM. This small change will align lunch more with, well, lunch, and this year our runners will be able to enjoy the after-run experience (food, drink, social) into the afternoon.
  • To address a frustration for families, groups and interested new runners we’ll be expanding participation a little to allow for more runners to join. Expansion is something we’ve debates every year as our first objective is to deliver a truly unique experience to all our participants and companions – this will not be compromised.
  • Finally, Rebecca & I founded the Terroir Run to share the our love of fitness, food, drink, travel and discovery but many may not know that all proceeds are directed to supporting community initiatives. Over the years organizations that have received funds include Slow Food The County, The Terry Fox Foundation, Quinte Humane Society, Heart & Stroke Foundation, 99.3 County FM. This year we are simplifying the focus and launching a new Foundation to formalize giving so that our runners can better understand the good their participation does. Stay tuned for more information about our new LARJ Foundation.

These are the high points but runners will also find little changes to their run kits, the run kit pickup options, some new partnerships and the on route experience. We expect the 2018 Terroir Run will be the best ever and hope you’ll join us, or join us again.

Cheers.

Andrew

2016 Final Run Details

IMG_3124We’ve just returned from visiting our run wineries to pick up wine for next weekend, followed by a family trail run – it’s a great weekend to be enjoying all that the County has to offer.
There is still time to grab tickets to our annual pre-run dinner on May 27th at 6pm at County Road Beer Co where they will be serving us up eats from the grill and a special Runner’s Radler! Tickets are available here – get them before we close registration on Monday, May 23rd at 6pm.

Reminding all of you that the Terroir Run is NOT a race but rather a fun run and as such – we don’t issue runners bibs or time chips. The first 3 female and 3 male runners that make it to Norman Hardie Winery receive a complimentary registration for our 2017 run (non-transferable to other runners or future runs). We will not be tracking times so if this is important to you we recommend you track your time using your own device (smart watch, GPS on phone etc).

There are AWESOME runners kits which can be picked up on Friday, May 27th at County Road Beer Co at 1258 Closson Road between 6:00pm and 8:30pm OR on run day (May 28th) at the starting point of the run – The Old Third Vineyard 1258 Closson Road starting at 7:30am. The kits are packaged in a Wine Country Ontario wine bag and include your custom 2016 Terroir Run t-shirt (Me to We), a wine glass, a package of Pluck Teas, a gourmet granola bar by The Quirky Carrot and a package of Propeller Coffee Co. Registration also entitles you to partake in the delicious post run lunch at Norma Hardie Winery where we have a special surprise from Buddha Dog!

Each of you will be required to sign a waiver form when you pick up your registration kits. If you are picking up kits for friends or family members please contact us in advance so we can send you the form which you will be required to present in their absence.

The run happens rain or shine so please come prepared. There is a lead vehicle that will take any clothes/items that you want at the finish location (Norman Hardie Winery). There is also a follow vehicle that is there to support you if you can’t complete the run or need any other support (bandaid, water etc). There are 2 port-o-potties at The Old Third but NO other washrooms along the route so please go before the run begins!

There’s a transportation bus provided by Sandbanks Vacations that will leave Norman Hardie Winery at 7:30am and 8:00am to bring you to the STARTING point – that way your car is there for when you’re done. There is NO transportation provided back to The Old Third Winery AFTER the run so if you are leaving your car at the starting point you will need to make your own arrangements to pick it up after lunch. The run starts at 9am with a bang when The Old Third Winemaker Bruno Francois fires his bird banger and away we go!

There are 3 water stations (which are dog friendly) along the route – the first at Closson Chase Winery, the second at The Grange of Prince Edward Estates Vineyards & Winery and the final at the junction of Benway Road and Greer Rod supplied by Karlo Estates Winery. The route is mainly paved road with the exception of Benway Road, which is gravel. There is very little shade along the route so please wear sunscreen and a hat.

The run is a dog friendly event. If you are bringing your 4 legged friend please make sure they are used to running for 10km and stay well hydrated. They must also run on leash for their safety and everyone else’s.

We encourage you to put some ZEST into the day and run in a custome – there are some fun prizes from our sponsors including the grand prize of a $200 gift certificate from Zest Kitchen Shop (in Picton).

Brunch/Lunch is being served at Norman Hardie Winery between 10:30am and 12:30pm. We ask that you secure your seats  as soon as you arrive – the quicker you are seated the quicker you will be served.

We’d like to encourage you to visit the wineries on our run while you are in the County (and every time you come) – we couldn’t deliver this great taste of place experience without their support!

We look forward to running with everyone May 28th!

 

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 the 24th be with you!

On May 24th, one hundred brave souls will embark on a journey. They will encounter fields of vineyards, lavender and freshly planted crops. They will endure paved and gravel roads. They may be forced to dance along the route. Before they reach the finish line they will have to run around an old rusty tractor. It will all be worth it once the reach the new frontier-Norman Hardie Winery. They will be rewarded. The are no medals of honour in this run but rather glasses of wine, cider and beer that will celebrate their achievements! Our small group of Star Wars friends took to the run route today to see what the 2014 Terroir Run runners will face… this is their journey.

Distracted by the statue at The Old Third, the commander had to have a glass of Cider to settle him before heading to battle

Distracted by the statue at The Old Third, the commander had to have a glass of Cider to settle him before heading to battle

 

Found this guy at Broken Stone Winery - he was trying to refuel on Pinot Noir

Found this guy at Broken Stone Winery – he was trying to refuel on Pinot Noir

Yoda has a zen moment at Closson Chase Vineryards

Yoda has a zen moment at Closson Chase Vineryards

Over and out from Lacey Estates. Vineyard in good shape? Check. Wine chilled? Check.

Over and out from Lacey Estates. Vineyard in good shape? Check. Wine chilled? Check.

This droid decided to make a pit stop and recharge at The Grange Winery water station

This droid decided to make a pit stop and recharge at The Grange Winery water station

The battle at Hinterland was fierce to protect all of their bottles of bubbly!

The battle at Hinterland was fierce to protect all of their bottles of bubbly!

Our troopers couldn't get in to explore this new found star - Trail Estate Winery. Word is the runners will!

Our troopers couldn’t get in to explore this new found star – Trail Estate Winery. Word is the runners will!

Karlo Estates is not on the route but they refuel the force at Benway Road and Greer Road

Karlo Estates is not on the route but they refuel the force at Benway Road and Greer Road

Luke - your father is not here - keep running!

Luke – your father is not here at By Chadsey’s Carins – keep running!

Just when he thought he was done, he came across the tractor at Rosehall Run and new...it was almost over

Just when he thought he was done, he came across the tractor at Rosehall Run and new…it was almost over

Can you see the force amongst the sign? Norman Hardie Winery - the finish line!

Can you see the force amongst the sign? Norman Hardie Winery – the finish line!