Prince Edward County

Prince Edward County (PEC) is located 220 km east of Toronto. It is just south of Belleville. The ground is atypical with many valleys and the foundation is limestone. The cracked limestone base and the stony soils allow bilge in the spring, take in all the water which allows the vines to go deep in the Indian summer and yields a flavor that is potent, rich, full-bodied and robust. The breeze from Lake Ontario gives maximum benefit to the vineyards of PEC.

As you exit the 401 and go south towards PEC, it is an amazing escape from the boring monotony of the 401. You are transformed into the countryside lined with unique vineyards in a succulent canvas of agrarian serenity.

Welcome to my series on vineyards in PEC. Before you head out to a vineyard please read this guide on how to enjoy your trip. In this series, I will cover the following vineyards: Harwood, Casa-Dea, Rosehall Run, Norman Hardie, By Chadsey’s Cairns and Kent He.

Keint-He Winery & Vineyards

Keint-he is the French take on the word Quinte (Bay of Quinte region).

The focus of Keint-he is to follow in the footsteps of the vineyards in Burgundy. The vineyards at Keint-he were chosen based on geography, the glare of the sun and the type of soil. These slight, ingenious characteristics create a unique grape.

The Big Lake Vineyard planted in 2007 is located at the winery and takes advantage of the airflow from Lake Ontario. At this vineyard Melone de Bourgogne, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are grown.

The Little Creek Vineyard planted in 1997 consists exclusively of Pinot Noir.

The Foxtail Vineyards were planted in 1999 and consists of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, St. Laurent, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier.

The Pinot Noir produced here has a cosmopolitan tone to it because of the perfect mix of the Burgundian approach with the County climate. The high-density planting and the work with hand results in a balanced wine.

The sun-soaked patio faces the lake and you get snacks. Just sit here for a while and try one of their great Pinot Noirs.

Top Recommendation

Keint-He 2015 ‘Portage’ Pinot Noir

The definition of Pinot Noir from PEC. A Medium body, robust wine good with a nice BBQ.

I am really fascinated by the label. Canoes in a Fog, Lake Superior is painted by Canadian artist, Frances Anne Hopkins (1838-1919).

Keint-he Winery & Vineyards is located at 49 Hubbs Creek Road in Wellington, Ontario.

The post Keint-He Winery: A Burgundian Winery appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Casa-Dea Winery is the ultimate romantic getaway.

Prince Edward County

Prince Edward County (PEC) is located 220 km east of Toronto. It is just south of Belleville. The ground is atypical with many valleys and the foundation is limestone. The cracked limestone base and the stony soils allow bilge in the spring, take in all the water which allows the vines to go deep in the Indian summer, and yields a flavor that is potent, rich, full-bodied, and robust. The breeze from Lake Ontario gives maximum benefit to the vineyards of PEC.

As you exit the 401 and go south towards PEC, it is an amazing escape from the boring monotony of the 401. You are transformed into the countryside lined with unique vineyards in a succulent canvas of agrarian serenity.

Welcome to my series on vineyards in PEC. Before you head out to a vineyard please read this guide on how to enjoy your trip. In this series, I will cover the following vineyards: Harwood, Casa-Dea, Rosehall Run, Norman Hardie, By Chadsey’s Cairns, Black Prince, Waupoos, and Kent-he.

Casa-Dea Estates Winery

Casa-Dea Estates Winery at 65 acres is one of the biggest, entrenched, romantic wineries in PEC with the best website. Casa-Dea produces pure PEC VQA wines using grapes grown only on their vineyard. Casa-Dea is on Greer Road and along with Norman Hardie and Rosehall Run is called ‘Three on Greer’.

The founder Domenic Di Pietrantonio studied to become a priest and was responsible for the wine cellar at the monastery. I am glad he did not pursue the priesthood and instead pursued his love for wine and the cardinal paroxysm resulted in Casa-Dea Estates in 2000.

I am a die-hard romantic so am fascinated by the name. I get my answer. The name is all about romance. In Italian ‘Casa’ means home and ‘Dea’ means Goddess. Dea is the name of Domenic’s wife of six decades. The symbol of the winery is the Goddess and represents Domenic’s village in Italy.

Casa-Dea has the complete package for a romantic getaway or just a day visit. The winery was founded on love. It has a goddess name attached to it. The logo is a goddess.  There is a winery, a tasting room, a restaurant, and a guest house. If you want to impress your significant other, this is the place to be.

Winemaker

Paul Battilana graduated from the Niagara College, School of Viticulture and brings his passion, dedication and looks at the whole process of wine in detail. The terroir, varietals, clones, rootstocks, pruning, cropping, hang time, press method, barrels, time in oak, blending and aging is studied in detail to give you the classic VQA PEC wine.

Wine Categories

Casa-Dea produces three categories of wines. The Estate Wines are good for sipping and are of great value. The Reserve Wines should be used for a special get together as they have the perfect match of vignette and finesse. The Limited Edition is a wine of premium quality with limited availability.

La Pergola Restaurant

The La Pergola Restaurant & Patio is located right next to the tasting room and has appetizers and pizza inspired by Italian cuisine. The restaurant is famous for its charcuterie board. It is open daily from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Guest House

The Guest House is called ‘Casa del Silenzio’, near the vineyard, tasting bar and patio restaurant. There is a minimum two-night stay. The house is 1400 square feet. A couple, a group of friends or a family will have ample space with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, fireplace, a dining room, and patio furniture and BBQ.

I will recommend that you buy one of the three bottles mentioned here. I like their Rose bubbly. You have come here for a romantic date. Have some food at the restaurant and order the bubbly. The Gamay grape gives you the berry flavor. The classic Charmat method is used. The bubbles are fine. The light flavors give you the definition and enunciation of PEC wine. If you buy a bottle and take it home, it is perfect with turkey or a chicken dish.

The Cabernet Franc Reserve is my second choice. This wine is aged for two years in French oak barrels which gives it an amazing finish. This wine is perfect with any beef dish.

In keeping with our theme of romance and love, here is one wine you need to buy. Amore means to love and this is the best of the reserve barrels which is balanced and makes you joyful.

Casa-Dea is the pride of PEC. It is located at 1186 Greer Road in Wellington. The tasting bar is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm daily.

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