Hinterland Love

Last fall was my first time in Prince Edward County. I spent three days jumping from winery to winery, restaurant to restaurant. I was in heaven tasting all the different wines in the area. And as a result, my husband and I left with many cases of wine.

Over the winter months, we consumed a lot of that wine. So when a friend announced a 40th birthday weekend in the county, I was ecstatic! Not only would we have a great weekend away with friends, but also an opportunity to refill our cellar (my cellar being a tiny space on the wall in the basement) with the wines we fell in love with.

With summer coming, the go-to winery for me was Hinterland. Marysol introduced me to their rosé last summer (that's when I first fell in love). This orangy-pink delight is made with 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay. It's the perfect way to start an evening with your closest friends. They sold out of the 2007 but I picked up some of the 2008. Even though it still needed another month in the bottle, the few sips I had got me salivating for more.

I also picked up a bunch of the Whitecap. Last fall I had bought 2 bottles and regretted it. I should have gotten way more. I am a huge Prosecco fan and this is their version. Love it. It's great with finger foods before a meal and fantastic on it's own.

One I hadn't tried before was the Ancestral. It's made from Gamay Noir grapes, is slightly sweet and has a lovely raspberry/strawberry taste. A great summer afternoon in the sun wine.

I'm surprised more Ottawa restaurants don't carry Hinterland. Their Toronto list is quite extensive. Brookstreet Hotel is the only one here. Although I can see the Whitecap going beautifully with oysters from the Whalesbone. The rosé with seared tuna (drool). Ok, I think I have to go pour myself a drink...

Hinterland

1258 Closson Road, RR#1

Hillier, Ontario

613-921-7003