Prince Edward County
Wine and Cider Destination
Prince Edward County, on the shores of Lake Ontario, is a beautiful and interesting surprise. On the same latitude as both Beamsville near Niagara and Burgundy, France, the wines are complex and interesting. If wine is not your thing, Cider is also a top hit in the area. Not into wine or cider? Prince Edward County is steeped in history, starting with the LeVescount Mounds of the Point Peninsular Complex people built around 2000 years ago. The Point Peninsular Complex were an Indigenous culture in Ontario and New York. The county was created in 1792 and named after Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, the fouth son of King George III and father of Queen Victoria.
Come visit for a day or for the weekend. You are sure to be delighted.
County Cider Company.
Prince Edward County
Wine & Cider Destination
Prince Edward County, on the shores of Lake Ontario, is a beautiful and interesting surprise. On the same latitude as both Beamsville near Niagara and Burgundy, France, the wines are complex and interesting. If wine is not your thing, Cider is also a top hit in the area. Not into wine or cider? Prince Edward County is steeped in history, starting with the LeVescount Mounds of the Point Peninsular Complex people built around 2000 years ago. The Point Peninsular Complex were an Indigenous culture in Ontario and New York. The county was created in 1792 and named after Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, the fouth son of King George III and father of Queen Victoria.
Come visit for a day or for the weekend. You are sure to be delighted.
County Cider Company
In the summer of 2022, Ontario was trying to recover from the pandemic and Staycations were encouraged. We decided to spend some time in Colborne and the Prince Edward County area. We had visited in Spring a few years ago but had never experienced it in summer. We were in for a treat as we drove around the picturesque area, down country roads, visiting quaint villages, fabulous Wineries and admiring stunning views from Cideries. In 2023 we returned for another visit and it was a brand new experience with different wineries to visit.
Big Apple, Colborne
Before even getting to Prince Edward County, we have to make a stop at the Big Apple in Colborne to stock up on Apple Fritters and Apple Pie! This is a great destination for families, with a Mini Putt course and adorable animals in the Petting Zoo. There is also a Food Truck area providing great options for lunch.
During the 2 visits, we visited 6 wineries and 1 cidery. Click on a name to be taken directly to that section or just scroll through them all. Links to the winery websites are provided in each post and indicated in red, underlined, italicized text. These links will open in a new tab. I have not been compensated for any of these reviews
Wineries & Cideries of Prince Edward County (PEC)
Three Dog Winery
With a lovely patio and garden area, an indoor tasting bar and entertainment on the weekends, Three Dog Winery is a perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon. Sample whites and reds in a flight or choose a glass of your favourite, paired with wood oven pizza or a charcuterie plate. Wander out into the gardens and feel yourself relax.
The original owner had 3 beautiful dogs, hence the name, which has stuck. The current owners have a gorgeous dog, Red, who roams around the property. You are welcome to bring your leashed dogs and your children also have plenty of room to run around and let off some steam.
Need a place to stay? Check out their on-site AirBnB. Find more information on their website here.
No reservations are required so pack up the car and stop for a visit and check out their award winning wines.
Stanners Vineyard
If you like a good Pinot Noir, Stanners Vineyard is the place the go. The winery is at the end of a long driveway, a very long driveway. You may think you are going the wrong way but just keep driving and you will find this small, boutique, family owned winery. Run by Father and Son team, Cliff and Colin, with their supportive wives, they took their amateur wine skills from basement to successful winery. Their backgrounds as Research Scientists, molecular biology and physical chemistry, give them the expertise to understand the end to end process required to produce a prize winning bottle of wine.
Colin is the winemaker and brings a wealth of information from living near San Francisco, California where he created a mini winery in his basement. He had been working on perfecting wine long before setting out on this adventure in the County.
The Barrel room is where you will find the tasting bar. Built from straw bales, the room has amazing sound and insulation properties and is a wonderful, cool place to hide from the heat of the summer sun. Although Pinot Noir is their specialty, I enjoyed a tasting of 4 of their very palatable whites. I am always amazed at how the weather can impact the taste of the grapes providing subtle differences in the same wine variety from year to year. No matter the weather, the amazing winemakers always turn out a fabulous wine.
You can find Stanners wines at many restaurants in Southern Ontario with over 50 in Toronto alone, including Ruth Chris, Morton’s, The Drake Hotel, Canoe and many more. I travel to Collingwood area regularly and am happy to see Bruce Wine Bar, in Thornbury, on the list. A new place for me to discover.
Lovely visit and looking forward to finding their wines in local restaurants. Check out their website for more information.
Sugarbush
I appear to be really good at finding wineries with dogs and had the pleasure of meeting the beautiful Golden Retrievers at Sugarbush. Another small, family run and operated winery with a comfortable outdoor seating area. Bring your dog, order some cheese and sit back and admire the views of the vineyards.
Owners Robert and Sally Peck, have been adding to their vineyards and pride themselves on only using their estate grown grapes. They have a wonderful selection of whites and reds.
Drop by for a tasting and visit their retail store to take home a few bottles or they are happy to arrange delivery to several provinces. If you are lucky, you will also find them at a few restaurants or LCBOs.
Visit Sugarbush website for more info.
Karlo Estates
My husband really enjoyed Karlo winery, not just because of the beautiful wood framed barn bar but he loves anywhere that he can enjoy a coffee while I enjoy the wine!
Take a seat in their comfy lounge area or at the bar and enjoy a tasting of their gold medal winning wines. The staff take the time to describe the wines you are tasting. The day we were there, they were short staffed, yet busy but I never felt ignored and they always made time to check in and see if we needed anything.
If you are a fan of Vineroutes Wine Magazine, you will know that Karlo Estates was named one of the Top 20 wineries in Ontario and one of the top ten wines in Ontario. They deserve to be proud.
Karlo takes wine-making very seriously and use traditional methods in the Old World Style. They also pride themselves on using Vegan methods. Their wine, packaging and food are all certified vegan. To find out more about their growing and producing methods and specifically what makes their wine vegan, check our their very informative website.
With several wineries along this stretch, it makes it a popular drop in for bike tours. Come by bike, foot or car, stay a while and just chill.
Grange of Prince Edward
The Grange Winery is a beautiful surprise, from the large tasting bar to the intimate outdoor patio. I had a lovely chat at the bar and learnt about the wines before taking my selections out on the patio. It was late in the day and we were just starting to recover from Covid shutdowns so the winery was quiet which suited us just fine. Always love getting personalized service.
Their wines are created from their own grapes but they also have their Farmers series where they blend grapes from other farms and vineyards across Ontario. During the summer, they have an outdoor kitchen servicing delicious meals. They have amazing chefs working together to create wonderful menus, not just for the drop in guest but they also cater weddings and private events.
The Grange is a gorgeous winery with amazing facilities and I look forward to returning in the future. You can find out more about them here.
Broken Stone
Another popular Bike tour stop, Broken Stone has local summer afternoon entertainment for you to enjoy while sipping on your wine. The tasting was informative, served to us on their patio and started with a wonderful sparkling red wine. We decided to add some cheese to our tasting, more to give my husband something to taste. He is a non-drinker but is always happy to drive around and taste cheese!
The owners of Broken Stone, Tim and Micheline Kuepfer, lovingly grow their grapes on 4 vineyards within the County. Each vineyard is just a little bit different in soil composition allowing them to choose the right grape to make fabulous varieties of red and white. For over a decade, they have split their time between raising family in Toronto and raising their passion in Prince Edward County. An idea grew into something special and they should be proud of what they have grown.
Want to learn more? Check our their website here or check out their interesting and informative blog.
County Ciders
The views from County Ciders are stunning. We first visited in 2021 but it was the end of the day and they were closing up, however, I vowed to return, which we did in 2023. We planned our entire trip in the County around making it here for lunch. We were not disappointed. The pizzas were amazing and they were very accommodating when I wanted to switch things up a little and make changes. In fact the staff were so friendly, they really added to the enjoyment of the visit.
The cider tasting was really great. They have several stations set up and you move through the stations trying several ciders. My favourites include the regular apple cider and also the Orange and the Feral which is dangerously like cream soda!
County Ciders will always be on our list when we visit Prince Edward County, whether to just pick up cider or to stop for more delicious pizza.
Find out more about their cidery and events here.
Aside from the fabulous wineries and cideries, the county has a lot more to offer. The town of Picton is lovely, dotted with stores and restaurants and The Drake Hotel. There are also great restaurants around the county. We enjoyed lunch at Lake on the Mountain Restaurant while enjoying peaceful views of the Lake. Across the street is The Miller House with awesome views of Glenora ferry.
If beaches are your thing, you are in luck as the Sandbanks Provincial park has the best sandy beach in Ontario. It is also known for the largest bay-mouth barrier dune formation in the world. The park is open year round with activities such as swimming, bike riding, bird watching, fishing and camping. During the summer, expect it to be very busy and plan to arrive early to find a spot. In 2023, the Ontario Government implemented a reservation system for many of its Provincial Parks, so check the Ontario Sandbanks website before planning a visit, to avoid disappointment.
Prince Edward County really is a surprise within Ontario and is close enough to Toronto to make it a fabulous day trip but I much prefer to stay the night. Check out Northumberland Heights Spa in Cobourg. A tranquil escape from the city and a great resting place at the end of a busy day in Prince Edward County. Their restaurant is amazing and well worth a visit. Take in a yoga class on the lush lawns, or relax with a spa treatment.
Whether you come to Prince Edward County for a day or longer, you will feel transported to another country, a true escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
