So Many Great Spots To Eat And Drink Around Prince Edward County In Ontario
On our early summer visit, we followed the Taste Trail and found many great places to eat and drink around Prince Edward County (PEC) in Ontario.
We first drove through Prince Edward County on our way home from an autumn stay in Kingston and just grabbed food on the go. As we drove, we passed winery after winery. We sure wished we planned a stop along the way. So when things opened up in the early summer, we headed for Prince Edward County and enjoyed our first taste test opportunity.
It was a very busy few days on this first short stay. We did a wine tasting at the Huff Estates Winery and got an introduction to the wines from this region. A spirits tasting experience at the Kinsip House Of Fine Spirits introduced us to some local distillery treats. And while we found local breweries, we only enjoyed a few local beers with meal. But missed a full beer tasting experience.
Through our stay, we managed to find time for slow lazy patio meals, ice cream and local food products. It was a perfect introduction to the culinary delights in Prince Edward County.
Visit The Wineries Around Prince Edward County
As we found on our first drive through Prince Edward County, there were numerous options for wineries to visit in Prince Edward County. At last count there were about 40 different wineries. The wines in Prince Edward County have a mineralogy and acidity that comes from the porous limestone this county sits on. The rocky soil meant that the soil warmed early in the spring and extended the growing season. When we visited in June, we looked closely and saw the small buds that eventually became grapes.
We downloaded the PEC Wine Explorer app for our phones. It provided more information about each of the local wineries. The Wine Route map also provided us with a meandering path and we saw several of the wineries on our visit. Each was unique in its design. Sadly we ran out of time to do all the wine tastings we wanted.
And if wine was not your thing, we saw several breweries on our travels around the county. David found a great dark stout beer from Midtown Brewing that he even took home with us.
Eat and drink around Prince Edward County in Ontario and don’t miss the wine and the beer!
A Wine Tasting At Huff Estates Winery
While we didn’t stop at the many wineries we saw around Prince Edward County, we could not head home without at least one wine tasting. Our stay at the Huff Inn included a complimentary tasting at their Huff Estates Winery. When we were done driving for the day, we walked over to the winery and enjoyed our tasting.
Our tasting included 3 wines for each of us. And not one of the wines we tried was the same. As usual, David tasted his way down the sweet side of the wine card. And finally found an early harvest wine he liked. The First Frost Vidal was not sickly sweet. But far sweeter than I wanted.
I tried the Country Roads Pinot Noir Rosé and the Pinot Noir Reserve Red. The rosé was not as fruity as I liked. And the red was more oaky than I wanted. But the Cuvée Janine sparkling rosé was just perfect for me. It was a much richer red than we normally found in rosé sparkling wines. But unlike the straight rosé it had a nice fruit taste and was refreshing but not sweet.
We wandered through the wine shop and looked at what there was to buy. These wines were only available at the winery. Although we found them on a restaurant menu on our travels around Prince Edward County.
We were glad we did a wine tasting at Huff Estates Winery on our first stay in Prince Edward County.
Don’t Miss The Art At Huff Estates Winery
On our stay at Huff Estates Inn, we explored the Oeno Outdoor Sculpture Garden. But as we wandered the grounds, we found more interesting pieces of art. As we approached the winery we found our first piece (Fire Cone) on the grass. There was an interesting wire bird sculpture by the main entrance. And a colourful beaded piece (Sunset On The Lake) by the door.
And when we looked out over the vineyard, we found the artistic cloud sculpture (Cumulus) fit right into the view.
Wine and art were a great combination to find when you eat and drink around Prince Edward County.
Don’t Miss A Visit To The Kinsip House Of Fine Spirits
There were a few distillery stops in Prince Edward County. But David had his sights on the Kinsip House of Fine Spirits. The fact that they made rum was a valid reason for David. But he also knew they made a Rum Barrel Aged Maple Syrup.
We visited Kinsip just as it opened and were delighted we had the place all to ourselves. The shop was located on a vast property. The century house had a big outdoor patio for tastings. And the large farm field was set up with picnic tables for when a local food truck moved in later in the summer.
Strange fluffy-headed Polish chickens ran free on the property. All under the watchful eye of George the rooster. Although we saw George disappear when the peacock strutted out!
We wandered and looked at the Kinsip shop and then took a seat for our tasting.
A Fun Spirits Tasting At Kinsip
The tasting menu had a wide selection of spirits – vodka, gin, rye whisky, whisky, rum and cassis. For a tasting, we got 3 selections. We chose 3 widely different tastes – Dark Waters Rum, Kinsip Maple Whisky and Juniper’s Wit Barrel Aged Gin.
David liked his rum very dark so he found the rum tasting just ok. The whisky was smooth and tasty although we really could not taste the maple syrup. On the other hand, the gin aged in a whisky barrel tasted heavily of whisky. Each had a unique taste and it was fun to try such a variety.
In addition to the 3 spirits, we got a choice of cocktail – Moscow Mule, Lemon Lavender Gin Fizz or Cassis and Tonic. When we visited London England, I found so many new varieties of gin and tonics. So I had to try the Gin Fizz. David watched them create this treat. And I got the taste test!
It was a great day to sit in the sun and taste test away. We would definitely recommend a visit to Kinsip House Of Fine Spirits when you eat and drink around Prince Edward County.
Some Great Outdoor Patios With Views
Before we arrived in Prince Edward County, we enjoyed 3 great days in Kingston. During our stay we had several great patio dining experiences. This got us ready for our visit to Prince Edward County.
Our first stop in Prince Edward County was in Lake On The Mountain. We opted for the sunshine and water views at the Miller House. Our light lunch was perfect.
When we drove around the area in the small town of Wellington, we saw the patio at North Docks with a view out over the water. After we were seated and ordered our meal we noticed how cold it was in the shade as the wind blowed. We put this on our list for warmer days or an earlier meal!
One day we were delighted to meet up with some family that lived in the area. It was sunny and warmer when we met for lunch on the patio at the Drake Devonshire.
On our drive home we made one final stop in the county at TaberSnack. There was a large outdoor patio and a smaller area under cover that saved us when it started to rain. The smoked meat was thick and home made. And the lamb burger delicious with perfectly crunchy fries.
There were limited food options at the hotel we stayed in during our stay. So we were happy we found many patio options to eat and drink around Prince Edward County.
Lots Of Places For Ice Cream
When we searched for things to do in Prince Edward County, we found lots of suggestions to try the local ice cream. A suggestion we were sure to follow!
We found our first Slickers Ice Cream Shop when we visited the small town of Picton. And were excited when we found the second one on the main street in Bloomfield.
It was not hard to know what the Old Green House Ice Cream Shop sold when we saw the full mural of ice cream cones on the wall. There was an ice cream flavour for everyone in the shop.
As we travelled around Prince Edward County, we were tempted by many other ice cream stops. Many new ones to try on our return visit.
Local Products Were A Treat
When we wanted to graze on a healthy snack, it was never hard to find a local market for fresh produce. Strawberries had just arrived. And we made sure to head home with a large basket. There was nothing like fresh sweet strawberries!
On our visit to Kingston in the fall, we went to the farmers market and found the Whiskey Barrel Aged Maple Syrup from Vader’s Farm. Even as a Canadian, I am not overly fond of maple syrup. But this Whiskey Barrel Aged Maple Syrup quickly became a favourite. So on our visit to Prince Edward County, we visited the Vader’s Farm and stocked back up on various tasty maple syrup products.
We always love to shop local on our travels. We were delighted we found some tasty options to eat and drink around Prince Edward County.
Some Great Places To Eat And Drink Around Prince Edward County In Ontario
We were happy we found some great places to eat and drink around Prince Edward County on our first stay. There were so many wineries in the county. It will take many visits to try them all. But we were glad we visited the Kinsip House of Fine Spirits for a very different tasting. So when we planned our next local trip, we made sure we sampled a wide range of ciders. We were sure we could drink our way around Ontario!
Patios offered us the opportunity to enjoy the warming weather with a view or with company. When we left, we took many of the local products with us. So many tasty options!
Did you find great places to eat and drink around Prince Edward County in Ontario? What places should we try on our next visit?
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Wow. I would love to follow that wine trail. Interestingly, I am writing a collaboration about the best wine tastings around the world, and sadly I have no one writing about any wineries in Canada. I would love for you to participate. I will message you.
We love to find new wineries when we travel. So were delighted with this first taste test in Prince Edward County.
Such a great article. I have never been to Ontario before and had no idea there were so many wineries! My family loves wine so maybe we should make a trip up there soon! Drinking wine all day then ending with ice cream sounds like the perfect vacation!
I hope you do get to visit Ontario one day and check out the wineries. There are several great regions to sample. We were glad to have this first visit in Prince Edward County but it won’t be our last!
I never knew that rocky soils extend the temperate growing season. (In my day job I’m essentially a hydrogeologist) I wonder if it warms faster because it tends to have better drainage, and so there’s less water to freeze over winter?
I did not ask about the weather aspect of the wine in Prince Edward County. But it was interesting to check out whether it really seemed more acidic – and it did!
Linda, this wine trail sound incredible!! I have never been to Canada, but it is definitely on my travel wish list. I had no idea there are so many wineries near Ontario, tbh I don’t think I have ever tasted Canadian wine. Thank you for educating me on this matter 🙂
There are several great wine regions in Ontario. This was our first visit to Prince Edward Country but won’t be the last. Some great spots around Canada to taste test around.
How fun! I had no idea there were so many wineries in that area! My husband is a studying planetary geology and would probably love learning about the limestone and mineralogy as well!
We are embarrassed that we have lived in Toronto most of our lives and never visited Prince Edward County before. Great to discover a new wine region.
You really covered a lot of ground on this trip. And drank a lot of booze. The variety is what amazes me, not just wine, but gin, beer, rum, and more. What a great place to road trip. Shame I’m the designated driver.
We were excited when we found this variety on our travels around Prince Edward County. The tasting samples were pretty small so we did not need to worry about driving. But it was great to do our wine tasting when we only had to walk back to our room!
Hoff Estates Winery looks like such a cool place! The sculpture garden looks very pretty, too. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of ice cream, but that maple syrup sounds so delicious.
There was enough great food and drink options for everyone! So glad we found so many on our first stay.
How cool! I had no idea there was so many wineries in that area. I really love wine trails and I will have to add that to this the list! 🙂
I hope you get to this area in Ontario for wine and spirits tasting. Definitely a fun spot to explore.
This looks like a wonderful experience – and that farmer’s market look like so much fun!
We loved the variety of food and drink options we found in Prince Edward County!
My mouth is watering. I want to travel with ya’ll! I don’t get to visit many wineries since we usually travel with kids.
We love to find new spots for wines and spirits on our travels. And always perfect when they are great outdoor settings too!
I’m not much of a wine drinker but I’d love to try the maple syrups! I’m sure it would be delicious on my morning waffles!
There were so many different varieties we were spoiled with choice. And our cousin brought us even more. We will be good for a little while.
I have never heard of Prince Edward County to be honest but just reading about it makes me want to go. So many wineries and ice cream places, I am sure I am going to love it! I have to go for a wine tasting tour when I am there!
We were happy we finally made it to Prince Edward County for a taste test around this lovely spot.
I love taking a wine tasting tour & Prince Edward County sounds perfect. I’m glad you both found something to suit your very different tastes. The spirit tasting sounds fun too & I would also have opted for the Gin Fizz – bet it was delicious. There is nothing better than buying locally from the producers when travelling, with every sip or mouthful representing a memory. I love that!
It was great to enjoy this bountiful county so close to home. Loved all the options for food and drink in Prince Edward County.
I didn’t know that this was a wine region but the trail looks amazing! I love doing wine tastings in different parts of the world as I’m from a wine region myself. I’d probably find so many wines I like 😀
We too love to do wine tasting at home and when we travel. It was fun to discover this new region in Canada.
This sounds like a fabulous wine region to explore. I loved reading about the variety of drinks available, and some of buildings and artworks look stunning.
Our first stay in Prince Edward County sure gave us many options for great food and drink. But so much more to explore.
What a lovely blog post! There seems to be quite a number of wineries around Prince Edward county as also a choice for beer, gin and rum. Isn’t is a nice feeling to see peacocks strut around while we are sitting and sipping wine? I would love that. Those fresh strawberries look tempting! 🙂
It was great to finally get out of our condo and wander. And we loved the opportunity to enjoy the patios for tastings. A spot we knew we will re-visit.
Wow wineries and ice creams are the best things one can have at a place. I have never been to Ontario till now but when I do visit, I will for sure visit Prince Edward County. I have stopped drinking wine but I would always go for the wineries and take pictures of them.
There is so much to see outside of the great big cities when you plan your trip to Ontario and Canada. This was a lovely spot for a few days out of the city.
40 wineries would give me a good reason to spend 40 days and 40 nights in Prince Edward County! I would have been with you on the Pinot Noir side of the card and we would have left David at home! (teehee… just kidding David!) I wonder if somebody has come up with a wine tasting type of thing for the ice creameries… or figured out which wines pair with with ice cream flavors. That would be the best of both worlds! Thanks for a delicious article!
We have done wine pairings with chocolate and that was devine. But never with ice cream. Maybe a new treat to discover.
Loving these wineries! And let me tell you, I am rooting for the peacock over George. As much as I love a good winery experience…the rooster would terrify me. (Long story about roosters that I hope to tell you over a glass one day!)
It was a great first stay in Prince Edward County. The rooster was a fun addition to our patio experience. But I was not getting too close to George.
This is such new information to me – I didn’t know Canada has a wine country, too! I’ve actually never tried Canadian wine, nor have not seen a Canadian section in wine shops. My sister is moving there this year so if Canada changes their quarantine rule, I hope to visit these because I write mostly about wines. Did you go on your own or they invited you? I hope you can share contacts! Thanks, Linda!
I hope you do get to visit Canada. There are several great wine regions in the country on the west coast and in Ontario. We went on this wine tasting on our own and were not at all sponsored. There are many posts on my blog about wineries in Canada if you are building a list. You can email me from the site if you want more.
I love how many wineries and viewpoints there are in Prince Edward County. I would also plan a visit to the brewery for good measure! Ontario hasn’t been particularly high on my list before but now I’ve seen so many lovely places to visit I’ll reconsider!
I hope you get to Ontario and spend some time out of the cities. So many great small areas to explore.
Sampling delicious food and drinks is such a great way to experience Prince Edward County. My boyfriend and I love wine so we’d love to do this trail. All these wineries seems amazing, and the ice cream place too. We’d love to visit and buy the maple syrup as well.
We too love to wander and discover a place with the food and drink. Prince Edward County as the perfect spot to do that.
Wow! Prince Edward Country sounds an amazing place to visit. I would love to explore the wineries. Huff Estates looked quite lovely with all those art work. And I am sure I would love this place because of wines and local ice cream! What can be better that these.
We loved this first chance to explore around Prince Edward County for food and drink. Lots of great choices means many return visits!