I’ve just learned that taking a week off of work is far more exhausting than actually working. Maybe it was the compulsive need to socialize, maybe it was the fact that the week punctuated by Hallowe’en, but I sure could use a few work days to rest up from that vacation.
What morphed into a week off actually began as a week-end away to Prince Edward County (sans children, woo-hoo) courtesy of the boss lady (thanks Nicolette). So Mrs. Cheffer and I trucked it up the 401 to see how the other half live….
OK, so I began writing this 3 weeks ago, and am now finally rested up from that excursion and caught up on the world of work. Now where was I? Oh yeah, Prince Edward County. You should go.
The first thing I learned is the lingo. Prince Edward County must be a mouthful after a while, because to those in the know, it is shortened to “The County”. As is ‘county’ wine, ‘county’ spinach, ‘county’ lamb, ‘county’ cider, and ‘county’ artisan. I was tempted to hit the gas station for some ‘county’ gas and a bag of ‘county’ cheetos, but I also learned that county folk don’t like being teased about the OCD use of the prefix ‘county’. I tease only because we Niagara folk are as obsessive about our use of the terms ‘wine country’ and ‘Niagara’ (as in ‘Niagara’ wine, ‘Niagara’ spinach, ‘Niagara’ lamb). I remember once attending a barbecue at a winery that shall remain nameless grilling sausages with ‘wine country’ toppings. I’m pretty sure ketchup is just ketchup regardless of where you are when squeezing it onto your bratwurst. I’m making it a New Year’s resolution to stop using unnecessary geographical descriptions.
O.K. Back on point. Our first stop was the Barley Days Brewery. In my defense, it was on our route prior to any wineries or even our accommodations. Unfortunately we were too late for the Oktoberfest beer and too early for the Cherry Porter but fear not, the Harvest Pale Ale is solid any time of year. You should get some. In fact, pick up some Pilsner while you’re at it. Oops, I mean ‘county’ Pilsner.
Next stop: The Merrill Inn. Billed as a ‘country inn’ I was already tempted to correct them – silly guys accidentally put an ‘r’ in ‘county inn’ (shut up Cheffer, nobody likes a smart-ass). The Merrill is lovely place – a historic family home converted to an Inn and one of the county’s best little restaurants (unfortunately room 103 is directly above the kitchen – specifically the very heavy walk in cooler door…breakfast prep starts EARLY I tell you). Regardless, the accommodations, the food, and the location were superb. One of the best features of the Merrill however happens to be the assistant innkeeper Nell – our unofficial tour guide and county liaison.
Nell sent us to the ‘Lake on the Mountain’ – a geographical wonder by which a lake sits above the water table. Google it, it’ll blow your mind.
Nell sent us to the County Cider Company in Waupoos (where I could camp out I tell you). I’ve never been a hard cider fan, but I am now a convert. Also worth the trip is their ‘ice cider’ which is the lowly apple’s version of icewine. At $30 for a 375 ml bottle, it will stand beside any icewine, with a tartness which makes it arguably more versatile than its frozen grape counterpart. The Cider Company also has an outdoor patio with a brick oven and a million dollar view of Lake Ontario. Closed for the season for us, but worth coming back to in the summer. You should go.
Nell sent Mrs. Cheffer to her friend Kelly’s boutique (conveniently named ‘Kelly’s’). Home of all things pink, black, and funky-goth, Kelly’s is just one of the great stores on a great main drag in Picton. I have to say, I can be arrogant about all of the vineyards and the wines of our little wine region down here, but when it comes to cute and functional little historic downtowns, the county kicks our ass. Beamsville and Vineland are no Picton and Bloomfield I tell you.
And then there was the wine. We tasted many. Closson Chase does wonders with Chardonnay. It was actually refreshing to see their wine offerings. Chardonnay and Pinot. O.K., they threw in a Rosé for fun, but I respect a winery that can say “this is what we do, we do it well, it’s all that we do”. And they do it well indeed. I would have a bit of trouble forking out $70 for a ‘county’ Chardonnay made entirely of Beamsville grapes, but the ’08 Chard made of county grapes was great, and tasted like you would expect a well made $35 wine to taste like. We spent a great deal of time (and money) at The Grange of Prince Edward County winery. Their offerings range from $9 to $50, with single vineyards and blends. I was thrilled with all that we tried, in particular the Trumpour’s Mill Pinot Gris and Riesling. You should go.
Do you like cheese? I don’t even know how to begin talking about Fifth Town Cheese without drooling and stammering so I’ll keep it short. ALL OF THEIR CHEESES ARE GREAT!! Particularly the ‘Quinte Crest’ and ‘Bonnie & Floyd’. But really, all of them. You should go.
The one gem of the county that had nothing to do with Nell (though she did formerly work there) was Michael Potters’ Harvest Restaurant. One of the components of my FABULOUS gift from the Boss Lady was dinner at Harvest, and thank God we took advantage when we did. We dined at Harvest on the last night it was open for a la cart service, as the restaurant was closing for a week, re-opening for ‘county-licious’ for the month of November, and closing for good. Now I was slightly worried when I heard it was the last night – fearing the ‘tour de fridge’ – A.K.A. creative leftover cuisine. Not so. In fact, we had a wonderful meal served, oddly enough, by a great former Toronto waiter whom Mrs. Cheffer worked with at Mildred Pierce about a hundred years ago. Harvest was packed to the rafters that night with friends, family, fans, and well wishers and the kitchen did not disappoint them. We did feel special though, as we had the most coveted table in the joint known to the regulars as ‘the sexy deuce’. The only table you can close a curtain on and be in your own little world. Romantic dinner aside, it was much more fun to leave the curtain open and observe the hustle and bustle of a busy dining room on a busy night. A sight I don’t often witness, as I’m usually the one both hustling and bustling. Thanks harvest. The ‘county’ lamb, the ‘county’ cheeses, and the ‘county’ beets were great. I don’t care where the foie was from, but it was great too. You should go. Oops, too late.
We finished our evening with a walk and a nightcap at what, in hindsight, is possibly my favourite part of Prince Edward County – The Accoustic Grill. I’ll give you one guess as to who was operating the taps that night. None other than the face of P.E.C. – Nell. Great space, great music, great vibe, great menu. Leave it to me to go to a picturesque town, in a wine region, stay at a boutique hotel, and fall in love with a pub. Scattered around the bar were a few locals including a cellar hand (that we had actually met earlier in the day) from Closson Chase and a short-haul trucker who travels Ontario regularly. We shared stories of the County, of Niagara, of Toronto, and of catering to tourists in seasonally driven businesses.
By the end of the week-end we felt more like transplanted locals than out-of-town tourists. I felt very warmly toward the people, their efforts, and the integrity of most of the businesses we encountered. There is a great sense of community and camaraderie amid competition. We may be separated by a lake, but they are not much different from us those county folk. I felt at home, except…where the hell are all of your vineyards??
Anyway- the verdict: You should go. BUT, you should go as well as coming here, not instead of. Chow.
The Good Earth 