After a few difficult years, Ontario wineries are hoping for a good vintage in 2006. The 2005-06 winter was warm and spring arrived early. So long as there are no late frosts, the vines will be off to a good start.
The wine-touring season will start soon, too, and I'll be listing some of the main events in future columns. But note for now that Prince Edward County, the nearest wine region to Ottawa, is kicking things off May 20 with a Wine Celebration.
Prince Edward County is still a bit of a puzzle to many local wine lovers. I'm surprised at the number of people who have negative views about the region, even though they haven't tasted any of the wines yet. It's like Niagara Peninsula's struggle to achieve recognition all over again.
The difference is that Niagara had to live down the reputation for some truly awful wines in the 1960s and '70s before its modern wines could win the positive reputation they deserve. Prince Edward County produced wine in the 1800s, and although I'm sure it wasn't superb (despite winning some medals in U.S. wine competitions at the time), it's not as if there's anyone around who remembers it.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to taste 65 Prince Edward County wines at the region's first wine competition. I think it's fair to say that we judges were prepared to taste a series of mediocre wines with a few stand-outs. Instead, we found quite a few good to very good wines and some quite excellent ones, especially among the Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Francs.
There might have been more had a couple of producers submitted wines. (Ten of the region's 12 wineries did so, but two had sold out.)
Now, some of these wines were made from Prince Edward County grapes and others were made in Prince Edward County from grapes grown in Niagara Peninsula. I'm more interested in those made from Prince Edward County-grown grapes. The others tell you about the winemaker, but all-county wines tell you about the region, too. If you're visiting wineries in Prince Edward County, look for bottles with a gold disc that certifies the wine was made from 100-per-cent county fruit.
By stressing wine made with county fruit, I'm not discounting Prince Edward County wine made with Niagara grapes. In many parts of the world, wine is made in one region from grapes grown in others. But if Prince Edward County is to earn a reputation as a wine region, it's the all-county wines that will count. And they are the wines that will determine when Prince Edward County becomes Ontario's fourth official wine region (which could well happen by the end of the year).
So give Prince Edward County wines a try.
It's an easy 2 1/2-hour drive from Ottawa, and there are not only the wineries, but good restaurants and accommodation.
Check the website www.pecountywines.ca. A few Ottawa restaurants have county wines on their lists, and we should see their representation grow.
The first Prince Edward County Wine Celebration will take place May 20 at Crystal Palace in the Picton Fair Grounds. Tickets ($20 in advance or $25 at the door) cover food, live music, a wine glass and one wine tasting. (Other tastes are sold separately.) For more information and tickets, visit the website www.pecountywines.ca or call 1-888-312-9463.
I'll be signing my new book, Ontario Wine Country, at Nicholas Hoare Books, 419 Sussex Dr., from 7 to 9 pm on Friday. It's a wine and cheese event, I'll be speaking (briefly, I assure you) about Ontario in the World of Wine, and answering questions. Tickets are $10 at the door, but you must register in advance by leaving a message at 241-7155 or sending an e-mail to events@sommelierguild.com.
Prince Edward County wines are not available in the LCBO, so here are four from other regions that are.