Check out our Wine Tour Guide 2020 in Prince Edward County and find out which Vineyards and Wineries we visited in year 2020. This will help you in planning your own wine tour.
There are 2 ways that you can do the Wine Tour in Prince Edward County:
1. By Car
2. By Bike
If you decide to do the wine tour via car, then you need to have a designated driver within your group. This option is more economical. That is, you only pay for the snack/food that you eat and the wine tastings. You don’t have to pay the wine tour company to take you around. In addition, this option provides more freedom. What you can do is plan all the wineries that are close to each other so that you can visit all of them during the day. You can spend more time at the winery that you like and less at the others and adjust the timing accordingly.
If you prefer to do the wine tour via bike, ou can join a “Sip and Cycle Tour” with The County Wine Tours. The cost of the bike tour is $150 per person. I have not done a bike wine tour before. So I can’t give much details on this. But this option looks fun too if you want to do some exercise while touring the wineries.
Wine Tour Guide 2020 in Prince Edward County: First Stop: Carson’s/Flossie’s Sandwiches
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We went to Sandbank from Friday to Monday at the end of August. We spent all day Friday doing the wine tour. Our first stop was at Carson’s Garden + Market . There is a little goat farm at the front. We get to meet the 3 little goats at Carson’s.
Flossie’s Sandwiches is at Carson’s Garden + Market. After checking out the goats and the Garden/Market at Carson’s, we lined up to order some sandwiches for lunch. Flossie’s offers a variety of sandwiches on the menu. Check out their menu. I love the sandwiches at Flossie’s. I ordered the Mushroom Melt sandwich and it came with a side of fries. It was the BEST sandwich i have ever had!
Flossie’s Sandwiches
Flossie’s Sandwiches sell the most mouth-watering scrumptious sandwiches that I have ever had! You must take a drive here to find out yourself! I promise you it will be worth it!
Wine Tour Guide 2020 in Prince Edward County: First Winery/Vineyard
After satisfying our tummy with Flossie’s sandwiches, the first Winery we visited was The Old Third Vineyard which is located at 251 Closson Road, Hillier, ON in Prince Edward County. The Old Third has a really pretty interior. The Wine Tastings are inside their big barn. They followed social distance guidelines and restrictions during the pandemic. Mask or face coverings is mandory and they have hand sanitizer at the entrance.
You don’t need to make reservations. They have Walk-ins only at The Old Third Vineyard. When we arrived, we have a total of 10 people. Therefore, we have to split up into 2 groups as they only serve a group of up to 6 people.
You can either sit inside the barn or on the patio.
Check out their Quattro Amici Pasta Bar when you are there. They have a variety of pasta dishes.
In year 2020: The Old Third offers 2018 Riesling, off-dry, unfiltered for $42.00 and 2016 Golden Russet Cider, dry, traditional method for $30.00
The Old Third Vineyard
A small, high density vineyard and winery in the heart of Prince Edward County. The Tasting Bar is inside a big barn. During Pandemic, the wine tasting is done in disposable cups. The Old Third produces unfined and unfiltered pinot noir, cabernet franc and chardonnay. In addition, they also make sparkling cider from local, golden russet apples.
Second Winery/Vineyard:
Our next stop was Broken Stone Winery This winery has a beautiful outdoor environment with a view of the vineyard! We didn’ have to make reservation at Broken Stone Winery either. However, if you want to play safe, it is best to call them ahead of time to check before you do your tour. We had a great here wine tasting and enjoy the outdoor fresh air!
Broken Stone Winery
“Broken Stone Winery is a small family owned winery located in the heart of the beautiful Prince Edward County. Founded in 2013, owners Tim and Micheline Kuepfer are dedicated to providing some of the tastiest wine, their specialties being in Pinot Noir and cool climate Vinifera grapes.”
Located at 524 Closson Road, Hillier, Ontario
Third Winery/Vineyard:
Next was Closson Chase Vineyards They have been producing exceptional quality Chardonay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from their 35-acre estate for over 20 years. We did the wine tasting in the spectacular garden. Closson Chase also has food menu that you can order to pair with the wine.
Closson Chase Vineyards
Closson Chase Vineyards also has a beautiful outdoor patio where you can enjoy the wine tasting and lunch. We had a great time here.
Location: 629 Closson Road, Hillier, Ontario K0K 2J0
Fourth Winery/Vineyard:
We stopped by Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards. Resevations is not required at Grange. It is First come, First serve. They have limited outdoor space. There is a Pop up by Old Salt Cocktails featuring cocktails, local beer, wine-by-the-glass. The BEST Part is the gourmet sausage cart out in the garden!
OMG we had the BEST Vegan Sausage here! It is Korean-styled sausage that served with seaweed and ginger with sesame. It was delicious!
Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards/Old Salt Cocktails
Services Provided: Bottle Shop – Tasting Kits –Masks are mandatory indoors so there are no tastings indoors.
Address: 990 Closson Road – Hillier, Prince Edward County (Daily 11 am — 5 pm)
Fifth Winery/Vineyard:
Last but not least, we stopped by By Chadsey’s Cairns Winery and Vineyard. They make 100% authentic Prince Edward County wines. Their famous label is the ‘White Horse’. They offer “classic fine wines: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the gold-standard of the dining table, the ever popular Riesling and Gewürztraminer (often touched with noble rot); refreshing bistro-styled Gamay Noir; and rarer wines such as the fragrant Muscat Ottonel, mineral-rich Chenin Blanc and the blackberry-laden St. Laurent. Their rosés are dry and the sparklings range from a delicate salmon pink to a vibrant striking red.”
Location: 17432 Loyalist Parkway – Wellington, Ontario K0K 3L0
By Chadsey’s Cairns Winery and Vineyard
“The most charming way to purchase wine is in their Historic tasting room, a historic apple house from the 1850s.
Open 7 days/week 11am-6pm (groups of max. 8 people). No Reservations required.
Below are the 2 bottles of wine from “By Chadsey’s Cairns Winery & Vineyard” that we bought home to enjoy:
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Tips on How to Plan Your Wine Tour in Prince Edward County:
Make your list:
Prepare a list of 4-5 wineries that you would like to visit in a day.
Plan your route:
Use interactive map to plan your route – it’s mobile-friendly so if you find yourself lost, use your mobile device to help you get re-oriented. Don’t forget a pit stop at Flossie’s Sandwich for lunch!
Pick an area – the east, the south or the west and try a few in the same region. Or, pick one from each and enjoy a leisurely scenic drive in between.
Check Business Hours:
Make sure to check the business hours of the wineries that you plan to do the tour. Most wineries are open 11am-6pm in the summer, but hours vary in the late fall and winter. Some are only open weekends. The last thing you want is arriving at the winery and they are closed.
Make Reservations:
Call the Wineries you plan to tour to check if you need a reservations or if it is just walk-in and first come first serve basis.
Have fun at your Wine Tour!
(Source: Prince Edward County Wine)
After a day full of wines, we headed to the cottage that we rented for the weekend (The Willow Tree Cottage) and spent the weekend playing volleyball in the dunes at Sandbanks
Check out my other Local Road Travel Trip in Ontario “Exploring Tobermory, Ontario” and another International Trip to Cuba “Tips on What to DO and NOT DO in Varadero, Cuba“