I am excited to share something we are very proud of. Norman Hardie wines are now served in 20 Michelin Star restaurants in Europe! I recently had two brief trips to Europe where the reception to our wines has been over the top. On my trip to the U.K., we poured our wines at Canada House. We also poured at ProWein in Germany (Europe’s most prestigious wine event). My second trip was a 9-day trip to Belgium and the Netherlands showcasing our wines to top sommeliers, journalists, and wine professionals. The discerning and well-trained European sommeliers could not believe we can make such wonderful Old-World style wines in the New World. They consistently remarked that they expected to pay twice to three times the amount for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of similar quality from Burgundy.


I am also thrilled to announce that my first single-vineyard Pinot Noir release is finally here! The quality of the wine is on par or possibly more delicious than previous releases of our Cuvée “L” Pinot Noir. Our first plantings of County Pinot Noir were in 2003. The vineyard is now beautifully established. The roots have long penetrated the one and a half/two feet of fractured limestone/clay and are now working their way through the limestone bedrock. This special wine has been in the making for 19 years and only a top selection of 8 barrels were produced.

The wine has a wonderful richness and density while at the same time maintaining the tightness that one associates with great Old-World Pinot Noir. This wine truly represents all the promise I envisioned the soils would have back when I planted the vineyard in 2003. The vineyard is eponymously named “Jane & Oliver’s Block” after two of the vineyard’s greatest supporters. For those who love Pinot Noir, one sip tells the whole story. Available for your enjoyment online and at the winery.

Many returning customers have complimented me on the changes and enhancements that we’ve made to the property during COVID. While these physical changes have significantly improved the winery, ultimately it is the incredible staff we have that make the great winery experience what it is. Kudos and a million high fives to Erica and her team of 60+ employees who have made 2022 the best team we have ever had.

The beautiful Chaka Chikodzi sculpture garden has expanded this summer, and his work is simply magnificent. In line with our ongoing commitment to furthering education, all commissions the winery would normally collect from the sale of artwork on the property are going directly to the Tawineyi Primary School in Chaka’s home village of Nhakiwa, Zimbabwe. Last year’s commissions helped pay for a water hole to be drilled so the school will have fresh clean running water. This year we hope to raise enough money to build at least one, if not two classrooms.

We look forward to seeing you join us at the winery in beautiful Prince Edward County soon. Sit on our patio and sip a cold glass of your favourite wine overlooking the vineyard, enjoy the freshest oysters from PEI, local in-house smoked trout, delicious organic salads, and our famous wood-fired pizzas.

As always if you can’t make it to the County, we are happy to deliver directly from our cellar to your front door across Canada. Free shipping is available for Ontario orders of $90+, Quebec orders of $200+, and orders $300+ to the rest of Canada. Mixed cases are welcome!

Cheers,

Norm and the Norman Hardie Winery team