A Life, Lived

Travel Tuesday - Prince Edward County

I've posted two sets of pics from our recent getaway to prince Edward county here and here.

Here are some shots of our dinner on Saturday (one of the best meals we've had in years), wandering historic sites in Picton, a creamery, and a maple syrup 'hut' and one last winery.

 

Travel Tuesday - Prince Edward County

Last week I posted some pics from our weekend getaway in Prince Edward County.

Here are some more. Food, Quaker meeting house, wineries, brewery.

Travel Tuesday - Prince Edward County

We had a busy weekend in Prince Edward County (AKA the County). During our short visit we stopped by three wineries, one distillery, two breweries, one cheese producer, one maple syrup producer, wandered (and shopped) two towns, explored Birdhouse City and seven historical sites, visited three local food shops/markets, enjoyed two good meals and one absolutely over-the-top amazing meal.

Here are some shots from the first day . . .

Advice to Live By

Travel Tuesday - PEC

A year ago Paul, mom, and I took off for a few days of wine tasting and eating in Prince Edward County. It was dull and dreary but we made the best of it!

 

 

Photo Hunt - Mom

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'mom'. Fitting since Sunday is Mother's Day.

This pic is mom visiting with a random cat across the road from a cheese factory. It was taken our short time away in Prince Edward County a couple of weeks ago . . .

Ice Wine Martini

We arrived back in Canada in the midst of the ice wine festival. We briefly debated heading out and joining in in the festivities but saner heads (read Paul's) prevailed. While we like ice wine we don't often drink it. I have 9 bottles of the stuff down in the cellar ( quite an investment when you consider a bottle retails for anywhere from $ 25 - $ 60!) and I have no control at wine festivals. None at all. I taste it. I like it. I buy it. Full stop!

Some of you out there might not know what ice wine is. Ice Wine is a rare gift from a magical (and bloody cold!!!!!) Canadian winter. Picked at the coldest moment of a winter's night, each frozen grape creates just one drop of Ice Wine. One smooth rich, luxurious drop.

In Ontario, Ice Wine must be made from approved grape varieties; the most popular are Vidal Blanc, Riesling and Cabernet Franc. Some small lots include Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The season starts with netting the grape vines in the autumn, to protect the grapes from being devoured by birds. Grapes are left on the vine until a sustained temperature of -8°C or lower is reached (sometime between December and February). During the time between the end of the growing season and harvest, the grapes dehydrate, concentrating the juices and creating the characteristic complexities of Ice Wine.

Grape growers and wineries carefully watch the weather, looking for an optimum stretch of temperatures between -10°C and -12°C. This range will produce very sweet juice in the range of 35°Bx to 39°Bx (degrees Brix, a measurement of sugar). Typically, a period of at least six hours is needed to harvest and press the grapes—usually during the night. Many wineries harvest by hand.

While still frozen, the harvested grapes are pressed, leaving most of the water behind as ice. Only a small amount of concentrated juice is extracted. Juice yields for Ice Wine grapes are much lower than for table wines—only 15% of the expected yield for grapes harvested for table wines. The juice is very sweet and can be difficult to ferment. High sugars can create a hostile environment for the yeast, and fermentation stops early, leaving relatively low alcohol and high sugar levels in the finished wine.

A few years ago Paul and I participated in an ice wine harvest with our friend Catherine. I blogged about it here, back in the early days of this blog. I can still remember the bone chilling cold, the bright moon at midnight, and the amazement of watching the thick juice trickle out as it was pressed from the frozen grapes.

All of the chatter about ice wine recently caused me to crave it. I decided to make a martini that I've made a few times yet never blogged about. I've have blogged about ice wine martinis before but that was a combination of vodka, Grand Marnier, and Ice Wine. There are times I want something that is more pure - this one fits the bill!

In addition to the local ice wine we decided that the martini had to be mixed with a local vodka! I used some of the whole wheat vodka from Ontario's own brilliant 66 Gilead Distillery. The result was brilliant!

 

Ice Wine Martini

1 oz Ice Wine
1 1/2 oz Premium Vodka
Frozen grape or twist of orange peel

Shake the Ice Wine and Vodka in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the frozen grape or twist.

Travel Tuesday - Prince Edward County at Christmas

It's time for another edition of Sandi's blog 'event' - Travel Tuesdays. It's easy to play (I like THAT!) all you need to do is to post one of your travel pics (and who doesn't have a gazillion of those) and then pop on over to Sandi's blog to join her Linky.

Since it is getting close to Christmas I thought I'd post some festive shots from our recent weekend in Prince Edward County.

Photo Hunt - Lights

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'lights'.

But first . . .  some changes. TNChick (which I just realized now stands for Tennessee Chick) has given up hosting the hunt after 5 wonderful (and hard working years). There was a vote and the new host of the hunt is none other than my friend Sandi!

You can follow the new photo hunt at the new blog The Saturday Photo Hunt.

Back to the task at hand. This week's theme is lights. I took this picture last weekend while we were in Prince Edward County for the weekend. It's not every day that you see a decorated tractor.

The Waring House Inn

A few year ago I stayed at the Waring House Inn  located at the edge of Picton for work. At the time I thought 'I bet Paul would really enjoy staying here,' but nothing happened. When the impromptu trip stars aligned I contacted them to see what the price would be. I was told that the rooms were $128 for Friday and $ 99 for Saturday - including breakfast  - I immediately made the reservations!

Beautifully situated at the heart of one of Ontario's the county, the Waring House has stood sentinel at Warings Corners since about 1860. Meticulously restored and renovated, the inn offers seventeen charming antique-appointed guest rooms. An additional 32 more modern rooms were recently added. Amelia's Garden dining room and the cozy Barley Room serve exceptional regional cuisine (the Barley room also featured a wonderful folk duo on friday night). A hands-on, recreational Cookery School, elegant Banquet/Conference Hall and lovely park-like setting make the Waring House an all-season destination.

We stayed in the deluxe rooms - the newer ones. I have to say that I was shocked by how large the room was and how wonderfully appointed it was. A room like this in Toronto would likely go for upwards of $ 600 a night!

Our room featured a small sitting area and a fireplace.

The King bed was one of the most comfortable beds I had ever slept in . . . so comfortable that I`d like the same bed here at home!

The bathroom featured huge, soft cotton towels, amazing toiletries, a giant soaker tub. It was such a large space that it would have dwarfed our Master Bedroom ensuite at home!

Some of the other features we appreciated - the art throughout the Inn was all hand done by local artists - no `hotel art` here. The staff were friendly - on Saturday when we were in Picton a car stopped at the crosswalk and the drive waved wildly at us - it was the server from breakfast.

If you`re in the area this would be a great spot to lay your head!