grapevine magazine

GRAPEVINE MAGAZINE SPRING | 2011 1

GrapevineART • CULTURE • FOOD • WINE

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY & SURROUNDING AREA

SPRING 2011

EQUINE THERAPYa new approach to holistic health

seriously cool County Chardonnay S ing eci s with

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2 GRAPEVINE MAGAZINE SPRING | 2011

Adventure, Taste, Romance & Relaxation

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FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES:Please email [email protected].

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Opinions expressed are that of the writer and do not reflect the opinions of Grapevine Magazine.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent by the publisher.

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Copyright 2011 Revell Bisnaire Advertising & Publishing Inc.

Coming Next Issue

PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shannon Bisnaire

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Deborah Melman-Clement

FOOD EDITOR Victoria Walsh

LIFESTYLE EDITOR/PROP STYLIST Laura Branson

FOOD STYLIST Ruth Gangbar

ART DIRECTOR Darren Young

PHOTOGRAPHER/GRAPHIC ARTIST Peter Law

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Lisa Noel

ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR John Puddy

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Christine Nicholson, Deborah Revell, Gwen Smith, Nicholas Wattson

CIRCULATION Lynn Revell

The Fine Art of Sculpting

Fresh County Cherry Recipes

Winery Weddings and more...

Oeno¹s Sculpture Garden at Huff Estates


Now that the sun is shining again and the mercury is starting to climb, it’s time to break out of the winter cocoon, book a table at your favourite local restaurant and enjoy the work some of the talented chefs that call the County home. In this issue, we’ll introduce you to Scott Kapitan of the Bloomfi eld Carriage House and show you how he’s managed to bring his passions together and live his dream (p. 56). Scott also shares some of his favourite spring recipes with us, and you’ll fi nd them online at www.grapevinemagazine.ca

It’s no secret that Prince Edward County has a lot in common with the Burgundy region of France. And Pinot Noir is just the beginning. Even Burgundian architecture is having an impact

on the architecture closer to home. We’ll show you how the rooftops of Beaune served as inspiration for the reconstruction of a church on Closson Road (p. 40).

And how could we talk about spring without mentioning gardening? Being a wine region, County soil has some unique characteristics. Our Art of Living feature will give you some insight about our soil and some seasonal tips and trends to make the perfect artful County garden (page 34).Now get outside and enjoy the spring!

PUBLISHER’S NOTEPublisher’s Note

18669625264www.brauerhomes.com

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Visit our new sales centre at 2247 County Rd. 64, Quinte West

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Shannon Bisnaire,Publisher/Creative Director

[email protected]

4 GRAPEVINE MAGAZINE SPRING | 20114 THE COUNTY GRAPEVINE SPRING | 2011

amazed at bygone discipline rituals displayed at the Penitentiary Museum or learn about the underwater graveyard of over 100 vessels that sailed to this port at the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes. You can scuba dive on these ancient relics – some in Deadman’s Bay. There are 22 museums and many art galleries commemorating creative talent, history, geology, communications, archaeology and military history. We even have a Rembrandt! And guarding the entire city from the highest point of land is Eastern Ontario’s largest heritage tourism attraction, Fort Henry National Historic

Site of Canada. Daily interpretive programs educate, engage, enrich and entertain guests including the daily Garrison Pay Parade, Artillery demonstrations and fi ring plus a fun Children’s Military Muster Parade presented 3 times daily throughout the main season. Enjoy a rich, historic dining experience with service by Soldier Servants before you see the World Heritage Sunset Ceremonies, presented Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM in July and August. This year, the U.S. Marines bring their Silent Drill Platoon and Commandant’s Own Drum and Bugle Corps to the site in August. There are many other exciting interpretive and

music events all summer long not to be missed.Drift through the world famous 1000 Islands from Kingston’s downtown dock on the glass-domed Island Star, offering lunch and dinner cruises with live entertainment and multi-lingual commentary or take shorter cruises on the Island Queen or Island Belle, both Mississippi-style paddle wheelers. Get up close up to view of the new Wolfe Island eco-friendly wind farm, sporting 86 giant turbines. Charter a sailboat just a few blocks down the road and sail silently across Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River for lunch or dinner on Wolfe

Island. Or bring your bike across the free ferry and leisurely peddle the entire island with a stop at Big Sandy Bay for a dip.Kingston offers hundreds of locally owner-operated boutiques and restaurants. Live music fl ows from Confederation Park, bordered by historic City Hall and Lake Ontario, a great place to while away the hours as you enjoy an ice cream or a barbecued bite. Summer is alive with the Busker’s Rendezvous, Blues Fest, Arts and Craft Shows, Poker Run Cigarette Boat event or Chile Fest. Kingston’s downtown KROCK Center has presented such world acts as Bryan Adams, The Tragically Hip, Neil Young, k.d. lang, Elton John,

Alan Jackson, Jerry Seinfeld, Leonard Cohen, Anne Murray, Willie Nelson, Gordon Lightfoot, Diana Krall, Bob Dylan and more, offers quality Junior A Hockey and entertainment year round. This season, while enjoying ‘The County’, plan an extra night stay in Kingston to experience metro culture in one of Canada’s oldest, smaller cities. Book your stay today at visitkingston.ca. or call 1.888.855.4555 to get the goods!

This summer, be sure to plan an escape to beautiful, historic and very tasty Prince Edward County. Everything you’ve heard or read about this rural oasis is absolutely true - and it keep’s getting better year after year. Professional vintners, restaurant owners and Innkeepers, all masters of their respective crafts, converge to create tasteful vintages, creative cuisine with locally grown ingredients and well appointed retreats to rest your heads at night. Browse through many funky boutiques and arts and craft galleries on your journey, or spend a sun and sand-drenched day at Sandbanks Park. But since you’re so very close, why not add

some additional fun and fl avour to your most excellent County adventure by scooting east along scenic Highway 33 or down the 401 to historic Kingston – Canada’s First Capital.Kingston has the distinction of being Ontario’s only World Heritage Destination – home to Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada, the Rideau Canal and the Kingston Fortifi cations, designated by UNESCO in 2007. Originally built as a historic navy port, strategically located at the convergence of the mighty St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario and the Rideau Canal, Kingston is home to many interesting museums, natural woods and waterfront walking trails,

critically acclaimed festivals and events and .Kingston boasts home to an eclectic collection of Canadian heroes – from hockey’s Don Cherry and Doug Gilmour, fi lm’s Dan Aykroyd and Hugh Dillon, to music’s Tragically Hip and Sarah Harmer. Star sightings happen often. Kingston was the windy port for Canada’s 1976 Sailing Olympics, the massive tall ship event of 1984 and remains the site for the Canadian Olympic Sailing Regatta, home ice to Canada’s fi rst hockey game and the historic home of Canada’s fi rst Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Our City was built on history, well portrayed in a variety of active museums. Guests are

SUMMER 2011

EventsFORT HENRY SUNSET CEREMONIESEvery Wednesday Night, July & August

KINGSTON 1000 ISLANDS CRUISESLunch, Dinner & Sightseeing1 - 3 hour cruises, May - October

FORT HENRY TATTOOThe Pipes are Calling! July 23

US MARINES JOINT CEREMONIALFort Henry - August 20 - 21

FORT FRIGHT - September 21 - October 29Amazing animatronics, live ghouls and hidden surprises.

Check our website for upcoming entertainment and cultural events at;www.visitkingston.ca

KINGSTON ONTARIO • A WORLD HERITAGE E XPERIENCE

FH_grapevine_11.indd 1-2 11-03-31 4:19 PM

amazed at bygone discipline rituals displayed at the Penitentiary Museum or learn about the underwater graveyard of over 100 vessels that sailed to this port at the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes. You can scuba dive on these ancient relics – some in Deadman’s Bay. There are 22 museums and many art galleries commemorating creative talent, history, geology, communications, archaeology and military history. We even have a Rembrandt! And guarding the entire city from the highest point of land is Eastern Ontario’s largest heritage tourism attraction, Fort Henry National Historic

Site of Canada. Daily interpretive programs educate, engage, enrich and entertain guests including the daily Garrison Pay Parade, Artillery demonstrations and fi ring plus a fun Children’s Military Muster Parade presented 3 times daily throughout the main season. Enjoy a rich, historic dining experience with service by Soldier Servants before you see the World Heritage Sunset Ceremonies, presented Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM in July and August. This year, the U.S. Marines bring their Silent Drill Platoon and Commandant’s Own Drum and Bugle Corps to the site in August. There are many other exciting interpretive and

music events all summer long not to be missed.Drift through the world famous 1000 Islands from Kingston’s downtown dock on the glass-domed Island Star, offering lunch and dinner cruises with live entertainment and multi-lingual commentary or take shorter cruises on the Island Queen or Island Belle, both Mississippi-style paddle wheelers. Get up close up to view of the new Wolfe Island eco-friendly wind farm, sporting 86 giant turbines. Charter a sailboat just a few blocks down the road and sail silently across Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River for lunch or dinner on Wolfe

Island. Or bring your bike across the free ferry and leisurely peddle the entire island with a stop at Big Sandy Bay for a dip.Kingston offers hundreds of locally owner-operated boutiques and restaurants. Live music fl ows from Confederation Park, bordered by historic City Hall and Lake Ontario, a great place to while away the hours as you enjoy an ice cream or a barbecued bite. Summer is alive with the Busker’s Rendezvous, Blues Fest, Arts and Craft Shows, Poker Run Cigarette Boat event or Chile Fest. Kingston’s downtown KROCK Center has presented such world acts as Bryan Adams, The Tragically Hip, Neil Young, k.d. lang, Elton John,

Alan Jackson, Jerry Seinfeld, Leonard Cohen, Anne Murray, Willie Nelson, Gordon Lightfoot, Diana Krall, Bob Dylan and more, offers quality Junior A Hockey and entertainment year round. This season, while enjoying ‘The County’, plan an extra night stay in Kingston to experience metro culture in one of Canada’s oldest, smaller cities. Book your stay today at visitkingston.ca. or call 1.888.855.4555 to get the goods!

This summer, be sure to plan an escape to beautiful, historic and very tasty Prince Edward County. Everything you’ve heard or read about this rural oasis is absolutely true - and it keep’s getting better year after year. Professional vintners, restaurant owners and Innkeepers, all masters of their respective crafts, converge to create tasteful vintages, creative cuisine with locally grown ingredients and well appointed retreats to rest your heads at night. Browse through many funky boutiques and arts and craft galleries on your journey, or spend a sun and sand-drenched day at Sandbanks Park. But since you’re so very close, why not add

some additional fun and fl avour to your most excellent County adventure by scooting east along scenic Highway 33 or down the 401 to historic Kingston – Canada’s First Capital.Kingston has the distinction of being Ontario’s only World Heritage Destination – home to Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada, the Rideau Canal and the Kingston Fortifi cations, designated by UNESCO in 2007. Originally built as a historic navy port, strategically located at the convergence of the mighty St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario and the Rideau Canal, Kingston is home to many interesting museums, natural woods and waterfront walking trails,

critically acclaimed festivals and events and .Kingston boasts home to an eclectic collection of Canadian heroes – from hockey’s Don Cherry and Doug Gilmour, fi lm’s Dan Aykroyd and Hugh Dillon, to music’s Tragically Hip and Sarah Harmer. Star sightings happen often. Kingston was the windy port for Canada’s 1976 Sailing Olympics, the massive tall ship event of 1984 and remains the site for the Canadian Olympic Sailing Regatta, home ice to Canada’s fi rst hockey game and the historic home of Canada’s fi rst Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Our City was built on history, well portrayed in a variety of active museums. Guests are

SUMMER 2011

EventsFORT HENRY SUNSET CEREMONIESEvery Wednesday Night, July & August

KINGSTON 1000 ISLANDS CRUISESLunch, Dinner & Sightseeing1 - 3 hour cruises, May - October

FORT HENRY TATTOOThe Pipes are Calling! July 23

US MARINES JOINT CEREMONIALFort Henry - August 20 - 21

FORT FRIGHT - September 21 - October 29Amazing animatronics, live ghouls and hidden surprises.

Check our website for upcoming entertainment and cultural events at;www.visitkingston.ca

KINGSTON ONTARIO • A WORLD HERITAGE E XPERIENCE

FH_grapevine_11.indd 1-2 11-03-31 4:19 PM


CONTRIBUTORSContributors

Our Writers

KONRAD EJBICHKonrad Ejbich is a member of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada. He writes regular columns for Style at Home and City Bites magazines and answers caller questions on the last Friday of every month on CBC radio. Currently, he’s updating his Pocket Guide to Ontario Wines Wineries Vineyards & Vines.

You can follow him on Twitter @WineZone.

DAVID LAWRASONA former Globe and Mail wine columnist, David is the founder of Wine Access and the Canadian Wine Awards. He is currently a wine columnist for Toronto Life, Ottawa Magazine, and WineAlign.com.

www.davidlawrason.com

NICOLE BERGOT

Nicole is a freelance writer, and lifestyle and reality television producer. Originally from Vancouver, Nicole lived in New York for five years and attended the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and worked at CNN. She is now based in Toronto, and recently drove the Karakoram Highway through the mountains of northern Pakistan while she was there covering Karachi Fashion Week.

DEBORAH KIMMETTDeborah Kimmett has written for over 30 years, for theatre, tv and radio. She has been nominated for a Governor general Award, appears regularly on CBC television’s Winnipeg Comedy Festival and is a regular on The Debaters, for CBC Radio She is the author of the book Reality Is Over Rated and her new novel Almost True.

www.kimmett.ca


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Located in the heart of Niagara’s wine country, St. Catharines has it all from festivals to fresh local

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Contact us for a FREE City Guide at [email protected],

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Enjoy six VQA wine and culinary pairings throughout the two

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For Festival information and to order passes, call

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TD Tailgate Party 2011Saturday, June 18

Join the Grower of the Year in her vineyard and celebrate with over 35 Niagara wineries

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For Festival informationand to order passes, call

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CONTRIBUTORSContributors

JENNIFER MCLAGANJennifer McLagan has more than 35 years of experience in the food world and divides her time between Toronto and Paris. Her book Fat was the most critically acclaimed book of 2008: Best Single Subject Cookbook from the IACP; Cookbook of the Year from James Beard; lead title in the New York Times best of the year round up; starred review in Publisher's Weekly. Similarly her first book first book, Bones won best single-subject from James Beard and was an IACP finalist. Jennifer's next book Odd Bits, devoted to cooking the rest of the animal, will be published in September.

www.jennifermclagan.com or jennifermclagan.blogspot.com.

Our Writers

SHELLEY WILDGENShelley Wildgen is a freelance writer/announcer. With her kids raised and on their way, Shelley shares her ancient but renovated County schoolhouse rather harmoniously with her husband, Rob, three cats and three dogs. Shelley spent many years as a radio copywriter and has just recently branched out to magazines.

JOCELYN ROBERTSJocelyn is a freelance writer and teacher with a background in the study of literature and creative writing. Passionate about the arts, she is also an avid photographer. She has written many feature profiles and articles on food and wine for both the County Grapevine Magazine and its sister publication the Niagara Grapevine Magazine.

NATALIE MACLEANOntario native Natalie MacLean was named the World’s Best Drink Writer at the World Food Media Awards and has won four James Beard Journalism awards. Her bestselling book, Red, White and Drunk All Over, was chosen the Best Wine Book at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Natalie offers a free newsletter with wine picks, tips and humor at

www.nataliemaclean.com.


CONTRIBUTORSOur Writers

Contributors

MARNIE WOODROWMarnie is a freelance journalist, novelist and writing instructor. Her work has appeared in Toronto Life, The Globe and Mail, The National Post and many literary journals. She resides in Milford.

www.marniewoodrow.com

Our Photographers

STEVEN ELPHICKSteven Elphick is an award-winning photographer. He won Applied Arts awards in 2007 and 2008, and has been judging wine professionally since 1988. He resides in Toronto with his wife, Paula, and a Cavalier spaniel named Charlie.

www.stevenelphick.com

JIM NORTONJim has made his passion for photography his work and today specializes in product, food and still life photography. His photography has won him several Graphis awards and can be found in several national publications including Canadian Living, Cottage Life, Homemakers and Wedding Bells.

www.jimnortonphoto.com

Contributors

IN TWENTY VALLEY

APRIL 30/MAY 1 & MAY 7/8, 2011

Awaken your tastebuds…Visit up to 20 premium wineries as they celebrate spring in Niagara’s Twenty Valley. Your passport entitles you to sample new vintage aromatic wines paired with fresh spring flavours from some of the area’s premium chefs at each winery, as well as a collectible packet of seeds to help you kick-start the gardening season.

Single-weekend passport are $35 and are available now! For a complete listing of the Get Fresh food and wine pairings at each winery or to order your passport, please visit twentyvalley.ca/getfresh or call 905.562.3636.

20 WINERIES NEW VINTAGE WINE TASTINGSSPRING-INSPIRED CULINARY BITES Just an hour south of Toronto


30 PEC MEETS NYC A report from the Seriously Cool Chardonnay Conference in New York City by Konrad Ebjich

38 A VIEW OF A CHURCH County Architecture inspired by Beaune by Shelley Wildgen

44 WHEN A HORSE WHISPERS The Power of Equine Therapy by Nicole Bergot

50 FANTASY WRITER, TANYA HUFF A profile of Canadian (and County) writer Tanya Huff by Marnie Woodrow

FeaturesFEATURES

3044

ON THE COVERPHOTOGRAPHY JIM NORTON

This icon (as shown throughout the magazine) indicates that there is additional material on our website.

VISIT US ONLINE!grapevinemagazine.caGV

Personal Injury Civil Litigation Family LawCriminal Defense Disability Claims Auto Accidents

Workplace Safety & Insurance Board Appeals

613- 967-9930 161 Front St. Downtown Belleville

www.pcslaw.ca

Approachable. Professional. Aggressive.

613-967-9930

Personal Injury Civil Litigation Family Law Criminal Defense Disability Claims Auto Accidents


161 Front St. Downtown Bellevillewww.pcdlaw.ca

Personal Injury Civil Litigation Family LawCriminal Defense Disability Claims Auto Accidents


613- 967-9930 161 Front St. Downtown Belleville

www.pcslaw.ca

Approachable. Professional. Aggressive.

2 PUBLISHER’S NOTE

16 AMUSE BOUCHE Getting Voted on the Island, by Deborah Kimmett

18 CALENDAR OF EVENTS A list of seasonal art, culture, food and wine events

20 FAVOURITE THINGS A few of The County Grapevine’s favourite things

26 BEST IN GLASS Our choices in glassware for the season

32 THE ART OF LIVING Artistic County Gardens

54 PROFILE Scott Kapitan by Jocelyn Roberts

58 OPINION News, views, and reviews by David Lawrason

62 TASTING NOTES Regional Wine Reviews (regional wine map on p.72)

67 WHERE TO STAY, WHERE TO EAT Regional restaurant and accommodation listings 68 DID YOU KNOW? Fun facts about wine

DepartmentsDEPARTMENTS

545420

GV MORE ONLINE!

GV MORE ONLINE!



AMUSE BOUCHE

on the Island

GETTING VOTED

I had lived in Toronto for 23 years. I moved there from Napanee when I was 20. But years later,

I wanted out so I decided to make a drastic move. I dislodged my family from a world-class city with a population of over three million to a rural hamlet with a population of fewer than 500. I moved to an island.

You’ve heard of the beautiful Thou-sand Islands in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River? We’re not one of them. We’re the one before the first thousandth. Amherst Island. Negative one. An integer. We have to get over there by fer-ryboat. When I told people I was moving to an island, they said they wouldn’t move over there if I paid them. They didn’t like the idea of being at the mercy of the boat. For 20 years, I was at the mercy of the rush hour traffic , so the idea of sit-ting on a boat for 15 minutes didn’t dissuade me.

When you live in the city, but want to live in the country. I call it “geo-graphical bipolarity.”

There are symptoms of this chronic and debilitating condition, you know. You live in the city, but every time you go to the country, you make an offer on a house. Realtors for 500 kilometers have you on their speed dial. You love the antiques, but you hate the lawn ornaments.

You like the wide-open spaces, but are scared that aliens will land on a dark road at night. Did you ever notice that aliens never land in hip, urban areas?

Moving to a small community is not as easy as it sounds. People say you have to have your grand-mother buried in the graveyard to be accepted there. So, I dug mine up and moved her over, but that didn’t seem to count. There

are tests you have to pass before you get accepted as a local on an island, you know. The first test I had to pass was backing off the ferry-boat. I drove in the city for two entire decades without a single accident, but when I was asked to back off the boat, my Mazda van transformed into an l8-wheeler with broken steering. It was as if I was backing off the on ramp of Highway 401.

The ferryboat operators don’t help any either. They stand there like baseball catchers with their little hand signals. And these boat peo-ple have mixed feelings about the newcomers. In fact, one ferry boat operator sports a T-shirt which says,

“If it’s Tourist Season, why can’t we shoot them?” The other one has a T-shirt that says: “ Ferry Boat Opera-tors Make Good Lovers.”

He slaps the back of your trunk

BY DEBORAH KIMMETT • ILLUSTRATION BY S.W. BEEK


AMUSE BOUCHE

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when you back up near him).

The next test to pass is The Wave. Everybody waves at you on the island. It’s very simple for city folks to adapt to this new found rural friendliness: Just change your nor-mal reaction of flipping the bird to a nice howdy-do.

All these friendly folks on the island say things like, “Oh you must be happy to be out of the city where nobody knew you.” Frankly, I liked nobody knowing me. In fact, it was part of the attraction. The first misconception I had about liv-ing on an island was that nobody would notice me, that I’d be invis-ible. Wrong. Everybody knows who you are and what you’re up to, and if they don’t, they make it up. There is no such thing as anonym-ity when you live on an island and your at the mercy of a boat.

The second misconception I had about living out of the city was that I thought rural life was finally going to be peaceful. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying it’s not a beautiful place to live. Some days it’s bursting spring. Some days the tomcats roam the fields like deadbeat dads who won’t make support payments. The deer with dusters for tails go down to the lake for a couple of cold ones until they get shot by one of the local folks, which upsets the city folk, until they hit one of the deer with their Audis or BMWs. Then they call one of the locals to come and put them out of their misery. The deer, that is.

But no, I’ve been living here a while now. I am not that peaceful. I filled out a change of address card. I didn’t get a brain transplant. GV


CALENDAR OF EVENTSCALENDAR OF EVENTS

APRIL 29What: Green GalaWhere: Books & Co., Picton

Celebrate Arbour Day by showing your support for the PEC Community Greenspace Projects with wine tastings, fabulous food from local chefs, guest speakers, garden and landscape displays and a silent auction. Tickets are $20.00 a person. Get them at Books & Co., The Waring House, Connon’s Nursery and Wight’s Greenhouses.

APRIL 29- MAY 1What: County Antique Spring ShowWhere: Crystal Palace, Pictonwww.pecantiques.com

Whether you’re a veteran antiquer or a fi rst-time collector, you’ll fi nd something worth taking home at this display of some of the County’s most exciting antiques and collectibles.

APRIL 30-MAY 1What: Health and Fitness ExpoWhere: Wally Dever Arena, Bellevillewww.healthandfi tnessexpo.ca

Bring yourself up to date on the latest trends in the health and

fi tness industry with demos and seminars from local industry experts. Featured speakers include Margaret Trudeau, Rachel Cosgrove and pro body builder Fouad Abiad. Admission is $5.00 per person.

MAY 5-JULY 28What: Quarter Moon CoffeehouseWhere: Bloomfi eld Town Hall

You don’t have to be a talented performer to be thankful that the Quarter Moon Coffeehouse is back for another summer of music and fun – but it helps! Bring your voice, your instrument or just your enthusiasm every other Thursday from May to July. Admission is free.

MAY 7What: 7th annual Invisible Ribbon GalaWhen: Saturday, May 7, 2011 Cocktails at 6 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m.Where: National Air Force Museum of Canada (220 RCAF Road, Trenton)

The Invisible Ribbon Gala features gourmet food and local wines, as well as silent and live auctions that feature items from around

the world. Tickets are $100 each. For more information call 613-965-3575 or visit invisibleribbon.ca. All proceeds from this event go to support the Military Family Resource Centre in Trenton, an organization dedicated to the well-being of military families in our community.

MAY 11-14What: Authors FestivalWhere: Pictonwww.pictonbookstore.com

There’s something for the whole family at this four-day celebration of books and the folks who write them. Brought to you by Books & Co.

MAY 13-21What: Murder at the Howard Johnson’sWhere: Prince Edward Community Centrewww.pecommtheatre.com

The action is brisk and the laughs come at a fast and furious pace in this rollicking three-person comedy written by Sam Bobrick and presented by the Prince Edward Community Theatre. Tickets are $12.50. Get them at Teasel’s Drug Store, the County Cafe & Wine Bar and the

GV MORE ONLINE! grapevinemagazine.ca

Calendar of EventsART, CULTURE, FOOD & WINE EVENTS IN PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY


CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Prince Edward County Wine Talk!Discover for yourself the reason for all this

“A new day has truly dawned”.

Michael Pinkus ~ Ontario Wine Review

For the love of“A ew day has tr l dawned”.“A new day has trruly dawned .

Michael Pinkus ~ Onntario Wine Review

Wine, Food & Prince Edward County

V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E F O R M A J O R E V E N T S I N 2 0 1 1 !

Business Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11 am - 6 pmFriday & Saturday 11 am - 4 pm for lunch at the La Pergola Italian RestaurantWine Tastings from 11 am - 6 pmFridays and Saturdays Dining from 6 pm - 10 pm. Call for reservations 613.399.3939

FULLY OPENED IN MAY

2 0 1 1

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Sidestreet Gallery.

MAY 14What: Mariners Gala DinnerWhere: South Bay

Enjoy a delicious dinner and support a great local cause at the Mariners Gala Dinner in support of Mariners Park Museum. Tickets are available by reservation only.

MAY 28What: TerroirWhere: Crystal Palace, Pictonwww.thecountywines.com

The spotlight shines on local wines at the sixth annual celebration of the land we love. Enjoy the fruits of County vineyards, paired with locally grown and prepared cuisines at what’s been billed as the biggest and best County wine celebration ever.

MAY 28What: Spring Bird FestivalWhere: Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Areahttp://pepbo.ca

Welcome our avian friends back for the summer with guided walks in the Point Traverse woods, workshops and more. Come early and stay for the day.

JUNE 4-5What: The Great Canadian Cheese FestivalWhere: Crystal Palace, Pictonwww.cheesefestival.caYou’ll do more than just say “cheese” at this celebration of everyone’s favourite dairy delight. Canada’s first ever cheese festival includes factory tours, tutored tastings, cooking seminars and more.

JUNE 10-12

What: Quinte’s Isle Bluegrass CelebrationWhere: Cherry Valleywww.quintebluegrass.com

Bluegrass bands from across Canada will converge on the County for a weekend full of music, good food and fun for the whole family. Weekend passes are $65.00 in advance and $70.00 at the door with a portion of the proceeds going to the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation. JUNE 17-JULY 3What: Art in the CountyWhere: Pictonwww.artinthecounty.com

Whether they work in oil, acrylic, watercolour, encaustic, ink, pastel, fibre or sculpture, talented local artists will show off their work in the 18th edition of the County’s favourite juried art show.


FAVOURITE THINGS

DINNER IS SERVEDBritish designer Sophie Conran’s oven-to-tableware collection for Portmeirion is turning heads around the world for its casual elegance and versatility. Makes a great wedding gift.

Available locally at Gilbert & Lighthall, 173 Main Street, Picton. 613-476-3131. Or order online at www.gilbertandlighthall.com.

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DINNER IS SERVEDBritish designer Sophie Conran’s oven-to-tableware collection for Portmeirion is turning heads around the world for its casual elegance and versatility. Makes a great wedding gift.

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PASS THE BUCKETAn old-fashioned picnic never goes out of style, and neither does Bucket o’ Napkins, six colourful cloth napkins in a matching bucket, from Now Designs.

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POP GOES THE FREEZERYou won’t need to wait for the ice-cream man to enjoy a refreshing treat on a warm spring afternoon, when, thanks to the Zoku Quick Pop™ Maker, you can make popsicles and yogurt pops in just seven minutes.

Available locally at Susan’s Just Because, 280 Main Street, Picton. 613-476-4128.


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SIMPLY WAND-ERFULClose your eyes, take a deep breath and transport yourself to the French countryside with these whimsical lavender wands, made with fresh silk and ribbon from Provence.

Available locally at French Country, 255 Main Street West, Picton.

613-476-7775. www.frenchcountry.ca.

TOTAL ECLIPSENature serves as inspiration in this stunning serving piece

from Nambe. The Eclipse Cheese Tray features a durable metal sun, partially obscured by the cherry wood crescent

moon cutting board.

Available locally at Bed, Bath & Beyond, 366 North Front Street, Belleville. 613-961-1548. Or order online at www.

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FAVOURITE THINGS

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THE ROAD TO MOROCCO

Make Morocco your next culinary destination with this authentic cast-iron tagine from Le Creuset.

The shallow enamel dish and cone-shaped lid are designed to slow-cook to perfection.

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BEST INGlass Spring is in the air, and that means everything’s fresh and new —including the glassware. This year spring look for

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NIGHTS IN HAVANAYou may be enjoying a cocktail in your backyard, but the Havana barware series from Nachtmann will make you think you’re on a pristine Cuban beach.

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GIVE IT A SWIRLThe newest addition to the Riedel collection, the casual, affordable Swirl is designed with subtle grooves and ripples for effortless swirling and optimum enjoyment.

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PEC Meets NYC BY KONRAD EJBICH PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN ELPHICK

When a group of top Ontar io and Br i t i sh Columbia wine produc-

ers joined forces in a special “trade mission” to New York City last month, fully one quarter of the del-egation hailed from Prince Edward County.

Of the 31 wineries who participated in the March 8 Seriously Cool Char-donnay promotion targeting the American wine trade, seven were local wineries from the County: Casa Dea Estates, Closson Chase Vineyards, Exultet Estates, Grange of Prince Edward, Huff Estates, Nor-man Hardie Winery and Rosehall Run.

The delegation also featured 19 wineries--more than half--from Niagara Peninsula, one from Pelee Island, and four from British Colum-bia’s Okanagan Valley.

The 54 wines exhibited, all pro-duced from Chardonnay grapes, had been selected months earlier by a panel of experienced wine writers and critics.

(Full disclosure: I was on that panel of judges. We had no idea whose wines we were tasting, and because of the importance of this mission, we judged them merci-lessly. Those which emerged are truly stunning, IMHO.)

The day’s official activities began with a seminar and tasting with a panel of experts. In the opening presentation, Tony Aspler briefly explained where Canada’s wine regions are and how they dif-fer geologically and climatically. Canada’s cool-climate growing zones are similar to many northern European regions such as Bur-gundy, Chablis and Champagne.

Next, Thomas Bachelder, former winemaker at Le Clos Jordanne and now a consulting winemaker, talked about the challenges Canadian winemakers face with regional climatic conditions that consistently challenge them. He focused on the ability of Canadian Chardonnays to express their ter-roirs with precision and grace.

Canada’s first master sommelier, John Szabo, spoke of the dynam-ics of Canadian Chardonnay as a foil for gastronomy and fine cuisine. John explained how the acidity and minerality in Canadian Chardonnays opens appetites and enhances the taste of foods.

Tara Q. Thomas, a staff food writer for Wine & Spirits magazine, joined the panel to provide an American perspective on Canadian wines.

Noted American journal ists attending the seminar and tasting included Joshua Greene, publisher and editor of Wine & Spirits mag-azine, Howard Goldberg of The New York Times, Ed McCarthy, co-author of Wine for Dummies, writer and educator Harriet Lembeck and Ladies Home Journal assistant managing editor Tom Claire.

Informal exit-poll comments were highly positive, with most journal-ists saying they would be interested in learning more about Canadian wines.

A walk-about tasting attracted more than 80 additional journal-ists and trade members, including controversial author Alice Feiring and Wine Spectator senior editor Bruce Sanderson.

A number of restaurateurs were there, including ex-pat Canadian wine ambassador Paul Grieco,

See my tasting notes for some of the Seriously Cool Chardon-nays that were exhibited for the wine trade in New York City on page 68.


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who was delighted to place a few orders to feature later at his Man-hattan restos, Hearth and Terroir.

To top off the evening, a group of about 150 Canadians living and working in New York were invited to join the tasting, which took on a more relaxed feel after the journos left.

It was the second time a group of winemakers traveled abroad to promote Seriously Cool Char-donnay. In May, 2010, a smaller delegation consisting of 22 Ontario wineries--including four from the County--presented 40 Ontario wines to the British wine media in London’s Canada House.

Organizer Bill Redelmeier expressed delight with the camaraderie the group showed and the impact it had in contributing positively to the reputation Canadian wines are gaining on the international stage.

“We’re putting Canadian wine on the world map,” he says, “but we’re also putting it on the map in Canada.”GV


THE ART OF LIVING

When you’re digging up the dirt on the Prince Edward County horticultural com-

munity, you’ll quickly unearth that this region has vines of all kinds. It is one of the few Canadian land-scapes that can produce grapes, which fl ourish in the limestone and sandy soil. Notably, it is also host to award-winning manicured gar-dens and immaculate outdoor living spaces.

When the Philadelphia-based Garden Media Group proclaimed

“gardening with a purpose” as the trend to watch in 2011, it seems they’d taken their inspiration

directly from the County. For gen-erations now, County gardeners have espoused purposeful prac-tices – including environmental consciousness, reducing grass-covered spaces and growing for food production. Given the County’s unique soil conditions and notorious summer drought, though, they’ve been doing all of this purposeful gardening with a specialized fl oral palette.

For the past 10 years, Communities in Bloom, a non-profi t organization committed to beautifying Cana-dian communities, has showcased local gardens through its annual

garden tour and luncheon. Sandra Dowds, board member of Com-munities in Bloom, past president of the Prince Edward County Horticul-tural Society and member of the Prince Edward County Master Gar-deners, notes that while the artistic sensibility of each garden may vary, “They have the same sandy soil problem. The soil does not hold much water. Most people rely on early and late-blooming fl owers for colour and drought resistance. While there are lots of summer fl ow-ers, you cannot water them,” she says, since many residents rely on dug wells. She advises not fi ghting the drought, but planting around it.

Artistic GardensLIFESTYLE EDITOR, LAURA BRANSON DIGS UP THE DIRT

ON WHAT WILL BE BLOOMING IN THE COUNTY THIS SPRING. I

Japanese Tree Peony Intersectional peony ‘Garden Treasure’

Intersectional peony ‘Julia Rose’


THE ART OF LIVING

Early-blooming bulbs released from their fall burial survive on rain. Tulips opening their showy velvet petals welcome spring. Early species, such as the Triumph tulip, multiply like daffodils and signal winter’s end. Trout lilies, snowdrops and crocuses are also on the early bulb must-have list.

“A real trend is peonies,” says Dowds. “They arrive early before the drought, in particular the sin-gle-headed varieties such as the Japanese peony.” While they can carry a hefty price tag, tree peo-nies, which are unable to grow in colder zones such as Ottawa, thrive in the County. This tree and garden hybrid is available in sunny yellow, adding yet another dash of colour to the palette.

For more colour in the garden, fox-tail lilies – which grow to six feet tall

– are hardy options. Other PEC all-stars include summer alliums, the large-headed ornamental onion blossoms, in hues of purple and pink. When planted in early June, their blooms harmonize with the peonies and lilacs. Lilac shrubs are also staples of the County’s palette. Originally foreign to the region, the hyacinth flora lilac and several other early-blooming favourites were developed by government scientists in Manitoba to withstand cold weather.

Planting early fl owers and lilacs will impact the County’s gardens with almost two months of colour. “Formal rose gardens and tiny formal city gar-dens with colorful annuals in window boxes line the streets,” Dowds notes.

“Some are sheltered from view, others are easily enjoyed from the road.”

One such garden, which has been available for public viewing for 20 years, belongs to Henry and Annie


THE ART OF LIVING

Nyman of Bloomfield. It is also part of the annual Communities in Bloom tour. Under the Nymans’ artistic hands, bulbous perennials such as tulips bring the garden to life in springtime. They give way to perennial roses in summer and chrysanthemums in the fall.

With the arrival of late summer and fall, asters, hydrangeas, sedums

and garden chrysanthemums take centre stage in the County’s gar-dens. Brush strokes of burnt orange and magenta-infused purples persist in this range of flowers until November.

County gardeners prefer such species. Having learned the pecu-liarities of the ground beneath

them, they’ve grown wise in the horticultural arts. And since aesthetic layouts tend to be influ-enced by both floral varieties and international gardening trends, County gardeners tend to have a keen understanding of both.

“People in Prince Edward County are taking an interest in garden design,” Dowds says.

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Canadian gardening and out-door living expert, writer, educator and horticulturist Todd Major has studied cultural predictions glob-ally from various sectors and formulated predictions for the 2011 garden. Topping his list is the concept of garden-as-sanctuary, a trend that has picked up steam as we spend more time in our yards.

“Building a sanctuary in the garden is a trend that has been under-taken for thousands of years by most advanced civilizations. The goal of increasing the year-round livability and comfort in our yards continues to be one of the pri-mary reasons that people spend time and money in their gardens, because a sense of place helps to keep us grounded,” he says.

Tranquility gardens are also high-lighted in the Garden Media Group’s latest annual Garden Trend Report. GMG president Susan McCoy says that green sanctuaries are congruent with

“gardening with a purpose.”

McCoy anticipates that sustain-ability will factor into the 2011 gardening picture. Green thumbs are transforming yards, gardens, rooftops and urban spaces into viable plots. “We had trouble wrapping our heads around sav-ing the rain forests, but we clearly can wrap our arms around saving our own backyards. Digging and planting gardens brings awareness that we’re all earth’s caretakers,” she says. “The gardening with a purpose philosophy (is in response to global environmental issues such as the) shocking Gulf Coast images of (oil-slicked) waves and coated wetlands and wildlife. We’re taking measures to protect and con-serve valuable natural resources,” she says. This includes growing backyard fruits and vegetables


THE ART OF LIVING

and community gardening, both generational practices for County residents.

Other mandates under the “gar-dening with a purpose” banner include promoting gardening projects in schools, choosing eco-friendly products instead of toxic chemicals, using organic soils and transforming lawns into sustainable landscapes. “The shift is already happening in communities across North America as people gain a greater understanding of self-suf-fi ciency, home-grown food, food security, water conservation, and our impact on the environment,” Major says. “Home-owners and gardeners alike are turning away from poisonous pesticides and the high-maintenance needs of their lawns. They are beginning to understand the potential of their lawns”.

Other trends that Susan McCoy predicts that County horticulturists already embrace include “plant-ing fruit-bearing shrubs and trees, using perennials and long-bloom-ing shrubs instead of annuals and taking steps to plant natives and drought-tolerant species that can survive in a variety of conditions.” All of these are exemplifi ed by the County’s debonair gardens, which embellish the landscape with day lilies, tall grasses, old- fashioned peonies, sweet-smelling lilacs and hollyhocks. The au-courant glob-ally is simple common sense to a county that knows how to play in the dirt.

The use of pre-annuals and long-blooming fl oral varieties responds to the call of gardening with a pur-pose, both environmentally and aesthetically. The discovery of the stony soil capabilities within the

County has painted the once crop-based horticultural community a broader palette of plants, colours and textures. Moreover, local landscaping fi rms are making use of heritage and natural resources within the County. For example, a landscaper may plant groupings of lilacs instead of bringing in a supply of blue spruce which is not native to the area.

The ground has been laid for the next crop of County growers, with experts predicting even stronger ties with our natural surroundings as a new generation of environ-mentally-conscious gardeners comes of age. In the meantime, expect County gardeners to con-tinue refl ecting the region’s artistic sensibility while their attention to detail and love of the land con-tinue to place them at the forefront of emerging worldwide trends. GV

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THE ART OF LIVING

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The enduring summer sun warms the shores of Lake On-tario and the numerous lakes surrounding the County, the water licking the toes of beach goers and cottagers. However, County summers also bring forth a notorious drought, chal-lenging other members of the community-—the gardeners. To keep your garden alluring spring through fall, here are a few simple suggestions:

* Choose drought-resistant plants such as bulbs, hardy pe-rennials, fl owering shrubs, se-dum and tall grasses. * Tulips, lilies, and alliums are wise bulb options. * Perennials such as peonies and chrysanthemums will re-main bouquet-worthy, as will lilac shrubs.* Work toward improving the quality and quantity of your topsoil. Horticultural expert Todd Major suggests amending the planting hole with manure or compost every time you plant. Major also recommends:

• Increasing the depth of your soil if possible to allow plants a deeper root zone to chase wa-ter through. • Using two to three inches of an organic mulch to cover the surface of your soil . “Bare and unprotected soil loses sub-stantially more water vapour to the wind and sun’s rays than mulched soil does,” he says. “Mulch also improves soil fertil-ity, increases soil depth, pre-vents stress from freezing and drought, and provides a home for the benefi cial soil organisms that are the true engines of soil fertility. And mulching prevents 98 per cent of all weed growth.” • Choosing organic mulch as a sustainable alternative. Options close to home include bark mulch, wood chips, compost, shredded leaves, peat moss, and manure.


The meandering roads of Prince Edward County can lead to any number of charming destinations – calming, gentrifi ed, lovely. If you’re a seasoned County road traveller, it may be time for a second look. Wandering minds

are accustomed to taking in the many historic homes, farms and pastures, but there is one road that is sure to make you pull over, stop and stare. Drive south on Chase Road, just north of the Closson Road intersection, and see how the ordinary became extraordinary.

There it sits, proudly. A simple white church, nestled quietly in a pleasing County fi eld with one subtle difference. This church is -- well, it’s adorned. The top of the church is amassed in a symphony of blue, ebony and grey diamonds. At fi rst glance, you think it may be fabric, but on closer inspection, you see that it is most defi nitely a very carefully crafted roof. A roof such as this didn’t just happen. There must be a story. And so there is.

The tidy white church with the lustrous topping started its life as Christ Church Hillier on Closson Road. The land was donated in 1843 by Robert Hubbs, a local farmer, and the building was erected in 1846. As with most churches of early 1800s vintage, the little Greek Revival style church was the heart of the community, providing a welcoming place to worship and socialize while also hosting its share of weddings and funerals. A picture perfect rural church and cemetery, until August of 1944, when the entire building burned to the ground in a lightning fi re. Some local folk still remember the day. Gordon Benway’s dad, William, was thrashing in the nearby fi elds when the blaze began. William was hoping to pull down the steeple and save it, but the fi refi ghters knew the wells were running dry, time was short, and the steeple would have to burn with the church. The steeple and church were lost, but not forgotten. By 1945, a more contemporary version, with a side tower, was rebuilt and the active life of Christ Church Hillier resumed in September of 1947. Decades rolled forward, modernization erupted, and eventually people moved on or passed on. By 1969, the church had closed and most of the congregation started attending St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Wellington. The solid white building continued to stand, but served less of a purpose, becoming more of a County landscape vignette.

View Of A Church

BY SHELLEY WILDGEN • PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN ELPHICK


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In the late 1990s, when actress Sonja Smits and her husband, writer/producer Seaton McLean made their home in the County, Sonja and their children would often cycle the side roads, stop-ping to explore interesting spots along the way. The little white church in its peaceful setting, with its quaint graveyard, became a favourite destination. Sonja and Seaton were in the process of establishing Closson Chase Winery with their friend, winemaker Deb-orah Paskus, along with partners Michael MacMillan, Gene McBur-ney, Andy Thomson and Bill Fanjoy, and although the church sat not far from the newly formed winery, the role of the empty white build-ing was not, as yet, part of their plans.

It wasn’t until Sonja and Seaton were on a wine tasting mission in Beaune, France that the ini-tial rebirth of the church started to play out. The couple was impressed by Beaune, located in the centre of Burgundy, for a few reasons. First it was the taste of the wine. The soil and grow-ing conditions were very close to those of Prince Edward County, which culminated in Beaune’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines tasting “exactly like ours at Closson Chase”, remembers Sonja. Another remarkable fea-


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ture of Beaune was the unusual roof designs atop many of the 15th-century chateaus. The muted colours and symmetrical diamond patterns were clearly unique to the region and Sonja was struck by their beauty, even bringing home an assortment of paper cutouts of the rooftops, while thinking, ‘some-day we’ll find a place for this.’

Someday came in 2006. Christ Church Hillier was holding outdoor Decoration Sunday services every June, whereby former church members would tidy up the cem-etery and hold a picnic. But the use of the once bustling church building had clearly diminished. Ernie Margetson, the nephew of Charles Margetson, a onetime warden of the church, set about looking for a solution. The building was considered a surplus on the property and the expensive main-tenance was a burden. When Ernie talked to Seaton McLean about the church’s fate, it wasn’t long before a constructive plan was underway. Seaton would see about moving the church to the Closson Chase property, revitalize the building and incorporate it into the winery property. Ernie divided the building into five moveable pieces and hauled it on a flatbed to its current Chase Road location. The church was reassembled in a comfortable fashion. “We even


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made sure it was placed in exactly the same position as before”, says Ernie. “It still has the same cardinal orientation, with the sun coming in the large east window”. After the move, the bones of the old build-ing proved to be exceptional, but the church definitely needed a new roof. With that discovery, Son-ja’s Beaune vision was on its way to being realized. She needed an artist and a roofer,and she found them. Helga Boelen, a friend of Sonja’s and a local mixed-media artist welcomed the challenge. Helga’s media of choice were usually stone and glass. Having taken courses in glass sandblasting in Montreal and mosaic portraiture courses in Venice, Italy, Helga has always believed in “expanding your toolbox with whatever the art requires.” Working with roof-ing tiles would prove to be a new adventure.

One day, Sonja spied Jeff Anthony looking at the newly transplanted church. Jeff is a local roofer with 25 years of experience, and the owner of Prince Edward County’s Al Anthony Roofing, a company his dad started in 1977. After chatting with Jeff about her idea, and seeing that he appreciated her mission, Sonja invited the vet-eran roofer to take the job. Jeff climbed aboard the project with enthusiasm.

The collaboration was decided: The artistic eye of Helga, the per-fectionist nature of Jeff, and the creative spirit of Sonja. Brilliant. That is not to say the church roof was whipped up in hours. Not at all. Helga remembers beginning the project as she starts every new piece, with plenty of research -- what she calls a “brain dump of everything I’ve found.” Once carefully gathered, Helga shared


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all findings with her dream-catch-ing partners. The chateau rooftops of Beaune, potential colours, everything had to be pondered by the group of three. Prince Edward County’s climate wouldn’t tolerate the type of ceramic tiles used in Beaune, so they chose asphalt shingles. The lines of the design had to follow the many levels of the roof, the pattern must be cohesive, and the materials not too heavy on such an old building. Helga saw their quest as “preserv-ing history while making the church look its best.” She knew they’d hit their mark when, after watch-ing a final assembly of colour and pattern, Sonja jumped to her feet, and, as Helga recalls “clapped her hands like a little kid, she was so excited!” That was Helga’s happi-est moment of the project.

Jeff knew the “integrity had to be there,” and the measurements precise, so he laid out Helga’s pro-totype patterns on his garage floor , making sure he had the exact centre mark so he could work out from the middle. There must be no overlapping and no cutting. The 30-year asphalt shingle warranty needed to be considered. The expert roofer and his team mas-tered the task flawlessly. When asked about his best moment dur-ing the roof’s creation, Jeff smiled and stated firmly, ”when the last nail went in.” That momentous

occasion occurred just last summer, in June of 2010.

A labour of love to be sure. An artis-tic accomplishment, certainly. In the summer, the church shimmers against the vineyard, and in winter, surrounded by snow, the roof has a floating quality to it. The entire endeavour was a huge undertak-ing, but all participants agreed that it was a most satisfying experience. The labour-intensive move and the roof interpretation were simultane-ously trying and inspiring. Once the transplant was complete, the inside work would prove to be not as daunting. A few bedrooms here, a bathroom, a kitchen and living area there – and the once-bustling church became a cozy, seasonal abode. No, not a country rental or a summer cottage; after care-ful interior renovations, the former Christ Church Hillier reintroduced itself as living quarters for the Clos-son Chase Winery workers and, as Sonja puts it, “it is their home.”

More than an old building with a new hat, the little white church stands strong and proud. A plaque of explanation can be seen at the old location, and outdoor Decora-tion Sundays still take place in the cemetery, on the first Sunday of every June. Not too far away, the newly transformed Christ Church Hillier sits, pretty and purposeful once again. GV

Hospices de Beaune Christ Church Hillier

Photo Helga Boelen

BY NICOLE BERGOT • PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN ELPHICK

If you’re feeling like your life could use a little tune-up in the therapy department, listen up. There’s an emerging therapy that horse lovers and non-equine fans alike are swearing by: horse therapy.

And it’s what led Suzanne Latchford to give up her jet-set life as a pastry chef and choclatier in countries such as Taiwan, Germany and Italy, and get back to her roots in Prince Edward County to start an equestrian therapy practice. Now the certifi ed Human Equine Assisted Learning -- or HEAL -- facilitator offers workshops and sessions to help people heal themselves with horses.

Suzanne believes horses naturally make good therapists by “bring-ing people out of their analytical mind and into their bodies, in tune with their emotions and instinct,” she says. “With a horse, we shut off the baggage we’ve learned and go inside ourselves to learn about our inner world.” Her students typically don’t ride the horses, instead Latchford leads them through various exercises where they get to interact with the horses.

One 36-year-old mother from Prince Edward County has been doing horse therapy with Latchford for a year and a half. She spent years in traditional talk therapy and prefers working with a horse. “You don’t sit across from a doctor or health practitioner who thinks they know the answers,” she says. “It’s just you and that horse. It’s a confi dence in yourself. They don’t judge you. I was able to get in touch with my own feelings without thinking about what anyone else was going to say about them.” She pauses, then says, “You can’t hide anything from a horse”.

HorseWhispersWHEN A


Paul Smith agrees. He is the director of the Centaur leadership services program at Prescott College in Arizona. It is the only university in North America that offers a Mas-ters degree in equine assisted mental health, or horse therapy.

Smith says there’s a good reason why horses are so good at healing humans. “Horses are big, and they have these huge hearts and huge

energetic fields,” he told me over the phone. “Being around them gives us an opportunity to be our best, to be more fully human.”

They’re prey animals, and so in order to survive in the wild,

they’ve got an acute sense of their surroundings. “They’re really good at reading and responding to human energy and intention,” Smith explains. He believes it’s not about asserting power over the horse and acting tough and

in control, especially if you’re not. “It’s okay if you’re scared,” he says. “But the horse wants you to own it.” [Being a prey animal,] they under-stand the vulnerable part of being human.”

But don’t think that the point is to have a snuggle with a sympa-thetic horse. “It’s not about them being loving and kind,” Smith says. “They’re just really honest. It’s about exploring a space of vul-nerability with the horse. We don’t

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StylE yOu lOvEhave the opportunity to do that so cleanly with people.”

I decided to try it out myself. I met with Esther Johnson, the facilita-tor of the Horse-2-Heart program offered through Ste. Anne’s Country Inn and Spa in Grafton, Ontario. Johnson is a Centred Rid-ing Coach, trained in the school of thought that is big on getting the rider in touch with his or her body using breathing and cen-tering techniques. That’s part of the therapy, and that’s where we started: with deep breathing and calming exercises. “When we’re emotionally distraught we hold tension,” Johnson explains.

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all of a sudden the horse calms down.”

Johnson has seen people transform after working with a horse. “I’ve had women from abusive relation-ships that have allowed people to walk all over them,” she says. “Then they learn how to cope and deal with the horse. All of a sudden they’re dealing with a thousand-pound animal. It’s changed them. They become more self-aware and self-assured.”

During my therapy session, I spent two hours with a beautiful white and brown mare named Jilly. I led her around the sawdust-covered arena, first with a loose rope, then holding a whip that I cracked in the air. With guidance from Johnson, I led her left, right, and stopped and started her. Many times Jilly ended up in the corner, standing with her rear facing me while I tried to move her around. Frustrated I would call out, “Come on, Jilly!” Johnson laughed from the sidelines, “You might as well be talking Chinese to her.” Jilly just stood there, with her big rump in my face, looking bored, as if she was saying, “Look. I’m all yours. But you gotta tell me what you want from me.” And sure enough, as I got more grounded and started channeling my inner Robert Red-ford, she started to move in the

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direction I wanted. “You’re starting to become aware of your own self around her,” Johnson yelled as Jilly galloped around with me running by her side, directing her where to go. Later on she said, “[being around a horse] bares your soul a bit. If you really want a relationship with the horse you have to take responsibility for your own actions.”

After two hours Jilly stopped, and for the first time slowly turned to face me. She bowed her head and released a deep breath. I walked up to her, rubbed her muzzle and praised her. She had decided she could trust me, and this was her sign of submission. Then she followed me around the arena, right at my side. It was profound and moving to be accepted by this thousand-pound animal that followed me like a puppy, her soft warm muzzle on my shoulder and cheek. I had tears in my eyes as I realized the tremendous healing powers horses have.

As I brushed Jilly down later, nuz-zling my face into her neck, I felt incredibly connected to her. Esther said, “I wonder if we’ll ever really fully know horses right into the deepness of their souls.” We may never understand it, but on some level I knew that horses have so much to teach us. GV

JILLY AND ESTHER JOHNSON ABOVE


Tanya HuffBY MARNIE WOODROW • PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER LAW

SHE LIVED ABOVE THE AROMATIC CORONA HUNGARIAN RESTAURANT ON BUSTLING BLOOR STREET IN TORONTO AND ONCE UPON ANOTHER TIME, RENTED A ROOM ABOVE A PIZZA JOINT IN THE HEART OF WEST HOLLYWOOD, BUT FANTASY WRITER TANYA HUFF ALWAYS PLANNED TO SETTLE DOWN IN PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY.

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1957, and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Huff spent nearly

every weekend of her childhood on a family farm on Brummell Road in South Marysburgh. Climbing aboard a grey and purple painted school bus that took her from a Kingston

shopping centre to the bowling alley in Picton, she happily made the weekly voyage to spend time with her Uncle Albert, now in his 90s. Helping out with the dairy cows and carting empty milk cans, she says she loved everything about life on the farm. Uncle Albert still resides on

a smaller property close to the old homestead and is still a very impor-tant person in his famous niece’s life.

Her first-ever published works—two poems—appeared long ago in the Picton Gazette, so choosing the County as the eventual home base


for her literary career made perfect sense. During her fondly remem-bered tenth summer, Huff further honed her natural storytelling skills by entertaining at the bedside of a young cousin who was recovering from surgery in a full body cast. It would be some time and a fair num-ber of adventures before she’d make a conscious plan to leave big city life and relocate to the southern part of the County, but she’s been here since 1992. Aside from occasionally checking out dreamy international real estate options online—Scotland, Los Angeles, Vancouver—she says has no real desire to ever leave. For one thing, packing up the consider-able book collection she and long time partner Fiona Patton (also a suc-cessful fantasy writer) have amassed is just not an option. The nine cats and two dogs might also object to any major disruptions. The only reason they don’t have chickens?

“Fiona won’t let me, because I travel too much,” she laughs.

In fact, her schedule is pretty daunt-ing considering her prolific output. But fantasy writers have to get out to conventions and meet their ardent fans. It’s a huge genre and distinguishing yourself from the 5000 other writers at Chapter’s is key when it comes time to developing a follow-ing from book to book. Huff, who is a no-nonsense woman with a terrific sense of humour, enjoys these oppor-tunities. But she also keeps to a strict writing schedule, working daily from one till six. In the morning, the pets and gardens get most of her atten-tion, along with some daytime TV and administrative tasks.

If it’s true that a writer’s richest material comes from a variety of life experiences, then Tanya Huff will be writing for quite some time. After graduating high school in Kingston, she made her way to Lakehead Uni-

versity on a full scholarship to study forestry. (It could be said that she’s still working with trees, albeit in a very different way.) She describes that one-year interlude as a mistake, but one she moved on from to become a cook for the Naval Reserves. In addition to feeding reservists at stations in Victoria and Halifax, she bartended and, with no place to spend her wages, she managed to save some significant cash.

After Christmas with the family and 26 viewings of that year’s big film—Star Wars—under her belt, she boarded a train for Los Angeles. The plan? To become a writer for television. She snagged a tiny room in a sort of pen-sione on Hollywood Boulevard and unpacked her typewriter. “It was a 50-50 split between writers and hook-ers renting rooms there,” she laughs. Star Wars happened to be playing down the street at Grauman’s Chi-nese Theater, so she decided to see it one more time and then get busy writing spec scripts for two big series of the day: The Hardy Boys, and Laverne and Shirley. A fellow ten-ant who was working on the show Operation Petticoat could likely have helped her fight her way into a writing room, she sees now, but Huff was a typical law-abiding Canadian. When her savings ran out, she didn’t opt for illegal work at a local diner till the big break came—she headed dutifully back home to Canada.

Although she’s only recently put her degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson to practical use con-sulting on the TV series based on her Blood Ties series of vampire detective books, she enjoyed her broadcasting education as well as the camarade-rie of her fellow students. But her class graduated in a year when CBC laid off 750 of its Toronto employees and no one found work in the industry right away. With student loans


looming, she took a job at an indoor f lea market on lower Yonge Street and ended up man-aging the place.

“I’ve always been something of an over-achiever,” she quips with a roll of her eyes.

T h e e x t r a d e m a n d s meant having no time to write, which meant a very unhappy young woman whose then-partner begged her to seek work elsewhere so she could stop complaining and start writing. And so she ended up at Bakka Books, Canada’s old-est science fiction and fantasy bookstore, working three days a week, until she became manager. She rose early each day and wrote before work, then edited what she’d written on her lunch hours. The disci-pline paid off and still does today: at the time of our interview she had published 33 books and numerous omnibus editions of her work.

“More successful careers are built on discipline than on talent,” she says. When her writing career began to take off, she switched roles and became the mass market buyer for the store. The store was staffed by other names now known to fans of sci-fi and fantasy: Robert J. Saw-yer, Nalo Hopkinson, and Michelle Sagura. Working in a bookstore is the best education a writer can get about the business side of writing life. There can be few illusions about how the publishing industry works and you definitely get a crash course in self-marketing.

Her first novel, Children of The Grove, was completed on a Commodore 64 computer. It was sold to commer-cial fiction publisher DAW in 1986 and

published in 1988. She’s been pub-lishing with DAW since then and has a great relationship with her long-time editor. She sells them an idea based on a brief outline, the con-tract is negotiated and they leave her alone for a year or so to work.

And Huff works hard. True to the adage, it has paid off: writing fic-tion is her full-time job and every cent she’s earned since 1992 has come from her writing. “I get to do something I adore, for people who appreciate it. I make enough money to make a decent living, so as long as it keeps working,” she says with a shrug and a smile.

She describes her writing process as the build a wall method. “Fiona does the build a house method. That’s where you frame it and then you start adding things to it and then not until you’re done do you have any idea what the house is going to look like. In the build a wall method, every brick has to be right or you can’t put the next brick down. Fiona tends toward more complex plots than I do. She does what we in the business call Big Fat Fantasies: Higher page count, a whole bunch

of subplots going on. My stuff is a lot more character-focused, so it’s faster to write.”

How do they manage with two writers under one roof? Dedicated offices for each writer, for one thing. “We try not to tell each other too

much about what we’re working on because it removes the impetus.

And in terms of household standards, we find that if you lower them [the stan-dards], having two writers in the household works just fine.”

Talking process with Tanya Huff is great fun because she has clear opinions and doesn’t mind sharing them. Literary authors tend to be academics who write fiction, she says, whereas genre writers are usually full-time professional writers, case closed. Literary authors who try to cross over into genre fiction tend to sound precious, missing the point of entertainment. She reads copi-ous amounts of history, makes fairly detailed character notes and seems to genuinely enjoy the research pro-cess for each of her books.

She was writing vampire books well before shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer and the Twilight novels made vampire stories hot. Her books are set in recognizable Canadian loca-tions including Kingston, Calgary and Toronto. The County shows up more in terms of influence than setting—so far. She cites an increased aware-ness of weather and seasonal detail since moving to the countryside. And even the urban fantasies, such as The Enchantment Emporium, have benefited. “You remember to put things in. Now I have to pay atten-tion to details of urban life that I took


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for granted when I lived in a city. My writing is just more grounded now.” It’s also funny. For anyone who had the false notion that science fiction and fantasy are very serious forms, you might like to read her Keeper’s Chronicles series. The first one, Sum-mon The Keeper, features a bed and breakfast in Kingston that houses a gate to Hell in the basement and the world’s most sarcastic cat. The Valor Confederation series draws from lifelong experience with the mili-tary, although she chose to work with marines rather than naval officers as her cast. Huff is definitely not a writer tied to one type of story in the fan-tasy genre. The genre itself, she says, has been long-standing and diverse and moving in every possible direc-tion from mythology to cyber-punk and everything in between.

She keeps up an entertaining blog on Live Journal and is a presence on Twitter as well. “Writers have to have an internet presence now. It’s expected. It’s 90 per cent of your self-promotion. Now you’re selling your personality as much as your writing. Sometimes I think wow, JD Salinger had the right idea!” When she first moved to the County, she almost had a shot at being like the famously reclusive Salinger. The inter-net was still extremely new and thus less of a distraction. Dial-up lines were painfully slow and the internet itself wasn’t the sprawling cyber-king-dom we know today. But even so, Huff’s early days as a full-time writer in the country with all the time in the world to write were a challenge. She found it necessary to cultivate more discipline than she’d had in the city.

“In the city,” she says, “there was a built-in structure. You just fit your writ-ing into the places where it fit. Here, there was no structure. It was a little isolating for the first little while.” But then she and Fiona started making friends through Fiona’s work with

Community Living and then, yes, the internet became a bigger part of writing life. So between the gar-den, the pets and the siren call of the web, there’s something very clear to fend off each day in the distraction department. But if anyone’s up for the battle, it’s Tanya Huff.

Currently at work on a second as-yet-untitled novel in the Enchantment Emporium series, she was off to the huge Comic-Con convention as well as another in Germany to promote her most recent book, The Truth of Valor, published this past fall. It’s safe to say she is always working on some-thing while simultaneously promoting another book.

So how does she reward herself for all that concerted effort? On her days off she enjoys visits to Sandbanks and Point Petre, the odd meal out at a local restaurant like Portabella, strawberry picking at Waupoos and entertainment at The Regent The-atre. Playing guitar, which she took up in her 40s, is a major passion. And when I bumped into her again after the interview, she was stocking up on coffee at No Frills and joked that this was where you could find most of the writers in the County at any given time. And no, she wasn’t there with her personal assistant or entourage. Her handsome truck was parked outside and although internationally famous, you’d never know it, which is why the County works very well for Huff, who incidentally, isn’t related to the winery Huffs. Although, true to her mischievous nature, she does enjoy taking Huff Estates wines to din-ner parties, just to see what people will say. GV

54 GRAPEVINE MAGAZINE SPRING | 201154 THE COUNTY GRAPEVINE HOLIDAY | 2010

BY JOCELYN ROBERTS • PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN ELPHICK

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PROFILE

54 THE COUNTY GRAPEVINE HOLIDAY | 2010

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This humble philosophy is what dis-tinguishes Kapitan as a breath of fresh air in the who’s who world of culinary ego, and a man for whom quality and integrity are the main-stays of his success. “You can call me Chef Kapitan, you can call me Scott,” he says. “The title is not what matters to me.”

What matters to Kapitan is the dining experience of his custom-ers. “The most important question a client can ask is: ‘How was my last meal there?’And the answer to that question is crucial to the suc-cess of any dining establishment.” Kapitan’s comfort zone is the kitchen in his charming two-storey restaurant in Bloomfield, where the proof is in his return clientele. “We don’t follow trends for trends’ sake,” he says. “We do this because we love it. Cooking for me is not a media event; it is a dining event and it is my responsibility to make it the best experience possible for my customers.”

Soft spoken and unassuming, Kap-itan shudders at what has come to be known as “reality” culinary experiences at the hands of TV shows featuring apoplectic chefs in the throes of perfectionistic rage behind the scenes. Kapitan’s focus is on the intimacy of an exquisite dining venue which is an exten-sion of the home he shares with his wife, accomplished Pastry Chef Jacqui Vickers, and their daughter. The family resides upstairs above the restaurant, and they love the setup because it allows them to be together on and off-season in ways

their peers in this grueling industry can only dream of. Typically it is difficult to be a chef and a family man at the same time, but Kapitan enjoys the ability to straddle both worlds with relative ease, given his proximity to his two great loves, work and family.

His talented staff is key to the equa-tion. “I’m the chef, that’s my job,” he says. “My front people do their job well so I can do mine. I am not

‘the face’ in this establishment and I respect the people who are. A skilled professional chef cannot be front-of-house and do a good job in the kitchen at the same time. I am not the social part of dining as a social event. I am the chef, that’s my focus and that’s why this works.” He and Jacqui are very protec-tive of this vision and the intimacy afforded by a family business. That is why they take it very personally when people enjoy their Carriage House experience, or when they do not have a good time.

Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Scott’s attraction to the world of cook-ing began as a reaction to what was missing on the dining tables of his youth. While he enjoyed the local Germanic flavor of the area, he yearned for more. He landed his first job at the Charcoal Steak-house as a dishwasher to help finance his dream of going to art school. But one job on the cook-ing ladder led to another, until he

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found himself in Toronto working at Tivoli. Cooking was becoming his thing, and his classroom was the kitchens of as many restaurants as possible. He sometimes held down two or three jobs at a time, learn-ing the ropes in ways no college program can ever simulate. To this day, he does not rue his lack of formal education, crediting his success with his freedom to do his own thing, unencumbered by what can be the oppressive infl u-ence of credential for its own sake.

His last few stops before Car-riage House were formative for him: His tenure as sous-chef at Herbs Restaurant under Anthony Nuth consolidated his foundation in French cooking and prepped him for his next stint at Crush under Masayuki Tamaru, where he even-tually took over as chef. Key to his development was his interest in fi ne art and melding that creativity into his cooking. He and Jacqui discov-ered Prince Edward County visiting friends in 2005, when a for-sale sign at 260 Main Street in Bloom-fi eld caught their eye. The rest is history, as they built themselves a

robust family business that enjoys brisk seasonal and winter weekend traffi c.

He prides himself on great relation-ships at home, in the restaurant with an excellent staff, and with loyal local suppliers. Artisans like Vicki’s Veggies, Blaine Way and Ed and Sandy Taylor are just a few of his favourite go-tos for produce and excellent quality meats.

Make no mistake, there is nothing easy about this business, espe-cially when you are devoted to maintaining a “direct connec-tion between the land and the product. I respect the methods of organic farming and I use organic local product whenever possible.” On his appreciation for PEC, he notes, “there is a developing food community here that is very excit-ing. Farms, wineries and restaurants are working together in such a way that has a wholesome feel to it. Where else could I go and have access to organic duck, geese, lamb, and boar, not to mention farmers’ food stands along every county road?”

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But being a small establishment in a world of generic restaurants that have the luxury of buying in bulk comes at a price. Scott envisions a world where consumers under-stand what goes into a $30-dollar plate on his menu. “People are starting to see but it’s a slow pro-cess,” he says. “So many aspects of this business need to be out-sourced and, because of our location and small size, supplies and services are incredibly expen-sive. One espresso machine and servicing that machine is costly. Our dishwasher technician? One guy covers Ottawa to Toronto, and that really adds up.”

The great news is that things are changing, awareness is develop-ing, and consumers are beginning to appreciate the advantages of Kapitan- style devotion to quality and excellent service. The chal-lenge of making it work breeds skill and versatility in a chef who is passionate about quality and the ever-present bottom line at the same time. Take lamb, for example: You have your tradi-tional no-brainer cuts like the rack or loin that are easy to guarantee but very expensive. A chef who, out of necessity, can make magic out of a lesser cut of lamb hones his skill, as evidenced by Kapitan’s leg-endary two-day braisings, roasts, pates, and sausages. Presenting these delights on the menu may be more painstaking than roasting up a rack or marinating a chop for the grill, but the result is perfection, and it keeps customers coming back.

Kapitan’s humble perfectionism, combined with his artistic vision and a versatile staff, makes a visit to the Carriage House in Bloomfi eld the perfect dining experience. GV


Making Wine on the Edge BY DAVID LAWRASON• PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN ELPHICK

Making Wine on the Edge The Prince Edward County wine industry seems to thrive living on the edge. It is part of the County’s attraction, indeed its persona. And it attracts risk takers. When Waupoos Estate Winery opened on June 15, 2001, Ed Neuser said, “everyone thought we were off our rockers.” And now a decade later, Huff Estate winemaker Frédéric Picard is still calling Prince Edward County “a laboratory”. “This is a very diffi cult place to make wine,” he says. But as the County turns 10, I am sensing that another level of quality has been reached, at least in the better- established wineries. It seems sometimes that all the risks are worth it.

Follow along on a brief review of recent vintages, and how each one has its challenges. And listen again to Frédéric Picard, who has been here seven years now: “The only thing you can count on in Prince Edward County is that every year will be very different.”

The 2011 season is barely under-way, but it is already very controversial. The County is, of course, prone to steep winter temperatures, which reared their hoary heads in 2011 with at least three separate nights lower than -25 degrees Celsius, and some -30 degree temperatures back in January and February. This was enough to decimate any poten-tial buds that were “arial”, or not buried by hilling up the soil, in the fall. Growers were, of course, on edge as temperatures plunged, but there was absolutely noth-ing they could do in the dead of winter except hope that their hills, and perhaps some insulating snow pack, were holding the fort. As the spring thaws and hills come down, everyone will be busy assessing the size of the 2011 crop.

Concerns about the crop size of 2011, however, are tempered somewhat by the overall excite-ment about the excellent quality

of the preceding 2010 vintage, whose fi rst wines will appear in the days, weeks and months ahead. But this vintage also had its peril-ous moment. Growers were on the edge once again on May 9 and 10, 2010, when a late spring frost descended and fried many lower-lying vineyards. (Frost runs downhill like water.) Those with wind machines were able to pro-tect some of their vines, but most had to resort to burning hay bales or smudge pots in the vineyard, hoping that air movement would wash some soothing warmth down the rows. But the frost hit earlier in the morning than expected, catching some unprepared. And at one point, the wind stopped completely and the heat from the fi res went straight up – useless. There are varying reports on the percentage of crop loss in 2010, but every drop will be particularly missed because the remainder of the year, the weather was almost perfect – warm, dry and long –

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producing the healthiest crop ever seen.

The 2009 growing season was no picnic either, with cool, damp sum-mer retarding ripening and making constant attention to vine health a priority through July and August. The fall weather improved, giving the slow-ripening grapes a fi ght-ing chance to catch up through October and reducing the risk of rot at harvest (but there was still some). There may be less weight and higher acid in some of the wines compared to 2007 and 2010, but there is wonderful aromatic lift and some elegance. I have tasted some spiffy 2009 Pinot Gris from Huff, Grange of Prince Edward and Casa Dea. Excellent 2009 PEC Chardonnays are forthcom-ing from Closson Chase, Rosehall Run and Norman Hardie. And the Pinot parade is particularly strong so far, with just- released or upcom-ing releases from Keint-He, Exultet, Stanners, Rosehall Run, Norman Hardie and the Grange of Prince Edward’s Trumpour’s Mill.

Going back even farther, 2008 had its challenges too. Not so much through the average summer, but the autumn harvest was wet, mak-ing it a nail biter to pick Pinot Noir in particular, whose thin-skinned, tightly- bunched berries begin to split and break down at the mere thought of harvest rain. Atten-tive growers made some decent, if lighter Chardonnays and Pinots that year, proof again that the County may actually thrive on adversity, or at the very least, works harder to overcome it.

No one more so than two vintners who actually turned adversity on its head by making unusual and delicious sweeter wines from botrytis-affected Pinot Noir grapes.

(See my notes of the Keint-He’s 2008 Pinot Sauvage and The Old Third’s Pourriture Noble). This style is very rare in wine world – I have only seen it in B.C., Germany and Austria – so it took creative minds to even think of doing these wines, and brave hearts to actu-ally hand- pick berries in soggy circumstances, ferment them care-fully and slowly, then market what can only be quite expensive wines to a bewildered public. Ontario’s VQA tasting panel members were apparently so bewildered by Keint-He’s Pinot Sauvage that they failed it three times. It can’t be on quality issues; so it must be that they had no frame of reference in terms of what they were supposed to be assessing.

Which underlines a different kind of problem that comes hand-in-hand with making wine on the edge. The County cellars have many examples of wines which have either failed VQA taste panel expectations, don’t qualify in the fi rst place because grape varieties are not authorized, or have intentionally not been sub-mitted to the VQA process by winemakers out of cost or political considerations. It is easy to blame the VQA for “not understanding” and being too conservative, and indeed some rules and processes created over 20 years need an overhaul. (In particular, VQA rules need to be unhinged from any tax or economic incentives.) But like consumers themselves, the LCBO staff who taste for VQA need to be educated. If you are going to live on the edge, you can’t always expect everyone to understand. The regulators and the public need to be constantly engaged in educational discussion and wine country experiences. GV

Making Wine on the Edge BY DAVID LAWRASON• PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN ELPHICK

N

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County Road

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HillierHillierHillierHillierHillier

To Toronto

To Ottawa - MontrealTo Oak Heights Winery

To Kingsto

n

Picton

Belleville

Trenton

Bloomfield

Wellington

Milford

South Bay

Waupoos

Black River

Glenora

Adolphustown

CherryValley

HallowellHallowell

AmeliasburghAmeliasburghAmeliasburghAmeliasburghAmeliasburgh

AtholAtholAtholAtholAtholAthol

SophiasburghSophiasburghSophiasburghSophiasburghSophiasburghSophiasburgh

62

62

2

1

2

2

62

37

33

33

49

49

401

401

Hillier

5

1

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Hillier

67

Vineyards

Winery

1813

Rosehall

23

24

26

27

East Lake

West Lake

Wellington Bay

SANDBANKS PROVINCIAL PARK

SoupHarbour

Athol Bay

Bay ofQuinte

Bay of Quinte

Consecon Lake

Napanee River

Hay Bay

Lon

g R

ea

ch

Muscote Bay

Picton Bay

Adolphus Reach

Legend

PrinceEdwardBay

Big Bay

Half Moon Bay

Consecon

9

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14

4

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HillierHillier

1112

WellersBay

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TrentonBay ofQuinte

WellersBay

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34

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1112

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88

8

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25

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39

27

2

3515

3

283

3212

8

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21

GLENORA FERRY

Regional Wineries

REDTAIL VINEYARD422 Partridge Hollow Road, Consecon

HILLIER CREEK ESTATES 46 Stapleton Road, Hillier

CASA-DEA ESTATES WINERY1186 Greer Road, Wellington

ROSEHALL RUN1243 Greer Road, Wellington

SANDBANKS ESTATES WINERY 17598 Loyalist Parkway, Wellington

BY CHADSEY’S CAIRNS WINERY 17432 Loyalist Parkway, Wellington

NORMAN HARDIE WINERY1152 Greer Road, Wellington

KEINT-HE WINERY 49 Hubbs Creek Road, Wellington

KARLO ESTATES 561 Danforth Road, Hillier

SUGARBUSH VINEYARDS 1286 Wilson Road, Hillier

LACEY ESTATES WINERY 804 Closson Road, Hillier

THE GRANGE OF PRINCE EDWARD ESTATE WINERY 990 Closson Chase Road, Hillier

HUFF ESTATES WINERY2274 County Road 1, Bloomfield

BLACK PRINCE WINERY13370 Loyalist Parkway, Picton

LONGDOG WINERY 104 Brewer Road, Milford

HALF MOON BAY WINERY3271 County Road 13, South Bay

WAUPOOS ESTATES WINERY 3016 County Road 8, Waupoos

COUNTY CIDER COMPANY657 Bongards Crossroad, Waupoos

THIRTY THREE VINES9261 Loyalist Parkway, Adolphustown

BERGERON ESTATE WINERY9656 Loyalist Parkway, Adolphustown

1

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DEL GATTO ESTATES3633 County Road 8, Waupoos

19

HARWOOD ESTATES 18908 Loyalist Parkway, Hillier

THE OLD THIRD251 Closson Road, Hillier

EXULTET1106 Royal Road, Milford

LIFT HAUS805 Closson Road, Hillier

23

26

27

25

HINTERLAND1258 Closson Road, Hillier

24

CLOSSON CHASE VINEYARDS 629 Closson Road, Hillier

STANNERS VINEYARD 76 Station Road, Hillier

28

of Prince Edward County

REGIONAL WINE MAP

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S E A S O N A L H O U R S2 6 0 M A I N S T R E E TBLOOMFIELD ~ ONTARIOwww.bloomfieldcarriagehouse.com

19

23

2

7

13

County Road

Highway

13

219

11

1-39

To Toronto

To Ottawa - MontrealTo Oak Heights Winery

To Kingsto

n

Picton

Belleville

Trenton

Bloomfield

Wellington

Milford

South Bay

Waupoos

Black River

Glenora

Adolphustown

CherryValley

N. MarysburghN. MarysburghN. MarysburghN. MarysburghPicton

N. MarysburghPicton

Sophiasburgh

62

62

2

1

2

2

62

37

33

33

49

49

401

401

Hillier

S. MarysburghS. MarysburghS. MarysburghS. MarysburghS. MarysburghS. MarysburghS. MarysburghS. MarysburghS. Marysburgh

5

1

2

3

67

Vineyards

Winery

1813

Rosehall

23

24

26

27

East Lake

West Lake

Wellington Bay

SANDBANKS PROVINCIAL PARK

SoupHarbour

Athol Bay

Bay ofQuinte

Bay of Quinte

Consecon Lake

Napanee River

Hay Bay

Lon

g R

ea

ch

Muscote Bay

Picton Bay

Adolphus Reach

Legend

PrinceEdwardBay

Big Bay

Half Moon Bay

Consecon

9

16

25

8

17

10

19

15

S. Marysburgh

14

4

20

21

1112

WellersBay

22

28

14

33

33

33

14

15

4

5

34

10

1112

18

12

18

10

10

13

13

17

24

17

88

13

16

88

8

7

7

25

20

39

27

2

3515

3

283

3212

8

8

21

GLENORA FERRY

Regional Wineries

REDTAIL VINEYARD422 Partridge Hollow Road, Consecon

HILLIER CREEK ESTATES 46 Stapleton Road, Hillier

CASA-DEA ESTATES WINERY1186 Greer Road, Wellington

ROSEHALL RUN1243 Greer Road, Wellington

SANDBANKS ESTATES WINERY 17598 Loyalist Parkway, Wellington

BY CHADSEY’S CAIRNS WINERY 17432 Loyalist Parkway, Wellington

NORMAN HARDIE WINERY1152 Greer Road, Wellington

KEINT-HE WINERY 49 Hubbs Creek Road, Wellington

KARLO ESTATES 561 Danforth Road, Hillier

SUGARBUSH VINEYARDS 1286 Wilson Road, Hillier

LACEY ESTATES WINERY 804 Closson Road, Hillier

THE GRANGE OF PRINCE EDWARD ESTATE WINERY 990 Closson Chase Road, Hillier

HUFF ESTATES WINERY2274 County Road 1, Bloomfield

BLACK PRINCE WINERY13370 Loyalist Parkway, Picton

LONGDOG WINERY 104 Brewer Road, Milford

HALF MOON BAY WINERY3271 County Road 13, South Bay

WAUPOOS ESTATES WINERY 3016 County Road 8, Waupoos

COUNTY CIDER COMPANY657 Bongards Crossroad, Waupoos

THIRTY THREE VINES9261 Loyalist Parkway, Adolphustown

BERGERON ESTATE WINERY9656 Loyalist Parkway, Adolphustown

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

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DEL GATTO ESTATES3633 County Road 8, Waupoos

19

HARWOOD ESTATES 18908 Loyalist Parkway, Hillier

THE OLD THIRD251 Closson Road, Hillier

EXULTET1106 Royal Road, Milford

LIFT HAUS805 Closson Road, Hillier

23

26

27

25

HINTERLAND1258 Closson Road, Hillier

24

CLOSSON CHASE VINEYARDS 629 Closson Road, Hillier

STANNERS VINEYARD 76 Station Road, Hillier

28

of Prince Edward County


TASTING NOTESTASTING NOTES

KONRAD EBJICH WHEN I JUDGE WINE, I LOOK FOR MANY THINGS: PEAK RIPENESS, NATURAL GRAPE EXPRESSION, COMPETENT WINEMAKING. WINE MUST BE WITHOUT FLAWS AND BALANCED IN ALL ITS KEY ELEMENTS. THAT MAKES IT DRINKABLE. AS PRICE MOVES BEYOND $15 OR SO, MY EXPECTATIONS RISE IN PROPORTION. GOOD ENOUGH IS NO LONGER GOOD ENOUGH. I WANT A SENSE THE WINE I'M JUDGING WAS LOVED INTO EXISTENCE, NOT SIMPLY MANUFACTURED INTO A COOKIE-CUTTER FLAVOUR PROFILE FOR SOME TARGET MARKET. AS PRICE CONTINUES TO RISE, I DEVELOP A GREATER APPETITE FOR REVELATION OF THE WINE'S ORIGIN AND I EXPECT IT TO BE DELIVERED WITH CHARM AND ELEGANCE.

TastingNotesOF THE REGIONAL WINES OF PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY

MORE TASTING NOTES ONLINE!www.grapevinemagazine.caGV

GRAPEVINE MAGAZINE RATINGS:We provide an opinion on wine based on a 100-point scale as defi ned below:

95-100 points Outstanding characteristics and exhilarating to drink. Excellent quality, complexity and depth.

90-94 pointsExcellent characteristics and very enjoyable to drink. Refi ned balance, complexity and depth.

85-89 pointsVery good characteristics and a pleasure to drink. Expresses good quality, balance, complexity and depth.

80-84 pointsGood characteristics and drinkable. Simple and displays some balance.

Below 80 pointsLacking in quality, character and balance.

complexity and depth.complexity and depth.drink. Refi ned balance, complexity and depth. complexity and depth.

complexity and depth. MORE TASTING NOTES ONLINE!www.grapevinemagazine.ca

9292929292Casa-Dea Estates Winery, Chardonnay 2009 $15.95 / Prince Edward County / 90 pointsUnoaked. High- toned exotic white with a fruit nose of apple, pear and pineapple. Clean, mildly-gripping mouthfeel with solid chalk-dust minerality and balanced acidity. In a brown-bag tasting, I would guess this to be Chablis. Exceptional value. Drink now to 2014. 909090Unoaked. High- toned exotic white with a fruit nose of apple, pear and pineapple. Clean, 90Unoaked. High- toned exotic white with a fruit nose of apple, pear and pineapple. Clean, mildly-gripping mouthfeel with solid chalk-dust minerality and balanced acidity. In a 90mildly-gripping mouthfeel with solid chalk-dust minerality and balanced acidity. In a brown-bag tasting, I would guess this to be Chablis. Exceptional value. Drink now to 2014. 90brown-bag tasting, I would guess this to be Chablis. Exceptional value. Drink now to 2014. 90

Closson Chase Vineyards, Chardonnay 2008$34.95 / Prince Edward County / 92 points “Closson Chase Vineyard” All estate grapes; 85 percent younger North Block with 15 percent older South Clos for extra body. Indigenous yeast fermentation. Sweet, lush and super-ripe nose and palate of tart applesauce, lemon drops, white peach, butter and sugar pie. The bouquet changes moment to moment as the wine opens. Hefty, mouth fi lling and rich, with a massive, long, juicy aftertaste. Drink now to 2020.


TASTING NOTES

DAVID LAWRASON I RATE WINE QUALITY BASED ON PURITY, COMPLEXITY, BALANCE AND FLAVOUR DEPTH. PRICE IS NOT FACTORED INTO THE RATING, BUT REVIEWS BETTER VALUE WINES IN ANY PRICE RANGE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE PUBLISHED.

9090

909090Rosehall Run Vineyards, Chardonnay 2008 $21.95 / Prince Edward County / 90 points“Cuvée County” VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario Canada: Gold award-ArteVino-2010 Barrel fermented for extra body. Sweet, lush and juicy. Drink now to 2015.

9393Keint-He 2008 Pinot Sauvage$50.00 / Prince Edward County / 93 pointsThis most unusual but effective not-quite-sweet wine was fermented – like the great Tokays of Hungary – from grapes affected by botrytis (which concentrates fl avour, sugar and acidity). It was then aged for almost three years in Hungarian oak barrels. But unlike Tokay, the grapes are Pinot Noir, which is rare indeed. In a word, wow! It is an incredibly fi ne, vibrant and delicate wine with a complex, exotic nose involving honey, dried apricot, caramel, ginger, walnuts and pine woodsiness. Expect wonderful life and length, a wine to savour on its own, or match to medium-strong artisan cheeses. Note that it is 375ml bottle.

The Old Third 2009 Pinot Pourriture Noble$35.00 / Prince Edward County / 90 points Winemaker Bruno Francois was inspired by Keint-He winemaker Geoff Heinricks to make a botrytis-affected Pinot as well, but took a different route with a decision not to age it in oak barrels. It is semi-sweet (25 grams residual sugar) with normal 12.5% alcohol. It is a very pale straw colour with mellow but complex aroma of buckwheat honey/marzipan, vague apricot fruit and dried herbs. It’s mid-weight, creamy and lively with very good length. It is also best as cheese wine, with milder, soft and creamy styles.


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TASTING NOTES

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CITY REVIVAL.indd 1 26/08/10 10:10 PM

JOHN SZABO WHEN I TASTE MY STARTING POINT IS TO LOOK FOR WINES THAT REFLECT BOTH FROM WHERE THEY’RE GROWN AND FROM WHICH GRAPE(S) THEY’RE MADE. I LOOK FOR A DISTINCT, RECOGNIZABLE AND IDENTIFIABLE PROFILE. . A WINE WITH A WIDE AND APPEALING ARRAY OF AROMAS AND FLAVOURS, AND WHICH LINGERS ON ENDLESSLY REVEALING MORE AND MORE LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY, WILL ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE IN MY COLUMN, AND ON MY TABLE!


TASTING NOTES

LIGHTHALL 2009 PINOT NOIR RÉSERVE PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, $24.80

This fi rst edition Pinot from Lighthall is sourced from Niagara Orchards in Niagara-on-the-Lake and fermented in concrete to preserve fruit fl avours. The acids are bright and vibrant and fruit is fi rmly in the juicy red berry spectrum. It’s a light and elegant style with fi ne underlying minerality, though the wood is excessive in my view (likely the growing pains of starting a new winery and the lack of older barrels), but it nonetheless shows promise for the future of Lighthall Vineyards. Enjoy this over the next two to four years. 88 points.

88


MICHAEL PINKUS I KNOW THAT WHEN I JUDGE I DIFFER FROM WHEN I TASTE FOR PERSONAL NOTES. JUDGING BECOMES MORE CLINICAL, IS IT THE RIGHT FLAVOUR, THE RIGHT SMELL FOR THE GRAPE VARIETY IT IS SUPPOSE TO BE. BUT FOR PERSONAL NOTES IT’S ABOUT WHAT’S IN THE GLASS - IF IT DOES NOT SMELL OR TASTE LIKE TYPICAL CHARDONNAY (LIKE IN THE CASE OF A STONEY RIDGE CHARLOTTE’S CHARDONNAY) BUT IS A FANTASTIC WINE, SHOULD IT BE MARKED DOWN? I DO NOT BELIEVE SO, IN FACT I LIKE ITS VEER FROM THE NORM. I AM LOOKING FOR WHAT MILLER LITE CALLS “DRINKABILITY” AND ENJOYABILITY.

TASTING NOTES

Hillier Creek Estates 2009 Estate Rose - $15.00Here’s a light and lively rosé that won’t set you back too much, and one that’s pretty unique in its make-up. One hundred per cent Gamay grapes were left on their skins for two days, yet didn’t throw a lot of colour into the wine. The nose is reminiscent of my midway days, as candied apple is the majority owner of the aromas with a splash of citrus thrown in for good measure. The palate offers up a sweet- and-sour effect and the acid bite plays with a slight earthy-cranberry sensation

on the fi nish. Rating: 88

88888888Hillier Creek Estates 2009 Estate Rose - $15.0088Hillier Creek Estates 2009 Estate Rose - $15.00Here’s a light and lively rosé that won’t set 88Here’s a light and lively rosé that won’t set you back too much, and one that’s pretty 88you back too much, and one that’s pretty unique in its make-up. One hundred per cent 88unique in its make-up. One hundred per cent unique in its make-up. One hundred per cent 88unique in its make-up. One hundred per cent unique in its make-up. One hundred per cent 88unique in its make-up. One hundred per cent Gamay grapes were left on their skins for two 88Gamay grapes were left on their skins for two days, yet didn’t throw a lot of colour into the

88days, yet didn’t throw a lot of colour into the


WHERE TO STAY & EAT

REGIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS

Bed and Breakfast

Hillsdale House Bed & Breakfast332 Main StreetBloomfi eld, [email protected]/625.htmlwww.bloomfi eldontario.ca

Saraswati Wellness Spa1280 Fry Rd.Prince Edward ON.613 476.5444 [email protected] www.saraswatispa.ca

Cottage Rentals

Sandbanks Vacations*Various Cottage Rentals1.877.399.2508 or 613.476.7378www.sandbanksvacations.com

County Holiday Homes1.866.576.5993www.countyholidayhomes.cominfo@countyholidayhomes.com

Hotels/Inns

The Devonshire Inn on the Lake24 Wharf StreetWellington, Ontario1.800.544.9937 or 613.399.1851www.devonshire-inn.com

Inn at Huff Estates2274 County Road 1Bloomfi eld, Ontario613.393.1414www.huffestates.com

The Queen’s Inn145 Main St. Picton, ON613-476-8618888-476-8618thequeensinn@reach.netwww.portpictonhomes.com

REGIONAL RESTAURANTS Regional/Elemental French

The Bloomfi eld Carriage House RestaurantChef: Scott KapitanNeighbourhood: Bloomfi eld, ON.Reservations: 613.393.1087Address: 260 Main St. Bloomfi eldwww.bloomfi eldcarriagehouse.com

Restaurant at the Merrill InnChef: Michael SullivanNeighbourhood: Picton, ON.Reservations: 613.476.7451Address: 343 Main St. Pictonwww.merrillinn.com

Bistro/Wine Bar

Blumen Garden BistroChef: Andreas FellerNeighbourhood: Picton. ON.Reservations: 613.476.6841Address: 647 Hwy. 49 Pictonwww.blumengardenbistro.com

Capers BrasserieChef: Jeff CamachoNeighbourhood: Belleville, ON.Reservations: 613.968.7979Address: 272 Front St. Belleville, ON.www.capers.ca

The TangoChef: Ian NicholsNeighbourhood: Kingston, ON.Reservations: 613.531.0800Address: 331 King Street EastKingston, ON. www.thetango.ca *50 minutes East of Picton

Italian

Casa Dea EstatesChef: Tom MaddenNeighbourhood: Rosehall, ONReservations: 613.399.3939Address: 1186 Greer Rd., Hillierwww.casadeaestates.com

Café

The Bean Counter Café172 Main St. Picton, ON.613.476.1718 www.beancountercafe.com

Harden & Huyse Chocolates201 Division St.Cobourg, ON.905.377.9917www.greatchocolate.com

WHERE TO STAY & EAT

WHERE TO STAY & EAT


DID YOU KNOW?

MOO-VE OVER, MILKLouis Pasteur, the man credited with making milk

drinkable, actually believed that wine was “the most healthful and hygienic of beverages.”

WINE BY THE FOOTAlthough it’s been abandoned in most of the world

in favour of more efficient technologies, foot-treading – or grape stomping – is still used today by

some of the best Port producers.

DRY SPELLIn 1927, the Ontario government decided to stop

issuing winemaking licences. What was supposed to be a temporary moratorium turned into a long lull.

They didn’t issue another licence until 47 years later, in 1974.

THE FULL SPECTRUMHave you ever wondered about the proper way to

taste several wines at one sitting? Savvy tasters start with the light whites, move on to the full-bodied

whites, then switch to reds, again working their way from light to full-bodied.

TATTOO TALESActor Johnny Depp has proclaimed his love of

the grape with a tattoo on his bicep that reads “Wino Forever”. The image originally read “Winona

Forever”, in honour of erstwhile girlfriend Winona Ryder.

SPIT IT OUTBecause of their state’s rigid alcohol laws, the only way Utah residents can hold a legal wine tasting is if they spit out all the wine they taste. If any of the wine makes it down a taster’s gullet, the whole proceeding is rendered illegal.

THE SPICE OF LIFEAt last count, there were over 10,000 varieties of wine grapes in the world today.

NEW WORLD ORDERHow popular was wine among the first New World explorers? Both Columbus and Magellan brought Sherry with them on their expeditions. In fact, Magellan spent more money on Sherry than he did

on weapons as he prepared for his 1519 voyage. GV

Did You Know?ILLUSTRATION BY APRIL SAGE


350 Bagot Street, KingSton 613.548.7891 www.rsdesigners.net

reid & SiemonSen iS inSpired


� e�v�nes �nd ��k ��rre�s �re�fro� F�ance.� e�limesto�e�so�l�and ��e�l�c�ima�e�are�in � e C��n��.

� e�ta��e�and �o�� re�fro� �e. E�jo�.

“Really very Burgundian. Real density. Norman Hardie is defi nitively a name to watch.”

– Jancis Robinson

“It’s quite simply the best Pinot Noir I have tasted in Ontario”

– Tony Aspler

1152 Greer Road, R.R.1 Hillier, Ontario613.399.5297 [email protected]

www.normanhardie.comOur wines are available at the winery or can be ordered through our website

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