As we quickly shift from winter to summer, the vineyards have escaped the frost and are in the best shape they’ve ever been. The vineyards’ immaculate shape is a testament to the diligent hard work of Mark, Lou, and our fastidious vineyard crew from Thailand. The dedication and work ethic of our Thai workers continues to amaze me, particularly during this pandemic. Imagine leaving your family for eight months to work twelve timezones away during these uncertain times. They are truly remarkable.
I’ve always felt that our 2016 Niagara Chardonnay was very special and under-appreciated. This hunch recently came to be true when we received a score of 17.5 from JancisRobinson.com. To put that in perspective, 17.5 is a score many Premier Cru and Grand Cru Burgundies three-to-four times the price would be delighted with. The wine is available through select LCBO Vintages sections, at the winery, and online (click to order).
We’ve always used minimal amounts of sulphur (well below organic and biodynamic limits) in our low-intervention winemaking approach. However, once in a while when the stars align we feel comfortable releasing a zero sulphur Chardonnay, aptly named Sans Souffre. Our 2015 Sans Souffre vintage was a huge success. I am equally, if not more pleased with the wonderful 2019. The wine was fermented using natural yeasts in neutral 500L French oak barrels. After 12 months on the lees in barrel, the wine was put to bottle with no filtration, no fining, and of course no sulphur. Our 2019 Chardonnay Sans Souffre is available to purchase at the winery or through our online store only.
In the spirit of eat and drink local, Ontario Asparagus (Asparagus Farmers of Ontario) have chosen our 2017 Riesling to pair beautifully with our magnificent local asparagus. Click here to see some great recipes and ways to prepare asparagus from some of the top chefs across the province. We will be featuring our ever-popular asparagus salad as soon as we can open the patio.
Under current COVID restrictions, we are operating the pizza oven for takeout service on Saturdays/Sundays from 12pm to 5pm, as well as this Friday from 12pm to 5pm (long weekend). Once COVID restrictions have been lifted, Erica and her Front of House team have worked diligently to ensure that we can open our tables for dine-in service and outdoor tastings at a moment’s notice. We will be onboarding almost 50 enthusiastic local students this summer to ensure a great experience for everyone. We continue to take COVID very seriously, and during these lockdowns we’ve been busy upgrading our outdoor facilities to make sure that all of our staff and guests can work/enjoy beautiful Prince Edward County at the winery (see video here). We have many individual shaded structures in place both for dining and tastings, making us one of the safest destinations to visit in PEC this summer.
Thank you again for your tremendous support during COVID. As always, if you can’t make it to the County we’re happy to deliver the County to your door through our online shop. Mixed cases are welcomed. Imagine the joy on the face of a relative or business partner across the country as they receive the best gift of all: the gift of wine. Click here to order.
Cheers,
Norm & Our Ever-Expanding Team