Prince Edward County

The County is effectively an island in Lake Ontario, joined by bridges, and its shallow soil over limestone bedrock turned out to suit Burgundy varieties; the first commercial vineyards went in around 1999 and there are now around forty wineries making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with vines buried under soil each autumn to survive the winter, a labour-intensive practice called hilling. Before wine it was canning country, producing a large share of Canada's tinned tomatoes and peas. Loyalists settled it from 1784. Lavender farms, cider makers and a strong restaurant scene followed the wine, and property prices followed the restaurants.

History

The county holds important archaeological sites, among them the LeVescounte Mounds built by Point Peninsula people about 2000 years ago. Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe created it on 16 July 1792 and named it after Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; after the American Revolution Loyalists received land grants here, its townships were named after daughters of George III, North Marysburgh being surveyed in 1785 and settled by Loyalist veterans, some of them Hessian-born, and the Murray Canal of 1889 made the peninsula an island in practice (Wikipedia, Prince Edward County, Ontario).

Highlights

• The vineyards - about forty wineries on limestone soil.
• The vine hilling - vines buried each autumn to survive winter cold.
• The lavender farms - fields flowering in July.
• The Loyalist villages - Picton, Bloomfield and Wellington.

When to go

May to October; lavender flowers in July, harvest is September and October. Summer weekends are crowded and accommodation books far ahead. Winter is quiet with many places closed.

What to expect

Many wineries and restaurants close or reduce sharply from November to April. Summer weekend traffic and Sandbanks queues are heavy. Prices have risen steeply.

Nearby

Sandbanks lies within the county; Kingston is east.