Amazing how quickly the summer has blown by, and Harvest 2021 is now imminent. Weather-wise the growing conditions have been ideal so far this summer. We now pray for dry warm days and cool nights over the next month or so.
Our staff were simply incredible this summer. Many have now returned to high school and post-secondary. There wasn’t a day that went by that someone didn’t pull me over to compliment me on how great our staff were. At the end of the day, we can build the buildings and make the wines, but without the staff we have nothing. I can only say how privileged and fortunate we are to have had, and to continue to have such an incredible team that all works towards the same goal of greatness for the winery.
Every year friends, family, and volunteers come to help with our annual Harvest pick day. This year two potential dates we are looking at for the pick are Sunday, October 3rd or Sunday, October 10th. If you’re interested in joining us, please email Joey (joey@normanhardie.com). He will keep you updated as we get closer and closer to the day. At the bottom of this email is a full description of how our communal harvest is run. Hopefully you can join us.
With the Fall upon us we are releasing some exciting wines:
Sauvignon Blanc Vieux Chêne 2020 — It’s a classically-made Sauvignon Blanc made in the style of Sancerre and as far away from what you’d find in New Zealand. Aged in large, 500L old French oak barrels on the lees for 10 months prior to racking and bottling. Available online via our store, or click here to see a full list of LCBO Vintage locations carrying the wine.
Gamay Rosé — While many wineries rush to bottle their Rosés in the Spring, we prefer to make a more complex and rich style which we age on the lees for 9 months. Our 2020 Rosé is made from 100% Gamay and has a lovely bright red colour, carrying more weight and complexity than most Rosés you find in the market today. An ideal transition wine from Summer to Fall.
John Bil Cuvée 2017 — For those who knew John, he was not only a great friend of mine, but he played an integral part in the development of the wonderful culture we have at the winery today. The 2017 Cuvée is an ideal shellfish and seafood wine made in the spirit that John would’ve wished. Click here to understand what a wonderful human John was, and his important role in the winery.
As the seasons change, we hope you can make it to the winery to enjoy beautiful bucolic Prince Edward County. While we’re proud to have our wines savoured around the world, there is nothing better than enjoying them right here in Canada paired with locally grown produce.
If you can’t make it out to the winery this season, we’re happy to bring P.E.C. to your doorstep via our online store. We ship across Canada, including Quebec, with mixed cases welcomed. We offer free shipping on all Ontario orders $90 or more, and now free shipping on any orders $200 or more Canada-wide.
Cheers,
Norm and the entire Winery team
Harvest Info
Each year since opening we have had a communal pick day. Each family cluster will be provided their own picking bins that they will use throughout the day. We also kindly ask you to please bring your own picnic chairs/blankets to enjoy your well-deserved post-harvest lunch comfortably. We would suggest layering and dressing appropriately for cool, crisp weather, with shoes suitable for outdoor, slightly muddy work.
Harvesting will start at 10:30am, and we will serve the meal in the early afternoon. There will be meal options for vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians to enjoy. For others, we will still be roasting a 120lb pig as is our tradition.
To confirm your spot in the communal harvest pick, please email Joey (joey@normanhardie.com) with your name, and the number of people who will be in your cluster.
Please check your email prior to arriving. If it rains, we will need to cancel the harvest. We will only email you if we need to cancel.
This is a family affair, and as always, children are very welcome; however, we advise against bringing dogs, as you will have a large vet bill 24 hours after your dog has consumed a few ounces of grapes!
Picking requires many knee bends and spending lots of time close to the ground. If you feel your knees are not up for this, please still join us as we have many important tasks in the winery and field that do not require significant knee bends. For those participating in grape picking, please come prepared with sunglasses/protective eyewear, comfortable farm shoes, a water bottle, and your energy & enthusiasm. You are also welcomed to bring work gloves and a stool to sit on.