I’ve written a lot about PEC already on this blog, so these pictures will do all the talking this time. Just another new stop since we stopped by last time that is worth eating at – The Drake Devonshire Hotel in Wellington!

Disclaimer: I received a travel stipend and am paid for writing about Prince Edward County by The Great Waterway. This is one of five articles. The articles will also appear on The Great Waterway blog. I chose and organized my own itinerary and all opinions are my own. All photography is my own.

This is the last Prince Edward County post. As you can imagine, we had a great time discovering wineries, breweries, distilleries, the food , amazing beaches and rural landscapes.

But there are a couple of other gems you might want to see when visiting the area. First up is the Prince Edward County Lavender Farm, very close to the Grange Winery. While we were a little early in the season to see the fields all cast in purple, it was still great to see the intense green that day and the little purple buds – there’s not much that can beat the fresh smell of lavender. There’s a small store with a wide selection of lavender products – be it soap, t-shirts or trinkets. And you can buy different types of lavender for your own garden.If you drive to the Black River Cheese company, you can get a selection of different cheeses in the store (mostly cheddar) and some great ice cream. You can peek through the window at their production, but unfortunately there are no tours. You probably will also meet the handsome cat pictured above trying to sneak into the store. However, he belongs to the Galloping Goat  across the street. It’s a quirky little store housed in a century old barn right by the river – perfect to finish your ice cream and browse the curiosities.

Unfortunately, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese was not open yet. They are not producing yet, but do have a retail store. The cheese selection looks amazing and I’m really interested in their Green Cheese Initiatives.

If you’ve had enough of drink and food, you can also do some boutique shopping in Picton or Bloomfield. You might want to stop by Cranston Gallery on Main, Pottery 31, or (my favourite store name) Dead People’s Stuff Antiques. There are also quite a few home decor stores, glass, wood and other artists’ studios in the area. There was more to see than we had time, so another visit will surely happen.

Disclaimer: I received a travel stipend and am paid for writing about Prince Edward County by The Great Waterway. This is one of five articles. The articles will also appear on The Great Waterway blog. I chose and organized my own itinerary and all opinions are my own. All photography is my own.

Disclaimer: I received a travel stipend and am paid for writing about Prince Edward County by The Great Waterway. This is one of five articles. The articles will also appear on The Great Waterway blog. I chose and organized my own itinerary and all opinions are my own. All photography is my own.

You might have heard that Prince Edward County competes with the Niagara region in the winery department. But there are a few other gems that come from that region. First up is 66 Gilead – a rather new distillery right in Bloomfield. Home on acres of land and using the historic Cooper-Norton house for their tasting room, the venue is spectacular. 66 Gilead produces hand-crafted spirits. You’ll find: gin, three types of vodka, shochu and rum. Opened in 2011 the venue is new and the owners are very friendly and eager to tell their story. A limited selection is available at the LCBO, others are only available for purchase at the Bloomfield location.Right next to 66 Gillead, leasing some of their buildings, are Pete & Marla Bradford. They do two things there – Pete runs his Carriage House Cooperage, where he makes barrels the ‘old-fashioned’ way. These barrels are used by the local wineries, distilleries and breweries. He also makes some furniture and small items for the home. He is very happy to show how things are made the old-fashioned way.In addition to barrel making, they also produce aged wine vinegars. Aging up to 7 years, these are tasty specialty vinegars perfect for your salad, bread dipping or gourmet cooking. The Cooper’s Choice vinegars are made exclusively with wines from the county and aged to perfection with imported “mother” from the legendary Modena region of Italy. We bought a bottle and have been using it regularly in the past couple of weeks.Last but not least – you can also get your local beer in Prince Edward County. Located between Bloomfield and Picton you’ll find Barley Days, a local craft brewer. Sourcing highest quality Canadian malts and hops, they produce beer in small batches. Prince Edward County used to be a large producer of hops in the past, but these days production is not viable for the area. I don’t have any pictures of the brewery because it was pouring rain. But if you get there on the weekend, they are happy to show you the facilities and explain their brewing process. You can buy some of their beer at the LCBO.

Disclaimer: I received a travel stipend and am paid for writing about Prince Edward County by The Great Waterway. This is one of five articles. The articles will also appear on The Great Waterway blog. I chose and organized my own itinerary and all opinions are my own. All photography is my own.

You might have heard about Sandbanks Provincial Park? Sandbanks is home to the largest sand dune system in Canada and looks onto beautiful Lake Ontario. The lake is so big, you think you’re at the ocean. The sand is so fine, you think you’re at the ocean. The water is freezing though in June and the air doesn’t smell of salt. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Sandbanks from people that go camping there. Campsites book up very early in the year, so plan ahead if you plan to go.
On our recent trip to Prince Edward County, we enjoyed a half a day at the beach. In June it wasn’t too crowded and our kids didn’t care that the water was freezing. The day was sunny, the sky blue and the dunes were fun to run up and slide down. Let’s just say, we added a couple of pounds of sand to the car when we left. I’m sure we’ll be back, because Sandbanks really made an impression on me.
Moving west, away from the Sandbanks, towards Wellington, the shore looks different. There’s a huge park at the water in Wellington with a very large boat shaped play structure. We spent some time there before grabbing food at the Tall Poppy Cafe, which is just a block away. The day was drizzly and grey and we watched a fisher man go out on the lake. It looked so peaceful.
Moving away from the water the view is rural. Lots of leafy trees, long dirt roads, red barns, fields, farm animals – free roaming chickens and fields of grazing sheep. The area is incredibly green and lush and between all the vineyards you can glimpse the water or see all the working farms that produce food for the local restaurants and stores. The incredible scenery made up for the one rainy day we had. We were very tempted to stop by some of the cottages and small houses that were for sale. I imagine a holiday property perfect for relaxation, water sports and access to great food. Prince Edward County has a nice romantic quality to it – a little of everything.

Disclaimer: I received a travel stipend and am paid for writing about Prince Edward County by The Great Waterway. This is one of five articles. The articles will also appear on The Great Waterway blog. I chose and organized my own itinerary and all opinions are my own. All photography is my own.

To say that Prince Edward County has a lot of good food would be an understatement. People like good food with their wine and that’s what we experienced. We arrived late on Friday evening and checked into our room at Angeline’s right away, which is a charming and hip Bed and Breakfast. I really enjoyed that their rooms are designed impeccably and that their bathroom is amazing! The next morning we enjoyed a light breakfast of  mini croissants, juice and very good coffee which was part of the room rate. My husband also had the granola which was very good.During our long-weekend stay, we stopped at the Tall Poppy Cafe twice – once for a mid-morning latte and a sweet treat. The next day we went for a full breakfast. Tall Poppy Cafe was recommended to us and has some great reviews. I can see why.The coffee and food are very good, the ambiance is casual and pleasant and for us the informal kids play area at the front of the cafe was great. We sat at our table and talked while the kids played with vintage Fisher Price toys. The kids had the kids pancakes, I had the buttermilk pancakes and my husband really enjoyed the Italian eggs. Did you see the whipped cream filled doughnut pictured above? Yumm!Saturday evening we made a reservation at Blumen Garden Bistro. It’s ranked number two on Trip Advisor for the Prince Edward County area. What drew me in was the fact that Andreas Feller, the chef and owner, is Swiss. The quality of food was outstanding – the food is quite heavy, but absolutely delicious and the prices are very reasonable. Blumen Garden Bistro books up fast, so a reservation is needed. They don’t have a children’s menu or smaller sized plates, so we opted to order the pickerel and have the kids share. We also enjoyed the braised rabbit on gnocchi and the chicken supreme with risotto.The last night we ate at The Hubb, which is the eatery attached to Angelines Bed and Breakfast. They are in their second year now and we were quite pleased with the food. While the charcuterie plate was on the small side for the price, the oysters were very good as was the roasted chicken. They offered some wonderful amuse bouche to start. This is the first year offering a full menu, but they are still offering their small plates, which is great if you just want a nibble.

We also ate quite a bit of ice cream on this trip as you can see in the top picture. We got some at the Black River Cheese Company and then we went to Slickers Ice Cream in Bloomfield. Our favourite flavour was Campfire – it’s s’mores transformed into ice cream.

If we had stayed longer we would have tried Buddha Dog in Picton for a casual meal, but they’re only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I’ve heard great things about them. I would also check out The Milford Bistro, the Agrarian and East and Main.

Disclaimer: I received a travel stipend and am paid for writing about Prince Edward County by The Great Waterway. This is one of five articles. The articles will also appear on The Great Waterway blog. I chose and organized my own itinerary and all opinions are my own. All photography is my own.

Disclaimer: I received a travel stipend and am paid for writing about Prince Edward County by The Great Waterway. This is one of five articles. The articles will also appear on The Great Waterway blog. I chose and organized my own itinerary and all opinions are my own. All photography is my own.

I had never been to Prince Edward County. I had heard the name and I knew it was in Ontario, not too far from my hometown Ottawa. I knew about the famous Sandbanks Provincial Park, but I only realized with time that Prince Edward county has wineries and a huge food scene.

We decided to spend the weekend in Prince Edward County with the kids. We wanted to see how family friendly the area is and wanted to discover a combination of wine, food and beautiful rural Ontario. Our first stops were the wineries.
Our first visit was The Grange. Caroline, the owner, took us on a private tour of her winery. The tour was very approachable, easy to follow and Caroline answered all our questions. We learned a lot about the history of her farm (it was a chicken canning farm back in the day!) and that the Grange is an Estate Winery – meaning that 100% of the grapes used in her wine are grown on her land.
Caroline and her staff were great with our kids. They were allowed to touch anything, run around the dirt and mud and were allowed to look at the large tanks, if they had dared they could have climbed in one as well. After the tour, she provided the kids with toys and colouring supplies while we tasted the wine and waited for our picnic lunch. We ate the wonderful lunch in the tasting room as the weather was wet, but you can take your basket right out into the winery and enjoy it along the creek or at one of the many picnic tables provided. The food was amazing and all locally sourced. The Grange is a lovely winery – the buildings are beautiful, the landscaping immaculate, the wine is subtle but very pleasant – it was a great first impression of The County.
Next up was Norman Hardie. A much more modern building in a rural setting. Norman Hardie produces his own grapes, but also uses Niagara region grapes for his wines. The reds were wonderful. We tasted a few wines and then sat down on his great patio next to the outdoor pizza oven. We had just finished lunch, but could not resist to try a Pizza. It was perfect. The atmosphere was relaxed and there was a hip crowd enjoying their wine and pizza -.

Our third winery visit was Waupoos Estates Winery on the opposite side of the county. This one uses 90% of self-grown grapes in their wine. They only import Niagara grapes to supplement when needed. This estate has an event feel to it. It’s wonderfully maintained, every little flower bed is thought out, music is playing in the gardens and lighting is strategically placed. There’s a gazebo restaurant and everything is set up to host large weddings and other events. What makes their location great is that they are right on the water and have a dock. There are two tasting areas in the main building and another tasting area in the gazebo restaurant. Again, they were very friendly with the kids and they have a small petting zoo next to the estate, which is great entertainment. Baby lambs and goats are just too cute to pass up.
So yes, wineries in Prince Edward County are great and you can visit them with kids! Everybody is very friendly and the atmosphere is nice and relaxed.

Disclaimer: I received a travel stipend and am paid for writing about Prince Edward County by The Great Waterway. This is one of five articles. The articles will also appear on The Great Waterway blog. I chose and organized my own itinerary and all opinions are my own. All photography is my own.