Prince Edward County - Ontario Wine Region
Ontario's Newest Designated Viticultural Area
Aug 18, 2009
Prince Edward County, known as "The County" to the locals, has been touted as being Ontario's answer to Burgundy. It’s also been compared to Sonoma County in California, with its bucolic landscape and laid back attitude, while the Niagara Peninsula is described as being “Napa North”. According to VQA Ontario, the province’s wine authority, there are now 17 wineries in Prince Edward County, many of them located in the Hillier Township where Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte provide a moderating effect on the otherwise very difficult climate.
Like Burgundy, the Soils Have a Limestone Base
Prince Edward County is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Ontario, south of Belleville, about 2.5 hours from Toronto. PEC is a peninsula, almost an island, that juts out into Lake Ontario. At 44° N it is on the same latitude as Burgundy, France. In fact, the County is similar to Burgundy in many ways. Like Burgundy, the soils have a limestone base. Here it is covered with a heavy reddish-brown clay loam. Stones and broken shale fragments stud the soil making it easy for water to drain deep into it. The vine's roots dig down into the soil in search of water, producing concentrated grapes with an abundance of flavour. The grapes in PEC are grown very low, just above the ground. One reason for this is because the rocky soil retains heat helping the grapes to ripen.
PEC is a Cool-Climate Viticultural Area
Prince Edward County is unquestionably a cool-climate viticultural area. Summers can be warm and the prevailing breezes off Lake Ontario can help moderate the temperatures, especially in the hot summer months. Average summer temperatures are around 22°C. The waters around the County are shallow and tend to freeze over in winter. Thus, the lake does not have as much of a moderating affect here as it does in the Niagara Peninsula. It is typical for temperatures to drop to -25°C in places which can cause serious damage and even kill vines.
In order to combat the frigid winter temperatures, growers bury the vines in the autumn letting the soil act as a protective barrier against the cold. The vines then have to be dug back out in the spring. This is hugely labour-intensive. Another reason why the vines are trained so low to the ground is to facilitate the burying of these vines. Wind machines are also a common sight in County vineyards to help protect against frost and cold temperatures. When in use they draw the cool temperatures up from the ground and force the warmer temperatures down towards the vines, raising the temperature at vine level by as much as 5°C. This rise in temperature can be enough to prevent damage to the vine.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the Main Grapes Grown
Also, like Burgundy, the principal grapes grown are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Experimentation with clones that are able to withstand the frigid temperatures of County winters is underway. There is some Cabernet Franc planted on the warmest sites with dependable microclimates and a longer growing period to ensure proper ripening. Due to the cool climate, it is very difficult to ripen the Bordeaux varieties in PEC. Riesling is also planted which has proved much more successful because it can make fairly attractive wines even when slightly underripe, whereas Cabernet Franc can only be used for roses when not fully ripe. Many other cool-climate grapes are planted in PEC such as Melon de Bourgogne, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, and even Gamay. Ultimately, growers must choose grape varieties that are winter-hardy and need a shorter growing period to ripen properly.
A Wine Producing Region to be Reckoned with
Prince Edward County is definitely an area that has the potential to produce excellent world-class wines. All the characteristics of a great wine region are there: the cool climate, the limestone based soils, low yields, concentrated grapes, and viticulturalists and winemakers with the passion and dedication to elevate the County into a wine producing region to be reckoned with.
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