Celebrating County wine

Norm Hardie shares his craft with visitors to Terroir on Saturday.

Terroir lures hundreds in search of fine taste

At least six busloads and more than 900 wine lovers converged upon the Crystal Palace in Picton on Saturday. Buses came from Ottawa, Cornwall, Kingston and several from Toronto. For the price of admission each County Terroir participant received a large wine glass and was let loose among 21 wineries and specialty food vendors arrayed around the exhibition hall.

Behind each table, pleasing smiles eagerly offered samples of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, among other varieties. To ward off inebriation, each table helpfully provides a spittoon. Once the wine had given up its sensory gifts the liquid may be dispensed with—the palate cleansed and ready for another. For the uninitiated, the act can be a bit off-putting at first—your correspondent learned quickly not to linger by the previously enjoyed wine repository.

For some, County Terroir is a pleasurable diversion on a soaring spring day set amid breathtaking natural beauty. For others it is a serious undertaking—they pursue their passion with keen eagerness and attention. Listening to every word—wishing to know more about soil, rocks, vines and oak. County Terroir offers a rich bounty to all.

In a tent just outside the south entrance,winemakers Norm Hardie and Glenn Symons shared insight into the art and craft of County Pinot.

Hardie explained how the limestone in County soils imparts the elegant yet delicate taste of Pinot Noir produced in Prince Edward County—but that this quality acts as a double-edged sword.

“There is little room for error,” explained Hardie, to about two dozen attentive listeners gathered under the tent. “We push the skins during fermentation, but push too hard and the wine can become bitter and astringent. Mastering that balancing act is the winemaker’s art.”

County Terroir is part trade show and part exhibition—but mainly it is celebration of an up-and-coming wine region—an appellation just beginning to take its place among the great wine growing regions in North America. The energy and enthusiasm is evident in the voices of those on the giving and receiving side of each tasting.

One couple wanders through the hall, patiently making their way through the throng to sample specific wines. Dan and Carrie Taylor have a unique perspective on an industry that blossomed seemingly from nowhere over the past decade and a half.

Carrie Taylor has worked with several wineries—helping them to market and build fledgling brands. Dan Taylor was for nearly a decade the County’s economic development chief, identifying early the potential opportunities of Ed Neuser’s venture into wine growing, then working with others to nurture the budding sector and encourage other investors and entrepreneurs to take a closer look. As the industry began to take root, Taylor acted as a catalyst to other groups and individuals. Soon new food and culinary entrepreneurs found the County. Prince Edward County was suddenly a destination for those seeking out fine wine and food—much more than the place one drove through to get to the beach. An industry that generates nearly $100 million in business each year has emerged from nothing 15 years ago.

Dan Taylor enjoys the fruit of a decade and a half of collective effort.

Now Dan has taken his talents and expertise to Peterborough where he heads the Greater Peterborough Economic Development Corporation. He is impressed that the industry has grown so rapidly, now with 34 wineries—the newest, Broken Stone opened just last week—yet continues to work collaboratively to build a brand that is gaining awareness across the continent.

“I’m delighted to see this critical mass develop,” said Dan Taylor. “The industry is working together as a collective and events such as this are a good example of that cooperation.”

“The wine growers here have built a category based on small quantity but high quality,” explained Taylor. “Consumers travel and spend money on quality. It is a powerful niche Prince Edward County winegrowers have created.”

Carrie Taylor noted that it is more than direct producers who benefit.

“The spinoff businesses are also developing well with a growing number of bread, cheese, restaurants, accommodation providers as well as the service industries that support them,” said Carrie.