rickwine, The Blog

A first visit to the County: Part II

Dan Sullivan

Beginning note: I have watched from afar as Prince Edward County has seemingly grown up overnight into a major Canadian wine region. After a day-long trip recently with Suresh Doss, publisher of the fantastic eat-drink website, SpotlightToronto , I was impressed with the wines, the raw beauty of the region and, perhaps most importantly, the people who are making it all happen. This is Part II of our visit to the County. Part I, focusing on the wines from Norman Hardie, is posted here

A Day in the County: Part II

By Rick VanSickle

As we rumble up to Rosehall Run Vineyards, in the heart of Prince Edward County, we find Dan Sullivan, vineyard manager, winemaker, owner and just plain wine lover, on the deck overlooking his vineyard with a big glass of pinot noir in his hands.

Dan Sullivan.
Dan Sullivan of Rosehall Run.

He greets us warmly as we climb the steps of the tasting room for our informal visit to his much talked about winery and vineyard.

Stepping inside, Sullivan’s friendly wife Lynn, starts setting up glasses and pouring wines from their portfolio of County wines. It’s a cheerful tasting room but it’s the hospitable reception you receive from the Sullivans that offers up a good first impression.

We decide to take the grand tour with Dan before getting down to some serious tasting as he leads us, proudly, to his newly constructed, 6,000-square-foot state of the art winery.

It houses the largest gravity flow barrel cellar in the County, carved out of layers of limestone. It is here among the French oak barrels, stored under ideal conditions, that Dan seems most at home.

Rosehall barrels.
Dan Sullivan using a thief to draw barrel samples.

He starts grabbing barrel samples with his thief and mixes up tastes of what could end up being the 2009 oaked chardonnay blends.

As we start tasting these very young wines I ask Sullivan what drives winemakers like him to seek out a new wine region instead of planting roots in a more established area such as Niagara.

“It’s all about the dirt and the weather, baby,” he says with a wry smile. “Niagara has the looks but we have the dirt.”

It’s the combination of soil and climate that attracts winemakers such as Sullivan, his neighbour Norman Hardie and a host of others growing grapes in this booming new wine region.

And it’s the pursuit of making what these winemakers love best — pinot noir and chardonnay made with a Burgundian spirit.

Rosehall tasting room.
The Rosehall Run tasting facility.

At Rosehall Run, Sullivan manages 25 acres of vines planted on Hillier Clay (clay with limestone gravel over fractured limestone). The plantings are predominately pinot noir and chardonnay but also a little chardonnay musque, ehrenfelser and a few other grape varieties here and there.

After the grand tour of Sullivan’s winery, he ushers us back to the tasting facility where we enjoyed a portfolio tasting of most of Rosehall Run’s current and soon-to-be released wines. Here are some tasting highlights:

Rosehall Run Chardonnay Musque 2009 ($18, not released) — Very ripe and juicy peach/citrus fruit with a splash of melon. This is all about the fresh fruit from sniff to swallow.

Rosehall Run bottles.
Some of the great wines made at Rosehall Run.

Rosehall Run Cuvee County Chardonnay 2007 ($18) — Creamy peach, pear and tropical fruit aromas that all carry to the palate. Lovely mouth feel with added cream, toast, spice and caramel flavours. The 2008 version of this wine will cost $2 more but, in my opinion, overshadows the 07 effort with more fleshy notes, fruit, minerals and spice.

Rosehall Run Chardonnay Rosehall Run Vineyard 2007 ($30) — An opulent chardonnay with peach, pear and citrus fruits on a spicy oak frame. This is gorgeous stuff, a voluptuous chardy with cream, custard, caramel to go with fleshy layers of fruit. The 08 vintage, not due out until September, is exquisite, with a wonderful mineral note running through the core of ripe fruits and spice.

Rosehall Run Pinot Noir Rosehall Vineyard 2007 ($38) — Notes of fresh red berries touched with vanilla and spice on the nose. The palate shows warm red fruits, cedar, minerals, and toasted vanilla spice. A truly exciting pinot.

Rosehall Run Cuvee County Pinot Noir 2008 ($22, not released yet) — Bright cherry fruit and subtle spice on the nose of this young wine. A bounty of fresh-picked cherries dominates the palate of this nicely integrated wine.

Rosehall Run Cabernet Franc Cold Creek Vineyard 2007 ($30) — An exciting fruit nose of raspberry, kirsch and blueberry with an array of spice, graphite and earthy bits. A nice juicy red that is balanced with savoury spice and ripe tannins.

NOTE 1: There is word that Queen Elizabeth II will be served Rosehall Run Chardonnay Sue Lie 2009 during her visit this week.

NOTE 2: Many of Rosehall Run’s wines are available at the LCBO and Vintages. Check here for availability.

•••

Our next stop along this County journey was to By Chadsey’s Cairns, a distinctive landmark along the Prince Edward County wine trail.

This welcoming description on the winery’s website here sums up the philosophy behind the winemaking and visitor experience:

“WE MAKE WINES: That are boldly refreshing or beguilingly reflective. Our vineyards are planted in ancient beach soils that stretch along Lake Ontario. Located in a glorious and storied setting amid a cluster of historic buildings, this farm has preserved a sense of intimacy with the land.  We are hard-working romantics, and a trifle irreverent.”

The Chadsey's view from the barn.
The Chadsey's view from the barn.

I think the relevant word there is “irreverent.”

As we drive up the road to Chadsey’s Cairns, the first landmark we encounter is an ancient graveyard where the history of this winery is closely linked. The story of Ira Chadsey, his suicide in his maple syrup shack and the romantic burial of his wife Roxey is explained in elaborate detail on the website, but suffice to say it’s a quirky tale that may or may not have been embellished over the passage of time.

Graveyard.
The graveyard at By Chadsey's Cairn.

Today’s stewards of the By Chadsey’s Cairns lore, Richard Johnston, a former MPP and social activist, and Vida Zalnieriunas, a psychotherapist with a private practice in Prince Edward County, have established a folksy, charming winery with spectacular views both from their restored barn looking south toward the lake and north, from the tasting room, gazing toward the estate’s vineyards.

By Chadsey’s Cairns consists of three vineyards stretching across the property along Lake Ontario, each one based in limestone soil, the “holy grail” element in cool viticulture regions.
Inside the charming tasting room, an 1840’s architectural jewel hidden from roadside view behind weather-greyed barns, Richard Johnston, has joined us to share his wines.

The room is gorgeous with a walkout deck overlooking the vines that are planted on a prehistoric beach. The building has had a storied past — school house for field hands’ children, chapel, apple storehouse and workshop and, it’s believed, coffin construction for the nearby Chadsey Cemetery.

Its latest incarnation, for tasting the wines of By Chadsey’s Cairns, seems poised to exist for years to come.

Here are some highlights of the tasting:

Chadsey's Riesling.
Chadsey's Riesling.

By Chadsey’s Cairns Chenin Blanc 2008 ($24) — Both the 2007 and 2008 version of this unique (at least in Ontario) wine are available at the winery. It’s made in a Vouvray style — steely and austere with a firm acidic backbone. Citrus laden, with some tropical-peach notes, but the defining quality is definitely its mineral profile and lemon-acid jolt on the palate. A food wine that will age beautifully.

By Chadsey’s Cairns Riesling 2008 ($19) — Made from estate Johannisberg riesling grown on Brighton gravelly sand, this wine has a distinct minerality running through the heart of the flavour profile. It shows quince and peach notes on the palate and juicy acidity.

By Chadsey’s Cairns Chardonnay 2007 ($21) — A very friendly chard with pear, pineapple, toast and spice aromas. Integrated and clean on the palate with subtle oak and spice.

•••

Our last stop of the day was one of the main reasons for visiting the County on this first trip — to catch up with an old high school friend I hadn’t seen since Grade 11 (a very long time ago, OK?).

Grant Howes has turned the historic County Cider Company, set on the brow of the Waupoos escarpment with a million-dollar lake view, into a going concern not only for the myriad styles of apple ciders but also for wines that his partner, Jenifer Dean, crafts along with all those ciders.

The house where Grant lives.
The house where Grant Howes lives.

Howes lives in the 1832 Conrad David House, an area landmark, which is an excellent example of Regency Cottage architecture. It features dramatic French doors, over-sized windows and veranda as well as a hipped roof.

County Cider view.
The view of the lake and vineyards from the patio of the County Cider Co.

Next door, the property’s picturesque 1832 renovated stone pig barn houses the cidery’s tasting room and retail store along with a lunch program that features freshly made pizza from an outdoor stone pizza oven which pairs brilliantly with any number of the ciders or wines available to taste.

The Howes family farm has been producing apples since 1850 in a region renowned for its breathtaking views of Lake Ontario, which has a moderating effect on local air temperatures. It also benefits from fertile soil — ideal conditions for cultivating fruits of unparalleled flavour and quality.

They grow over 15 varieties of apples at two different orchards, which comprise approximately 40 acres of apple trees and 12 acres of grapes. The orchards produce roughly 1,600 tonnes of apples each year. Among the varieties that used to create their ciders are Bulmer’s Norman, Ida Red, Russets, Northern Spy, Yarlington Mill, Dabinett, Michelin and Tremlett’s Bitter. These apples provide tannins and acidity — key ingredients when making quality cider.

It was a fantastic reunion and so neat to see Grant in is his natural environment. As kids, we grew up in Toronto’s west end and met at Etobicoke Collegiate in Grade 9. He lived on the Kingsway and I can remember spending many a Saturday night in his parent’s basement watching NHL hockey and sharing the odd pint before heading out for the evening.

I won’t review Grant’s wines or ciders here, for obvious reasons, but I did enjoy his Fool on the Hill Pinot Noir 2007 and, yes, all his ciders that so many people rave about.

Suffice to say, I now have County Waupoos Cider on hand at home whenever we need something cold and flavourful on a hot summer’s day. It’s just too good to ignore.