OTTAWA CITIZEN: Going Sideways in the County

by Margaret Swaine | Jul 9, 2005

Going Sideways in the County
By Margaret Swaine

(Ottawa Citizen, July 9, 2005)

You’ve seen the movie Sideways. Or at least you heard about the romp through the California vineyards by two aging college buddies. Winery visits helped them escape their disappointing lives, find romance – both good and bad – and brought them more adventure than they hoped. You can do your own version just a few hours away in Prince Edward County minus the pretension and illegal activities. The romance is up to you.

The “County” has expanded from a solitary winery in 2000 to nine now open to the public and more on the way. PEC already has a wine route in place, wineries with dining on premises and a “Taste Trail”. All the ingredients for a good weekend cruise through the vineyards of this bucolic virtual island (a canal cuts the isthmus from the mainland).

While today’s wineries are freshly planted, the area has always been an agricultural haven. Its watery surroundings, namely its numerous bays and Lake Ontario, temper the climate just enough for fruit orchards and vegetables. The first wave of European immigrants were Empire Loyalists who settled here over two hundred years ago. By the early 1800’s they were well into farming. A saying of the times was “wheat bought the farm, barley paid the mortgage”. There was even a winery in the 1870’s in Hillier.

The first modern day vineyard was planted in 1993 in Waupoos. The diverse limestone soils are exciting to today’s wine growers – especially those keen on pinot noir and other cool climate varieties. Now there are about 550 acres under vine and a dozen operating wineries. Influential Canadians drawn to pioneer winemaking in this new wine region include chef Jamie Kennedy, winemaker Deborah Paskus, Imax filmmaker James Lahti and TV/film producer Seaton McLean and actress wife Sonja Smits. Still there are some thorns in this bed of roses. The winters can be cold enough to kill vines and the growers often have to bury their plants to protect them. Jeff Innes, the winemaker at The Grange, told me that thanks to the nasty 2004 winter, “Every vine above the dirt is dead.” Spring frost can be as late as mid-May and the first fall frost as early as mid-October. This makes the growing season the shortest of Ontario’s viticultural areas.

Day One. Get off the QEW at Kingston and take the beautiful Loyalist Parkway (Highway 33) to the Glenora Ferry (it runs every 15 minutes and is free). On the other side of the bay, you’ll connect to County Road 7 for a picturesque drive overlooking the waters of Adolphus Reach and loop around onto route 8 to find County Cider Company, the first winery (albeit apple) in the region. Poised atop a limestone shingle ridge, it has great views of South Bay and Waupoos Island.

County Cider Company winery store and tasting room is located in a restored 1832 stone barn. The family house on the property is a Regency style 1837 historical landmark. (The property has an illustrious past. Sir John A Macdonald held the first mortgage on the land.) Take advantage of their million dollar view overlooking Lake Ontario by sipping a cider sitting on their outdoor patio (BBQ light lunches are served). Their delicious hard apple ciders are made from 11 different varieties of apple, six of them European cider apples which add a great complexity and depth of flavour. Their “champagne” method sparkling cider is so good it constantly sells out and the county premium is dry and refreshing. They also make an award winning ice cider, made from apples frozen on the trees and pressed in that state. While cider master Grant Howes and family have tended the orchards for over 25 years, their chardonnay, Geisenheim, zweigelt, pinot noir and gamay grape vines were just planted in 1999. Their first vintage was released in 2002 and wine still is only 10 per cent of the production. After five years experience, Howes feels chardonnay and pinot noir are the best bets because they really respond to his limestone soil.

Down the road from County Cider, in the mouth of Prince Edward Bay overlooking Lake Ontario, is the first grape winery of PEC, Waupoos Estates (Waupoos is an aboriginal word for running rabbit and also means “big chief” in a spiritual way). From the back balcony of the wine store you have a wonderful view of gardens, vineyards and the Lake. “We started the mad wine business here,” said owner Ed Neuser. He bought the property originally as a weekend retreat and since it had an apple orchard he tried his luck with apples. After ten years, in 1992 after a night of pondering about the farm over a bottle of wine or two, he decided vineyards were the way to go. He consulted with friend and Niagara winery owner Klaus Reif and chose his grapes, starting with vidal in 1993 and then trying 12 different varieties to see what would grow. Not only did vines grow but so did tourism. “On a long weekend five years ago we’d see three or four strange cars and wonder what’s happening,” he added noting that now there’s a constant stream of visitors – in the high summer season over 10,000 a month. He sells a healthy 50,000 bottles out of his wine store. The great majority of his wines are from his own vineyards. Join the crowd and taste samples of chardonnay, vidal, St. Laurent, gewürztraminer and baco noir. Young gals and light drinkers are fond of his Honeysuckle, a blend of white hybrids and French Canadians really take to his red hybrid blend called Pearl Noir. Take your lunch in the gazebo shaped restaurant, a separate small building among the vineyards. It seats 60 outside but only 36 inside. Be aware just those with reservations are guaranteed an indoor table if it rains.

Next stop Long Dog Vineyards & Winery named after the owners dachshunds. You’ll find them on Brewers Road just off county road 10, four kilometres south of Milford. They have vineyards of pinot noir, pinot gris, gamay and chardonnay. Half of the production is pinot noir, their specialty – so take note Sideways fans. “We’re still the only winery in the county that produces one hundred per cent from our own vineyards,”
said James Lahti, one of the owners and an IMAX filmmaker. Lahti struggles with getting the best out of the heartbreak grape pinot noir. The 2003 vintage was so difficult “I was ready to shoot myself” he said. However the pinot turned out “not bad at all” he said adding that his 2004 vintage “is spectacular”. While most lost entire fields of pinot noir in the past few brutal winters, Long Dog’s all survived. After seven years tending his vines, Lahti said, “My head’s not in the sand anymore, my canes are. We bury 25,000 vines.” Their tasting room is a beautifully renovated old 1860’s apple barn. Across the road is the winery with its storage area in a former pig barn. His pinot noir and pinot grigio sell fast but he’s also proud of his gamay and his Long Dog rosé, a blend of mainly pinot noir and gamay with ten per cent each of chardonnay and pinot gris.

The final stop of the day is Black Prince Winery located just outside of Picton on the Loyalist Parkway. It’s the brain child of John Sambrook, general manager of The Opimian Society, Canada’s largest wine club founded in 1973. Black Prince is an invented name coming from research on the Royal “Edwards” in British history. Edward “The Black Prince” was the son of King Edward III and a legendary jouster. In his honour the winery holds a jousting show, scheduled to run every year on Father’s Day weekend. This year’s event drew 600 spectators to watch “Knights in armor” try to knock each other off their steeds. Of course the Black Prince won. The winery grows seven varieties of grapes. Among their 100 per cent County wines are a chardonnay, auxerrois and cabernet franc.

Day Two: Start your day at the new state-of-the-art Huff Estates on County Road 1 just five minutes from Bloomfield. This multi-million dollar winery has all the accoutrements for fine wine – gravity fed cellar, stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. It also has the more fanciful such as an outdoor patio surrounded by a moat with a waterfall where light lunches are served catered by Kingston based Affordable Gourmet. There’s an observation deck that overlooks the vineyard property and even a helicopter landing pad. Plantings include pinot gris, chardonnay, vidal and at their South Bay vineyards cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot gris. Owner Lanny Huff is a local gent whose family has been in the County since the 1820’s. He’s building a 20 room luxury inn on the property with decks overlooking the vineyard. Scheduled opening for The Inn at Huff Estates is this November. Sample their pure Prince Edward County grown pinot gris and cabernet franc rosé on the patio and observe the action.

Next head further east on County Road 1 to The Grange on Closson Road near Hillier. Housed in a restored loyalist barn circa 1830, it’s surrounded by a pretty landscape of rolling vineyards, old country laneways and wetlands. The estate’s first vines were in the ground in 2001, but the winery only opened to the public last June. It’s a family affair. Former Ford model Caroline Granger left the Paris high life to join her Bay Street lawyer father (Bob Granger) assuming the role of president of the winery. Her Dior gowns and Manolos have been replaced with plastic spray suits and rubber boots but she digs it. “I grew up on a farm,” said Granger “for me it’s like coming full circle.” Wine maker Jeff Innes who has been there since the first vintage buys Niagara fruit to augment what he can grow. “We did get some pinot gris, chardonnay, riesling and melon de Bourgogne from our property” said Innes talking about the last vintage. However most of it is blended with Niagara fruit at this point. They serve a light lunch catered by the Devonshire Inn in nearby Wellington.

Your third stop of the day is for lunch and tasting at Carmela Estates winery with its delightful gardens and restaurant Vines, overlooking the vineyard. If you’re partial to chess you can even play on the enormous outside board with its two feet high Kings and Queens. Carmela first produced under the name Peddlesden named after minority owner Mike Peddlesden, now working at The Grange. South African born wine maker Norm Hardie is a former Four Seasons sommelier who went on to produce wines in South Africa, New Zealand, Burgundy and elsewhere before returning to Canada. On the estate grounds are riesling, chardonnay, pinot gris, pinot noir and cabernet franc grapes. However because of winter kill, only their 2002 cabernet franc is pure Prince Edward County grapes. Others like the riesling, for example, are blends of County with Niagara grapes. Niagara grapes will always be their back-up plan according to Hardie. “We are at a viticultural edge,” he explained. He feels his cabernet franc is a great indicator of what’s going to come from the County. (Look for Hardie’s own winery due to open in September).

Call it a day at By Chadsey’s Cairns Winery on Loyalist Parkway, just five kilometres west of Wellington. This 200 year old farm has its winery in a little brick building circa 1840’s. The name comes from the elaborate stone fence build by an original settler Ira Chadsey. Partners in marriage and with the winery, Richard Johnston, a former educator and MPP and psychotherapist Vida Zalnieriunas handle much of the winery work themselves. Zalnieriunas said the job as wine maker has fallen to her, “just because I’m more meticulous….I never thought I’d know how to do parts per million calculations”.

For whites they grow riesling, chardonnay, chenin blanc, gewürztraminer and muscat for blending. In reds they have pinot noir, gamay and St. Laurent. They’ve pioneered a system which adds a gold sticker to the label of one hundred per cent County grapes so look for the gold.

If you have the energy to keep going, the newest winery to open to the public is Closson Chase partially owned by Sonja Smits with wine making done by the talented Deborah Paskus. But give it another few months and Norman Hardie and Rosehall Run wineries will be open to the public as well as the new Inn at Huff Estates. A return visit will always find further delights as long as you haven’t burnt your bridges like the Sideways boys.

Grape varieties
Know your grapes and you’ll be on the way to knowing your wines. Here are some of the locally grown wine grapes in PEC. (Many wineries also import grapes from Niagara to augment their supply. For example chardonnay, riesling and cabernet are grown in PEC but are also among the imports.)
Whites
Chardonnay: famous in Burgundy, easy to enjoy varietal that can be oak aged or not therefore styles range from buttery, toasty to crisply fruity.
Riesling: classic noble European variety can make bone dry to dessert sweet styles – in dry versions look for crisp, racy character with citrus and mineral flavours.
Gewürztraminer: love or hate this European varietal for its distinctive perfumed lychee fruit flavours and soft acidity.
Auxerrois: particularly enjoyed in northern France, similar to pinot blanc, quite neutral with a good body.
Pinot Gris: aromatic European varietal, sometimes spicy with a body that can be cool climate crisp to quite full and soft when fully ripened.
Geisenheim: hybrid grape with one parent riesling so has some of the characteristics.
Seyval Blanc: French-American hybrid at its worse weedy, at its best crisply pleasant.
Vidal: hybrid with a high natural acidity that makes great ice wines.
Chenin Blanc: famous in The Loire, versatile, it can be made in all levels of sweetness starting at bone dry – look for floral, quince and honey notes that linger in the best.
Reds
Pinot Noir: temperamental Burgundian variety difficult to grow and vinify, made famous by Sideways – considered a great hope for PEC – at its best expect earthy flavours of sour cherry, strawberry.
Baco Noir: hybrid produced from French variety folle blanche and American vitis riparia – tends to be full bodied, deep coloured with high acidity and muscular tannins.
St. Laurent: robust early ripening grape related to pinot noir but without the finesse – tends towards deep colours, fruity flavours and low tannins.
De Chaunac: French-American hybrid with mild tannin levels and fruity character.
Gamay: famed grape of Beaujolais, France – charming, fruity with relatively high acidity.
Cabernet Franc: close cousin of cabernet sauvignon this Bordeaux varietal has adapted well to Canada – tends to be less tannic than its cousin with flavours of raspberry, currants and herbs.

Wineries
1. County Cider Company Estate Winery: Shingle Ridge Vineyard, County Road 8 (657 Bongards Crossroad) 613-476-1022 www.countycider.com
2. Waupoos Estates Winery: 3016 County Road 8 Waupoos ON 613-476-8338 www.waupooswinery.com
3. Long Dog Vineyards and Winery Inc: 104 Brewers Road 613-476-2921 
4. Black Prince Winery: 13370 Loyalist Parkway, Picton 613-476-4888 www.blackprincewinery.com
5. Huff Estates Inc: 2274 County Road 1, Bloomfield 613-393-5802 www.huffestates.com
6. The Grange of Prince Edward Inc. Estate Winery: 990 Closson Road, Hillier 613-399-1048 www.thegrangewines.com
7. Carmela Estates Winery: 1186 Greer Road, Wellington 613-399-3939 www.carmelaestates.com
8. By Chadsey’s Cairns Winery & Vineyard: 17432 Loyalist Parkway, Wellington 613-399-2992 www.bychadseyscairns.com

Gastronomic Inns of the Laurentians

by Margaret Swaine | Sep 2, 2003

Gastronomic Inns of the Laurentians
By Margaret Swaine

I called my husband the first night in Quebec’s Laurentians to tell him about the bucolic place I had discovered. My bed and breakfast or “gîte” in French was in a land dotted with apple orchards, vineyards and ancient farmhouses of stone and sloping tin roofs. It was in St-Joseph-du-Lac a mere half hour north west of downtown Montreal, yet I felt like I was stepping back into early Quebec history.

“I thought the Laurentians were ski hills, Mont Tremblant and other snowy slopes,” said my husband. Neither a skier nor fond of winter, he’d declined to join me on my expedition to discover the gastronomy of the area. “Well yes they are partly that,” I’d replied, ” but take a look at a map. The area is huge and diverse.” As it happened I’d chosen to begin my journey in apple, maple syrup and vineyard country.

La Roche des Brises where I stayed is a hive of activity year round. In spring the maple sap runs and sugar shacks open their doors to the public. People flock to them to watch sap turn into maple syrup and enjoy a meal of scrambled eggs, hot dogs, beans and more all drenched in it. In fall it’s apple and grape harvest, the leaves turn brilliant colours and people come to pick their own apples, picnic and sample apple cider and wine. Year round food lovers come for fine regional dining. The 125-seat restaurant at Brises des Bois is beside their wine tasting room with a view of the rolling farmland hills. Owners Gina Pratt and husband Jean-Pierre Bélisle have hired well. Chef André Martin and sommelier/maitre d’ Ivan Blanchette create a truly gourmet dining experience. Accommodations are in a house across the street, really more a small inn or Auberge, with seven large quite luxurious rooms. One of a few five star gîtes in the province, it’s a country gem that needs to be booked ahead. Ditto for the restaurant – Québécois love their fine food.

The next day I stopped at Ciderie Lafrance to sample a range of their strong (alcoholic) ciders, from sparkling, to still and dry, to sweet apple cider ice wine and a port style one aged in wood. All delicious, I buy a champagne method one and some artisanal cider vinegar to take home. In the fall this place attracts 2,000 visitors on a weekend with its café, live folk music and picnic areas.

My next stop is the nearby Intermiel Family Farm of 2000 beehives and every possible honey product imaginable including eight different honey wines and cosmetics made from royal jelly. A guided tour here takes two hours with a 20-minute film and tasting as just a part. Equipped to handle groups of kids, it has a learning centre, animal filled barn and puppet shows for them.

After a leisurely drive through backcountry roads, I end my day at Le Clos Joli in Morin-Heights. This family owned Auberge and restaurant is just five minutes from the ski hills and shops of Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts. Mother Francine Roux greets me while daughter Claudine, sommelier and dining room server, prepares us cocktails. In the kitchen is daughter Marie-José Roux, recently awarded chef of the year for the Laurentians. Mom points out she also won the top provincial award for kitchen cleanliness. The place was once a farmhouse and the nine bedrooms have basics such as in-suite bathrooms and a cupboard for cloths but not much else. It’s the dining and the package deal of room, four-course meal and full breakfast at $160 for two that draws. The table d’hôte without accommodation is $25. My forty-eight dollar dégustation menu features venison terrine, seabass on fennel, wild mushrooms flambéed with cognac, local veal with herbes salées, Quebec cheeses and a strawberry and cream dessert with almond butterscotch crisps. I’m glad I can just roll into bed.

Next morning on Mme Roux’s recommendation I head for the nearby Ofuro Spa to rejuvenate. Built into the woods where two streams meet, with natural waterfalls and bathing pools, it’s an oasis of peace. It draws inspiration from Asia and Scandinavia with ice cold natural streams to dip into, Zen energy saunas with windows to the outdoors, cedar stoves, a cave built to resemble the inside of a human thorax and an outdoor hot tub heated by a wood fire. A day pass gets me access to all this and more as I do the hot and cold number of sauna to cold stream, steam room to outdoors, hot tub to relaxation room.

My destination in Val David is Edelweiss, a charming auberge with large rooms, most with fireplaces, balconies and double person therapeutic multi-jet tubs. The award winning dining room on the second floor is presided over by owners Nathalie at front of house and her Belgian husband Olivier, the chef. The meal is another extravaganza perfectly matched with a selection of wines by the glass from their comprehensive wine list. I decide not to call my husband to tell him about the warm Quebec foie-gras, young deboned Belchasse squab, terrine of three Quebec cheeses and Belgian chocolate mousse. I feel he’ll be too envious. Instead I fill my spa tub and let its 16 jets simultaneously caress every strategic point in my body. I don’t miss my man one bit this night.

Day four I pay a visit to Gérald Le Gal, owner of the Gourmet Sauvage, a ten year old company that harvests wild edibles from Canadian forests. His products such as cattail hearts, milkweed pod ketchup and cedar jelly can be found in stores throughout the Laurentians. In the future he hopes to build his own store along with a country-style restaurant to be called of course, Gourmet Sauvage.

I’ve always wanted to eat at La Sapinière ever since as a kid I spent winters with my family at a ski chalet in nearby Val-Morin. I’d cross country ski to the place and peer through the windows, longing to join the diners. Even then I knew its reputation for gourmet food. Founded in 1936, it’s the granddad of Laurentian resorts, today with most of its 70 rooms recently renovated. Chef Daniel St-Pierre, a much awarded chef who worked at L’Eau à la Bouche and other renown establishments is heading the kitchen now. The place is so well loved that almost half their customers are repeats, some reserving for the next year before they depart. The menu changes daily so no fear of boredom. Chef St-Pierre is working with others in the area on a gastronomic route for the Laurentians that will link fine restaurants that use regional products in at least 75 per cent of their menu. After an impressive meal, maitre d’ Gilles Godbout takes me on a tour of the equally inspiring 10,000 bottle wine cellar. Alas the Pétrus is gone however – Godbout tells me an American cleaned them out of it, spending twenty-five thousand on wine in two days.

My final night I spend at Auberge Le Clos Rolland, a three story Victorian home in the village of Mont Rolland that once belonged to a lumber baron. Sylvie Garcia fresh from the Montreal hotel business is now the gracious host and owner. From the nine bedrooms, most with en-suite bathrooms, I choose La Grande Dame with its old fashioned claw-footed tub. Garcia employs a local caterer Bernard Minguy who owns a nearby retail food shop Chez Bernard for the gourmet meals she serves to groups. He’s very good indeed.

As I drive back home in the morning I remember the tip that Garcia and Minguy gave me about Le Bec Fin. I stop in at this gourmet outlet on route 158 between Saint Jerome and Lachute and load up on foie gras, tourtière, fresh and smoked duck breast, duck confit, pintade terrine and rabbit in mustard sauce. It’s a peace offering to my husband that I know will thrill his taste buds.

Laurentians – Contacts
Accommodations – all listings/general information: www.Laurentides.com

La Roche des Brises
Contact : Gina Pratt (owner)
2007 rue Principale
St-Joseph-du-Lac, Que J0N 1M0
Tel : (450) 472-2722
www.rochedesbrises.com

Le Clos Joli
Contact: The Roux family (owners)
19, Chemin Clos Joli
Morin-Heights, Que J0R 1H0
Tel: (450) 226-5401
www.aubergeclosjoli.com

Edelweiss Auberge & Restaurant
Contact: Nathalie Chenier & Olivier Sadones (chef/owner)
3050 Chemin Doncaster
Val David, Que J0T 2N0
Tel : (819) 322-7800
Toll free: 1-866-355-7800
www.ar-edelweiss.com

La Sapinière
Contact: Marie Paule Richard (General Manager)
1244 chemin de la Sapinière
Val David, Que J0T 2N0
Tel : (819) 322-2020
Toll free: 1-800-567-6635
www.sapiniere.com
Part of an excellent network of independent resorts and inns called Hôtellerie Champêtre. For a guide to the packages offered call 1-800-714-1214 or visit www.hotelleriechampetre.com

Auberge Le Clos Rolland
Contact : Sylvie Garcia (owner)
1200, rue Saint Jean
Ste-Adèle, Que J8B 1E6
Tel: (450) 229-2797
Toll free: 1-888-409-2797
http://www.auclosrolland.com
Right on near a linear park known as “Le P’tit Train du Nord”, a former train route that’s now a 200 km long pathway, which stretches from Saint-Jérôme to Mont-Laurier. The park’s open to cyclists, cross country skiers, snowmobilers and hikers. Le Clos Rolland offers meal and accommodation packages with two other B & B’s for people who want to do the route and have their luggage transported to the next stop. Information and registration at 1-877-688-6422.

Gourmet Food Outlets
Intermiel (Honey Farm)
10291 La Fresnière, St-Benoit
Mirabel J0N 1K0
Tel: 450-258-2713
Toll Free: 1-800-265miel

Boutique des Becs Fins (meats, game birds, prepared foods)
9045, Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier
Mirabel, J7N 1L6
Tel: 450-258-2882
www.becs-fins.com

Chez Bernard (Quebec cheeses, terrines, prepared foods, take-out meals etc.)
411, Principale
Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts
Tel: 450-240-0000
info@chezbernard.com

Fromagerie du Marché (large selection of Quebec Cheeses)
357 rue Parent, Centre-Ville
Saint-Jérôme, J7Z 2A1
Tel: 450-436-8469
fromagerie@marasuca.com

La Vagabonde Boulangerie bio (top baker in the Laurentians making organic breads)
1262, Chemin de la Rivière
Val David J0T 2N0
Tel: 819-322-3953

Gourmet Sauvage
Box 5098,
Ste-Adèle J8B 1A1
Tel: 450-229-3277
www.gourmetsauvage.ca

Les Vergers Lafrance (Cider, vinegars, apple wines)
1473 Chemin-Principal
Saint-Joseph-du-Lac L0N 1M0
Tel: 450-491-7859

Spas
Ofuro Spa
777, Chemin St-Adolphe
Morin-Heights J0R 1H0
Tel: 450-226-2442 (1-877-884-2442)
www.spaofuro.com

Travels Through Quebec’s Wine Country

by Margaret Swaine | May 1, 2003

Vineyards and wine routes in Quebec
Travels Through Quebec’s Wine Country
By Margaret Swaine

Pouring wine in their rustic 1830 fieldstone and wood beam barn, Iréneé Belley and his wife Sandra Moreau explained how they came to grow wine in a province famous for its cold snowy winters. “I think doing a vineyard will keep the landscape beautiful. People tried to discourage us but I just felt that we needed a lot of money or to be very stubborn.
We didn’t have the first so we needed double the second,” said Sandra. Indeed at Vignoble de la Sablière close to the Vermont border in the Eastern Townships, they must bury the vines under earth every winter to protect them from freezing. With their first plantings in 1996, this vignoble joined a small group of about 28 wineries in Quebec. They’re a hearty lot as are the vines. The vines often spend eight months under snow, buried in earth mounds for protection against bone-chilling -30C temperatures.

This summer I decided to check out Quebec’s newly formed wine tourist route. I was born in Montreal and spent the first twenty years of my life enjoying the ski hills, golf courses and horseback trails of the Laurentians and Eastern Townships. Had there been wineries back then, I’m sure as teenagers with a spirit for adventure, my friends and I would have found them. But the wine trails came after us anglos had all moved out of the province in search of better jobs.

The route meanders along rural roads through wooded valleys by vast lakes with the Appalachian mountains to the south. In the Eastern Townships British and Victorian influenced villages meld with Irish and Scottish tradition and a veneer of colourful Quebecois. The loyalists of New England gave the area its architectural heritage and shaped its face starting in 1775. The French Canadians didn’t arrive until 1850, though from the beginning of the 20th century in two generations they became the majority residents. This rich history of mixed cultures is part of the unique charm of the area.
In the villages baker, butcher and food shops offer fresh baked goodies, homemade pâté and other local foods for the picnicking traveler such as artisan made cheeses. Among my favourites was L’Ermite, a tasty blue cheese produced by the monks of Saint-Benoît -du-Lac at their grand Benedictine abbey above Lac Memphrémagog. You can visit the abbey and buy recordings at their shop of their acclaimed choir reciting Gregorian chants.

Samuel de Champlain who planted vines near Quebec City in 1608 was likely the first to try viticulture in Quebec. His vines didn’t last long. However New France was not to go dry. For example in 1736 records show the colony imported the equivalent of 775,166 bottles of wine for a population of about twenty-four thousand. Attempts continued to be made to introduce viticulture to Canada but it wasn’t until the 1850’s that new hybrid plants from the United States solved the winter kill problem. There was even a vineyard in my old neighborhood, the Beaconsfield Vineyard at Pointe-Claire planted in 1877. However only a few tiny vineyards survived this period, tended by the Trappist monks in Oka and the Cistercians near Rougemont.

In modern times, the first licenses to operate vineyards were issued in 1980. About two dozen others have joined Those original five winegrowers. The province’s two major wine producing areas, the Eastern Townships (Cantons-de-L’est) and Montérégie have over 20 wineries, mostly all located within an hour or less of Montreal. Within the Eastern Townships, in Brome-Missisquoi, an all-new tourist circuit with road signs placed every 10 kilometres marks out the first ‘official’ wine route. It stretches over 132 kilometres taking visitors to 11 wineries. L’Orpailleur, which means gold-panner, is on this tour. It’s one of the original wineries and the largest. I learned my wine history lesson from their self-guided historical look at viticulture in the province. I also enjoyed a tasty lunch at their country-style bistro: Toulouse sausages, salad, a plate of locally made cheeses and pâté all ably accompanied by L’Orpailleur Oak Aged seyval blanc 2002, a fresh fruity white. Their Vin de Glace 2002 was a pure vidal icewine with a peachy apricot and honey taste that was delightful with the maple syrup pie dessert. Also worth more than a sip is their La Marquise de L’Orpailleur, a fortified white that’s macerated with fruits and spices for forty days. This winery is well equipped to handle groups (and they do so) with a film, tour and tasting offered to all.

At Vignoble la Bauge first planted in 1987, the property tour included a visit to their menagerie of boars, llamas, emu, red deer, yaks and more. This mini zoo of 15 different fauna helps draw ten thousand visitors in a season. Inside the winery shop they sold emu oil, goat soap, preserves and wine accessories. Outside, picnic table were set up for light lunches. A mere six dollars bought me a plate of boar and deer sausage, goat cheese in celery along with pâtés of boar and deer spread on rye bread. My choice to go with this savoury assortment was Folie de Vigneron 2002, a vermouth like aperitif wine made with a blend of seyval blanc and prairie star grapes flavoured with lemon and orange peel.

Vignoble La Mission in Brigham is a small family centered winery that makes a delicious vidal icewine as well as clean and fresh table wines. Spanish born Alejandro Guerrero greeted me warmly and offered a tour of his vines, then a visit to his small clean garage like winery with its new but quite manual equipment. When we went to the tasting room, his young daughters came to shyly say hello and help. My favourite visit of all was Domaine des Côtes D’Ardoise in Dunham as it had beautiful gardens dotted throughout with sculptures by some of Quebec’s best artists. They also make the only riesling in the province, a French vinifera varietal. They grow another French varietal, gamay, and I got to try some of it freshly made into wine but not yet bottled. It was lively and delicious but alas I couldn’t convince the winemaker, David Cottineau, to bottle it under its own label. It was to be blended with maréchal foch. Most of the wine in the province is made from hybrid grapes, such as seyval blanc, de chaunac, maréchal foch and vidal. With vines planted in 1975 and their first vintage in 1980, Côtes D’Ardoise has the honour of being the very first winery in modern Quebec. In 1984 it was bought by Dr. Jacques Papillon, a plastic surgeon in Montreal who’s often on TV and is famous for having “done” the breasts of stars in the province.

Montérégie by the south shores of the Saint Lawrence River, is so close to Montreal that it’s home to many commuters. It’s also the number one region for production of apple cider with 14 producers, number one in sugar shacks with 35 and home to 11 vineyards. Clos Saint-Denis in the Richelieu Valley about half an hour from downtown Montreal, makes a fabulous ice apple wine (Pomme de Glace) from their 2,000 apple trees along with a selection of grape based wines and hard ciders on their mile long farm. Among their over 8,500 vines are some varieties that I’ve rarely seen grown anywhere. The eona variety created in South Dakota is winter hardy to -40C, hence the vines don’t need to be buried. They sell it as Cuvée Saint-Denis and it’s fruity, rounded, quite aromatic and certainly interesting to drink. While in this Montérégie area, a must stop is La Cabosse d’Or Chocolaterie where Belgian style chocolates, ice cream and light lunches are made on premises. Their chocolate making is cleverly done behind a glass barrier to allow the public to view. Watching the employees make some of the 60 types of small candies from imported Belgian chocolate certainly motivated me to buy.

Half an hour just northwest of downtown Montreal on the other side of the River is La Roche des Brises in St-Joseph-du-Lac at the start of the Laurentians. One of a few five star gîtes (an upscale bed and breakfast) in the province, this country gem needs to be booked ahead. Its backdrop is another pastoral paradise. The land is dotted with apple orchards, vineyards and ancient farmhouses of stone and sloping tin roofs. It felt like I was stepping back into early Quebec history.

Like elsewhere in the province, La Roche des Brises is surrounded by activity year round. In spring the maple sap runs and sugar shacks open their doors to the public. People flock to them to watch sap turn into maple syrup and enjoy a meal of scrambled eggs, hot dogs, beans and more all drenched in it. In fall it’s apple and grape harvest, the leaves turn brilliant colours and people come to pick their own apples, picnic and sample apple cider and wine. Year round food lovers come for fine regional dining. The 125-seat restaurant at Brises des Bois is beside their wine tasting room with a view of the rolling farmland hills. Owners Gina Pratt and husband Jean-Pierre Bélisle have hired well. Chef André Martin and sommelier/maitre d’ Ivan Blanchette created for me a truly gourmet dining experience. My accommodations were in the gîte across the street in one of their seven large luxurious rooms.

Nearby Ciderie Lafrance offered me samples of a range of their strong (alcoholic) ciders, from sparkling, to still and dry, to sweet apple cider ice wine and a port style one aged in wood. All delicious, I bought a champagne method one and some artisanal cider vinegar to take home. In the fall this place attracts 2,000 visitors on a weekend with its café, live folk music and picnic areas.

Eventually, reluctantly I had to head back to my place in Toronto. My suitcase was stuffed with bottles of ice wine, cider, preserves, chocolates, pâtés and condiments. My nostalgia for La Belle Province will be well soothed by these tasty goodies. And I won’t miss the bone-chilling winters. Those are best enjoyed in small doses as ski vacations. But that’s another story.

Contacts:
L’Orpailleur: www.orpailleur.ca
Vignoble La Bauge: www.labauge.com

A good way to experience regional cuisine is to visit the three elegant country inns of Lake Massawippi; Manoir Hovey, Auberge Hatley and Ripplecove Inn. They all offer fine dining, excellent wine lists and easy access to the nearby wineries.
Hovey Manor: www.hoveymanor.com
Ripplecove: www.ripplecove.com
Auberge Hatley: www.relaischateaux.fr/hatley

Other accommodation in the area:
Auberge Quilliams: www.aubergequilliams.com for large sized rooms, an indoor pool and decent dining
Auberge Knowlton: https://en.aubergeknowlton.com is an historic property right in the heart of the picturesque town of Knowlton
Hostellerie Rive Gauche www.hostellerierivegauche.com is in Beloeil on the river and well situated for touring Montérégie. It’s part of the Hôtellerie Champêtre, a fine group of independently owned Quebec resorts and inns www.hotelleriechampetre.com
La Roche des Brises: www.rochedesbrises.com

For details on the wine route, maps and wineries, visit www.bonjourquebec.com
Quebec details: www.bonjourquebec.com (1-877-266-5687) Eastern Townships: www.easterntownships.org (click on vineyards for winery details) or call 1-800-355-5755 and ask for the new Eastern Townships Tourist Guide that shows the wine route in detail. For the Laurentians: : www.Laurentides.com

CHATELAINE TRAVELS – Holiday Break Away in Austria

by Margaret Swaine | Feb 1, 1997

Austria – Holiday Break Away
by Margaret Swaine

Stepping out of my hotel in Salzburg I see the Alps. I wonder whether they are ones which inspired Mozart who was born here, or hold the path which Julie Andrews sang along in the Sound of Music. In any case, I’m heading for the train station for a close up look as I plan on glacier skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn near Kaprun, a scenic two hour ride away. I might just as easy chose to play golf, hear a concert, sample special wines or visit an historical edifice such as Hohensalzburg, Europe’s largest fortified castle, for Austria is rich in sports and culture.

Austria, the birthplace for modern skiing, is still one of the foremost destinations in the world for skiers. The mountains are ideal for downhill runs, with intricate lift networks designed to tie resorts, villages and often whole valleys, together into one large ski region. For those who love to live on boards, the country offers eight year round skiing areas on the glaciers which dot the Alps.

Two years prior, while skiing in October in the Ziller Valley region of the Tyrolean Alps, I bumped into the Canadian ski team practicing on the Tux glacier. When I asked what they were doing in Austria, the answer was a succinct “snow”. Turned out they were even staying in the farming village of Hintertux at the very hotel where I laid my bags. It was a romantic area with all the villages which nestled along the eight-kilometre valley full of character: ancient mills, historic parish churches, farmsteads and the like.

At Zell am See and its twin resort of Kaprun, my destination this year, ski slopes rise from a historic town set on the banks of a glittering lake. About 12 miles away, the glacier is reached by an underground rail way up through the mountain. However by ski is not the only way to enjoy the Alps – in summer hiking and biking are popular pursuits.

Austria has an amazing 50,000 kilometres of marked hiking trails and 10,000 kilometres of signposted cycling trails. Those who like company should contact the North American tour operators who offer village-to-village hikes through green valleys or hut-to-hut hikes along the peaks, as well as cycling trips all through pristine landscape glittering with rivers, alpine flowers and blue skies.

In Tyrol twenty hotels have come together as the “Tiroler Wanderhotels” group offering innovative walking packages and a super walking service with authorized guides. The Tyrols Cycleways Guide provides detailed plans of specially selected routes.

The scenic Tauern bicycle path is a gorgeous, roll through the Alps, which can be largely downhill if you plan it right. Deep in the Hohe Tauern range in the Gastein Valley, the town of Badgastein is a world renown super spa. The waters of its hot springs, endowed with trace elements and radon gas, are piped into all the major hotels and pensions. While touring around, I saw many guests luxuriating in the soothing thermal water pools after a day of perhaps tennis, hiking or golf. Trips to a former gold mine, Böckstein, have a special therapeutic effect from the high humidity, heat and radon gas.

Austria has over 80 spas of classical European variety where hot springs, mud packs, hydrotherapy, massage, and other time-tested treatments are offered. Many of the resort hotels, such as those at Badgastein, offer spa packages, or even spa and sport deals.

My favourite bike paths go through wine regions. To the west of Vienna is Lower Austria, the largest wine-growing region. In the centre is Krems, where a taste of more than 120 Austrian wines can be enjoyed in the cellars of a 17th century former Capuchin monastery, Kloster Und. In the Wachau, between Krems and Melk along the Danube River is a very scenic cycling path, amid narrow terraced vineyards clinging to the steep valley slopes. It passes the famous hilltop castle of Durnstein where Richard the Lion Heart was held prisoner. Durnstein is a well preserved medieval fortified town which overlooking the Danube. A glass of wine here is pure romance.
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In Styria, in the southeast, the hilly grape vine covered land has been called a second Tuscany, though it just may be even more picturesque. You can stop for wine and home grown food at any of the over 200 buschenshanks, which are farms allowed to sell the produce of their labour on premises. Many have picnic tables outside in view of the vineyards. Graz governs Styria and is the second largest city in the country, with all of a quarter million inhabitants. It’s a charming cultural city with a lively bar scene probably due to the three universities. Not to be missed is the largest historical collection of arms in the world at the Zeughaus – more than 30,000 pieces dating back to the 16th century.

The easternmost province, Burgenland, is the flattest, with a large shallow lake, called the Neusiedl. The locals enjoy the water for boating and swimming and the winemakers for its provision of a constant humidity that encourages noble rot in the grapes, a beneficial fungus, responsible for the famous dessert wines of the area. Rust, a town close to the shores of the lake, is home to the Wine Academy, founded in 1989. It acts as a wine information centre, a wine store and a learning centre. It offers the Austrian Wine Experience, a week-long seminar in English, which includes lectures and overnight trips to the major wine regions. Close by is the town of Eisenstadt, the capital of this second largest wine growing region, and home of Joseph Haydn when he was court composer for the Duke Esterhazy. Public concerts of Hayden’s music are played by musicians in 18th century dress in the Esterhazy palace.

In fact at any given moment there is classical music in the air in Austria. This year many of the regular festivals celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Schubert and the 100th anniversary of Brahms death. For example while Mozart serenades and palace concerts are year round in Salzburg, from mid-September to early October Schubert in Salzburg concerts will be held by the Bach Society in five towns in the province and in November Schubert Days (three lieder cycles from the prince of song) are featured at the Mozarteum.

In Vienna Schubert’s works are scheduled at both the Spring Festival in the Musikverein (April 3 to May 6) and at the Music Festival of the Vienna Festival at the Konzerthaus (May 8 to June 19) featuring international stars such as Riccardo Muti, Nikolaus Hanoncourt and the Vienna Philharmonic. At the KlangBogen concerts of Vienna’s Summer of Music in July and August almost every one of Schubert’s works for piano will be played, along with all 17 Mozart operas. The music film festival held every summer outdoors in front of the City Hall in Vienna will screen Schubert of course, as well as Leonard Bernstein conducting works by Johannes Brahms and opera hits. With free admission and seating, after a day of sightseeing it’s the perfect spot to grab a snack from the specialty food stands, sit back and be transported by this city of music.

In Styria the International Music Festival of Brahms takes place from September 18 to 21 in Mürzzuschlag. The Brahms museum, where the composer wrote his 4th symphony, presents his story and is on the Brahms-Way, a hiking path which follows an authentic route of his, and is close to the Steinbauer tavern which serves the original Brahms-Jause.

The country also has about 80 golf courses and so music is sometimes combined with this sport. Golf enthusiasts from 20 countries go to the traditional seven Salzburg Festival tournaments held in Klessheim in August to enjoy concerts, opera and the links. Gut Altentann Golf and Country Club in Henndorf, near Salzburg, is an 18 hole Jack Nicklaus designed course where the Austrian Open has been held. In ski country near Zell am See, the Schmittenhöhe, a championship course where John Daly has played in an exhibition match, is a solid test of golf

A few miles north of Vienna, Schloß Schönborn is a fine course which meanders through the abandoned hunting ground that surrounds the castle. Near Graz in the village of Frohnleiten, the Murhof Golf Club is a haven set in a tiny river valley encircled by pine covered mountains. At high altitude in Seefeld in Tyrol, the Golf Academy has PGA certified pros and an indoor Master Golf Training Centre. In wine country is Burgenland’s Bad Tatzmanndorf, where Austria’s first golfodrom was built as well as a David Leadbetter Academy. Hotels, such as the Steigenberger group, offer golf packages combined with thermal spas and other luxuries.

The most exciting development in golf in the country, Fontana in Oberwaltersdorf, a half hour drive from Vienna, has Canadian roots. Spearheaded by Magna’s Frank Stronach, designed by Canadian Doug Carrick (Angus Glen and more), with the on location supervision of Barry Britton, builder of Lionshead and others, the course which is due to open this spring has already been called the finest in Europe. Its chateau like clubhouse, set on a large man-made lake is ground fed with aquifer water of Lake Louise hue. The newly contoured rolling hills where flat farmland used to be, complete with challenging water hazards and awesome sod bunkers make this a real destination course. While proficiency in German is not required (English is the official language of golf), you should be proficient in the game – most courses will ask to see your current handicap card.

The Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) Web site includes 4,000 pages and 3,000 pictures which give a comprehensive view of the Austrian tourist industry, including dates of musical events, hotels, cultural attractions and video clips. The address is: www.austria-tourism.at

ONTARIO MEDICINE MAGAZINE: Southern Spain Surprises

by Margaret Swaine | Aug 1, 1994

Southern Spain Surprises (first appeared in Ontario Medicine)
by Margaret Swaine

I spent the first night in southern Spain in a five star golf resort on the Costa Calida or “hot coast”, the next in a cave in the hills of Galera. In this part of Spain, once you are off the beaten track of beaches and seaside resorts, the diversity is a surprise to even a as seasoned a travel journalist as me. I was hoping to unearth the unusual, and I wasn’t disappointed.

After a long overseas flight, followed several hours later by a shorter hop to Murcia, arriving at the Hotel Principe Felipe at the Hyatt La Manga Club Resort is like stepping onto an oasis. It’s a 1,400 acre resort with three 18-hole championship golf courses, including one of the largest and oldest in Spain. La Manga also has an 18-court tennis centre with a gymnasium and spa, a beach club for water sports, a soccer field, crown green bowling and equestrian centre.

Along with the deluxe hotel, there are 72 apartments ranging from studios to three bedroom for those who want to do their own cooking and entertaining. Within the hotel there is Amapola, an all day restaurant serving Spanish and seafood specialties, a lobby bar, pool bar and Spike’s Jazz Bar for dancing and video entertainment.

However it largely for the golf that people come here. It serves as the base for the Professional Golfers Association of Europe and its courses have been the setting for many PGA and Spanish Open events in recent years. Its South Course was redesigned in 1993 by American golf star Arnold Palmer. The latest acquisition, La Pincesa was designed by golf architect Dave Thomas to provide the thinking golfer with a new challenge amongst the pine forest.

As Spain is the host country for the 1997 Ryder Cup, La Manga is offering pre and post golf packages surrounding the event. Included in the packages is complimentary transfer to or from Marbella (close to the Ryder Cup site), lunch in Granada and entrance to the famous historical monument La Alhambra.

I found the room I stayed in to be top class and the view of the pool and golf courses from the window absolutely lovely, especially as the sun settled down on the distant Mar Menor. For anyone bitten by the golf bug, this place is a must visit. Unfortunately for me there was no time for the links, but on my wish list is a return trip during the Ryder Cup.

Next day started with the 60 kilometre drive to Murcia, the capital of the region and a commercial centre of shops, government buildings and the like. It’s an easy town to walk around and has touches of charm in the older areas with their cobble stone streets and lively restaurants. Just 23 kilometres away is the Archena Spa, specializing in treatment of rheumatism, respiratory and dermatological problems. The oldest Spa in Spain, it dates back to the Romans who discovered its thermal spring, which soldiers, knights and saints have bathed in throughout the centuries to cure their ailments. Today the Spa has a medical team of specialists in hydrotherapy and physiotherapy and it attracts many European seniors on government sponsored treatments. With all its naso-pharyngeal spraying machines and sonic sprays, I was surprised to see outside the treatment rooms, much smoking. Seems you just can’t separate Europeans from their cigarettes for long.

Below ground where the waters emerge at 51.7°C are steaming passageways leading to rooms where people are plastered with mud, massaged, bathed and blasted with water jets. In the hot foggy air, attendants marched about in whites while their patients drifted around in towels. As an outside observer, it appeared to me as surreal and medieval though I was quite tempted at the thought of spending a few days having stress pounded out of me.

Back to Murcia for a typical lunch (the mealtime starts at 2:30 or so and runs until 4:00) in the Meliá Hotel of rice or “arroz” dishes, one with snails, one with asparagus and other vegetables and the third with rabbit. While I know Paella, the rice dish of Valencia with meat and fish cooked in a large pan, these were new to me, and equally delicious. The chef paraded the three enormous frying pans around the restaurant for all to see and then served up customers’ requests. Chef Juan Antonio Herraiz Herraiz kindly gave me the recipes – now I just have to brush up on my Spanish and buy a paella pan.

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It was a further 37 kilometres to Anguilas, a small seaside resort with subtropical climate, volcanic outcroppings and 35 wild but unpolluted clean beaches. A pretty town with its Spanish flavour well maintained, I saw little of the tourist overrun which affects many places on the Costa del Sol.

The thrill of the day however was arriving in Galera, a town where the Spanish have lived in caves since 1492. (It’s said the Moors dug out the homes and lived there first.) I was greeted by Miguel Rodriques Gomes and his wife Dolores Venteo Quiles, a good-looking, couple in their late thirties, both musicians, who decided to fix up the family caves for tourists to rent. The rock here is very hard and to add even a bathtub took them a week with a pneumonic drill. They spent four years to get their “rural apartments” up and ready for business putting in electricity, running water and a road which leads from the town up to the top of the high hill where their caves are located.

I road up on donkey through the steep narrow streets, and while I have done plenty of horseback riding in my younger days, I did feel a little trepidation. As the lights of the town twinkled below, darkness grew, and temperature fell, I finally arrived at the whitewashed walls of my cave. Inside were five small rooms – a kitchen at the entrance, a small living room with fireplace and couch, one double bed room, one with single bed and a bathroom. Despite the low ceilings, the space cozy and I soon dispelled the damp by lighting a fire. It was a romantic setting with its hand carved walls and furniture, perfect for snuggling up to a partner (which unfortunately for me wasn’t part of the arrangement). The silence was as solid as the walls.

Later that evening (Spanish dinner rarely starts before 9:30) I walked down to the restaurant Zalona run by the couple to sup on lata, a leg of lamb cooked for in a wood oven hours in a pan with potatoes, garlic, olive oil, thyme and lime. It was accompanied with roasted peppers, tomatoes, a sampling of the ham hanging aging for one and a half years in the door frame, and house made rosé wine. The joint, dark timbered, white walled with a fire burning away against the chill, was packed with ruddy faced town folks. Their lined faces told of toll in fields which had scarcely a drop of water in two years.

The next day I travelled to Gradix, another town, much less rural, with a cave hotel run by Tony Requena, head of the tourist office there. He was born in a cave like the Galera couple, and after living a stretch in England, decided to return to cave dwelling and expand his father’s nine caves into a modern hotel called Pedro Antonio de Alarcón after the writer. When completed there will be 52 caves of one to three bedrooms for rent. The windows of many look onto the Sierra Nevada ski resort an hour away by car.

I took the Gradix express, a little Disney style train, which runs for the enjoyment of tourists and school children through the old town and past the cave dwellings. The town was more fascinating and unusual than any fantasy world. Lunch at Hotel Comercio restaurant featured typical dishes of migas (fried bread soaked in vinegar water), conjeo en ajillo (rabbit in red pepper garlic sauce) and lomo en orza (pork cooked in a clay pot).

Most of my final days on this trip were spent in Granada. I wanted to hear authentic Flamenco and of course visit Alhambra, a monument of Islamic art, buildings and gardens which sits on top Assabica hill dominating the city. Even the rain didn’t dampen the appeal of the military citadel or Alcazaba built in the ninth century, the intricate artwork of the inner courtyards and the colourful gardens across the bridge in Generalife, the leisure and recreation area of the Nasrid Kings.

In downtown Granada I walked the old streets of Alcaiceria which once were the Arab market, and shopped. Later I wandered along the cobbled slopes of El Albaizin into the street mazes of Sacromonte.

When it finally came time to take the drive to Malaga for the flight home I took a route by whitewashed hilltop towns, such as Salobreña and then passed the string of seaside towns. The mad tourist bustle of Torremolinos, where I overnighted, made me long for a cave.