It's early August, 2008 and time to celebrate our 14th Wedding Anniversary.
What to do? Well, we decided to visit Ontario's newest wine region, locally called 'The County', Prince Edward County, the 'almost island' that juts south from the north shore of Lake Ontario. The mainland across the Bay of Quinte from the county is Hastings County ... and Tom spent his first 16 years living in Hastings County.
We were last in 'The County' almost 16 years ago. We knew it now had a thriving wine industry that replaced many of the vegetable fields and canneries of 40 years ago. We'd heard, and read, good stories of wineries that were getting better every year. It was time to visit the wineries ourselves and celebrate a little.
We had a marvellous time! Great accommodation at the Inn at Huff Estates. Dinners at The Waring House and Angelina's in Bloomfield ... great food, beautifully presented and served. And we had a wonderful day visiting wineries and taking photographs. June gave her new 18-200mm Nikon zoom a workout. She photographed to produce a brief ProShow ... you know, sequences and all that stuff.
Tom recorded for the website. And yes, he also kept buying wine. We were at Waupoos Estates Winery, By Chadsey's Cairns, Sandbanks Winery, Carmelas Winery, Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards, Closson Chase Vineyards and Huff Estates
So that's what you'll see below. Photographs from a day and a bit in 'The County'.
What to do? Well, we decided to visit Ontario's newest wine region, locally called 'The County', Prince Edward County, the 'almost island' that juts south from the north shore of Lake Ontario. The mainland across the Bay of Quinte from the county is Hastings County ... and Tom spent his first 16 years living in Hastings County.
We were last in 'The County' almost 16 years ago. We knew it now had a thriving wine industry that replaced many of the vegetable fields and canneries of 40 years ago. We'd heard, and read, good stories of wineries that were getting better every year. It was time to visit the wineries ourselves and celebrate a little.
We had a marvellous time! Great accommodation at the Inn at Huff Estates. Dinners at The Waring House and Angelina's in Bloomfield ... great food, beautifully presented and served. And we had a wonderful day visiting wineries and taking photographs. June gave her new 18-200mm Nikon zoom a workout. She photographed to produce a brief ProShow ... you know, sequences and all that stuff.
Tom recorded for the website. And yes, he also kept buying wine. We were at Waupoos Estates Winery, By Chadsey's Cairns, Sandbanks Winery, Carmelas Winery, Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards, Closson Chase Vineyards and Huff Estates
So that's what you'll see below. Photographs from a day and a bit in 'The County'.
Our first stop was at Waupoos Estates, and that's when we learned that it could be a real photographic day for us. We shot in and around this lovely location, had a chat with Ed Neuser
and bought more wine that I had anticipated.
and bought more wine that I had anticipated.
When we left Waupoos we took some time to photograph the hollyhocks that grow along the roadside in many parts of The County. What a nice idea!
The Grange of Prince Edward is set on a lovely property.
It is rustic and gracious and very true to the Loyalist settlers who came here 200 years ago
It is rustic and gracious and very true to the Loyalist settlers who came here 200 years ago
We stayed at the Inn at Huff Estates. Very Nice!
The Inn was close to the Winery. The architecture is (perhaps) unique for Prince Edward County, concrete, hard edges, glass ... but it works very well ... softened by greenery and flowers. Yes, that's me drinking a nicely chilled Huff Rose before heading off to dinner.
The Inn was close to the Winery. The architecture is (perhaps) unique for Prince Edward County, concrete, hard edges, glass ... but it works very well ... softened by greenery and flowers. Yes, that's me drinking a nicely chilled Huff Rose before heading off to dinner.
You get to the Closson Chase sampling room through a beautiful barn, old wooden beams and all that stuff. The barn exterior is painted a gorgeous lavender, with flowers, including lavender surrounding the entrance.
Nice wine too!
Nice wine too!
By Chadsey's Cairns is slightly off the main highway, behind a (Chadsey's) Loyalist Cemetary. We enjoyed the sampling and a talk with Richard Johnston and the '07 Gewurztraminer. And we really enjoyed photography in the cemetary!
