In a cool pocket of southeast Ontario, “the County” is quietly becoming known for quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Some of the best wineries in Prince Edward County are in the township of Hillier, where clay-loam soil sits on decomposing fractured limestone with an underlying limestone bedrock. The Pinot Noirs are typically fresh and light-bodied with bracing acidity and a strong mineral streak. Sound Burgundian? Perhaps, but four producers in “the County”, as it’s affectionately known, helped me look beyond Burgundy to what is truly unique about their Pinot Noir.
Two hours east of Toronto and southwest of Ottawa, Prince Edward County is essentially an island separated from the mainland by a bay. It only takes 15 minutes to get across on the Glenora Ferry but in summer you might have to line-up for an hour or two. With only 26,000 full-ltime residents, the County has become a top gastronomical destination, with 10 breweries, five cider producers and 40 wineries (it’s always had a vibrant arts scene). Now, with the development of the wine industry, fine dining and accommodation options have increased - in high season a night at Wellington’s Drake Devonshire or Picton’s Royal Hotel now costs more than the Hilton in downtown Toronto.
Up until the 1990s, when the first experimental plantings of grape vines started, Prince Edward County was known mainly for its dairy farms, apple orchards and pristine beaches at the Sandbanks provincial park. It’s taken the better part of two decades for quality to catch up with ambition, but now the County – which became an official Canadian wine region in 2007 – produces some of the world’s most notable cool-climate Pinot Noir.
A pinot noir from Rosehall Run
The first winery here, Closson Chase, opened in 1998. Their single vineyard selections and blends are among the region’s lightest, subtlest Pinot Noirs, with one cuvée aged in Canadian oak.
Fifteen minutes south of Closson Chase is Norman Hardie Winery. Born in Botswana, Norm came to Canada at 14; he learned winemaking in France and worked in various wine regions before coming to Prince Edward County in 2003. Today his wines are available in more than 40 European Michelin restaurants (though they’re best enjoyed at the source, with oysters, pizza from Norm’s oven, and home-smoked trout.
Just around the corner is former chemical engineer Dan Sullivan’s Rosehall Run. A prize-winning wine hobbyist, he opened his winery in 2002; his JCR Pinot Noir was selected as Ontario’s wine of the year in 2020. My fourth winery, Keint-He, is the closest of the group to Lake Ontario; production started here in 2009.
Prince Edward County is often compared to Niagara, 300km west, on the other side of Toronto - there’s a friendly rivalry between the County and the much better-known region. There are some differences, notably in climate.
The County’s growing season is short and cool. In the words of Norm Hardie, the lake acts as a big refrigerator, which has mitigated some of the effects of global warming. Harvest dates haven’t changed in the last 20 years, though unexpected downpours, hail and extended droughts keep everyone on their toes.
In Niagara, Lake Ontario has more of a moderating effect: Niagara producers don’t need to “hill up” - bury their vines in the winter to prevent them from freezing – as they do in the County, when temperatures can plunge to minus 20C. Bud break takes place two weeks later in the County and summer temperatures are always a few degrees cooler. While the County is all about limestone, Niagara’s vineyards have significantly more clay, leading to higher pH, lower acidity and more alcohol.
Clearly, not all Ontario Pinot Noir is alike. When you taste these two regions’ offerings side by side, you will notice more perfume, tension, vibrancy and length in the best of the County’s wines. The fruit in Niagara Pinot is riper; the aromas and flavours, heavier. In warmer years it can even be jammy, though the wines are always soft, full and easy-going.
A selection of red wines from Closson Chase
The four ethereal County bottles below were my favourites. Each is accompanied by a comment from the winemaker.
Keint-He Winery Greer Road Pinot Noir 2022. Discreetly oaked and elegantly balanced with bright red fruits and flowers. Gentle yet round and vibrant. 12% abv. $39.95 CAD ($30 USD).
Greg Yemen: “When Prince Edward County started all they talked about was Burgundy. ‘We’re Burgundy! We’re Burgundy!’ Everyone bought into it. But since they didn’t have anything preceding them they got to start fresh as a quality region.”
Norman Hardie Winery County Pinot Noir 2020. Cherries and roses to start then spice in the persistent finish. In between the freshness of the fruit makes it eminently gulpable, but go slowly. There are depths to be plumbed. 12.5% abv. $59.20 CAD ($43.50 USD).
Norman Hardie: “For me terroir is three things. Soil, climate and the human element. It’s like a great restaurant. If you don’t put the human element into it, you’ve got nothing.”
Norman Hardie wines are sold by UK online wine merchants including VINVM, Bibdenum, and Simply Wines Direct.
Closson Chase Grande Cuvée Pinot Noir 2019. An elegant, haunting perfume. Richer than their other cuvées, but with the same mix of raspberry, earth and black tea. 12% abv. $90.00 CAD ($66.14 USD).
Keith Tyers: “There is a synergy of acidity and dusty earthy tones in County Pinot.”
Rosehall Run Vineyards St. Cindy 2020. Aromas and notes of mint, cherry, raspberry and violets. Backbone, sophistication and an impression of palate lightness before ending on a firm, dry note. 13% abv. $79.00 ($58 USD).
Dan Sullivan: “Growing Pinot and Chardonnay was one of the things that benefitted the County. We chose what we could do well. We can’t be all things to all people.”
Andy James is a professor in the School of Commerce at Meiji University in Tokyo. His book Bandol Wine and the Magic of Mourvèdre was published in 2023. In addition to teaching English and wine business classes at Meiji he has established a summer study wine program at Curtin University in Perth.
