Don’t forget Lake Erie Shore
Wine lovers flock to Niagara, but Pelee area also has lots to offer
SO, YOU’RE PLANNING your summer getaways. If you’re anything like me, you may have a few long weekends planned (and not just the official ones).
It’s probably no surprise that many of mine centre around wine, including events in Niagara.
But I also make trips to the Lake Erie North Shore, including the vintage tasting event (Aug. 11). This event used to come under the SWOVA (South Western Ontario Vintners Association), but is now known as EPIC (Essex Pelee Island Coast) — a drastic improvement in a moniker if ever I’ve seen one.
Many Ontarians scratch their collective heads when I mention this wine area because it is our least celebrated region. The Essex Pelee Island Coast winery route, roughly in the Leamington to Amherstburg area, is the home to familiar Pelee Island Winery and Colio Estate Wines, but it is far from a two-winery show. And it is well worth a pilgrimage, especially if you’re a fan of reds.
This is Canada’s most southerly wine region — that’s not a misprint or a typo, I did say Canada. Being southernmost does have advantages, especially in the grapegrowing department.
On average, the region gets a four-week advantage on other growing areas in Ontario — they can start two weeks earlier and can be picking two weeks later. That can be the difference between ripe Cabernet and Shiraz and ones that retain grassy, earthy and vegetal notes from underripeness.
Over the past decade, there has not been the great push in this region that there has been in, say, Prince Edward County. Sure, they’ve seen their share of growth, but not to the extent of other regions. And this is why Lake Erie North Shore is perfect for a long weekend trip.
It has 17 wineries, each with something good to offer.
Because I have limited space, I’ll get you started with some recommendations of places to visit, but don’t just stop with these nine, visit them all.
The full list of EPIC wineries can be found at http://epicwineries.ca.
Sanson Estate: This one is not on the website, but a visit to Sanson Estate was my first in the area and has left a lasting impression. http://dsanson.mnsi.net
Owner Dennis Sanson is a bit of a wild card, taking the movement of farm-to-table to a whole new level; he’s also a maverick and free-wheeler when it comes to his wines. A case in point: he made a glorious 2007 Syrah — probably the best I had tasted in the region — and yet he has no plans to ever make another. He is a whiz with Vidal and Baco and also makes fantastic red blends.
Pelee Island Winery: We go from one of the smallest to the biggest. Pelee Island wines have been all over the LCBO for years — they have the cute birds on their labels. At the winery, you can check out their more serious offerings in the form of the Vinedressers series, Pelee’s reserve line that does not find its way to the monopoly shelves.
Muscedere Vineyards: Brothers Roberto and Fabio Muscedere started this winery in 2003 and from day one have thought big and never looked back. From the massive foot-thick cellar door to the pizza oven on