Sip, Sip . . . Hooray! An EPIC Summer Tour Of Essex County
Story And Photos (unless marked) By Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh And Tracey Harding
When Biz X asked us to visit some of our local wineries, breweries and distilleries to provide suggestions for “staycation” outing adventures, we immediately stepped up to the task.
Yes it’s a tough assignment, but someone has to do it! Our response involved uncontrollable grins, a few high fives and discussions of what to wear! However, the job also included the not-so-easy task of picking only seven locations out of the 19 wineries and 17 brewery/distilleries in Essex County (we will fill you in on how we will visit more businesses in upcoming issues at the end of this story).
Join us as we raise a toast to some of the best our county has to offer and to living and experiencing your best life in your own backyard!
Oxley Estate Winery, 533 County Road 50 East, Harrow
Driving to our first EPIC Winery (Essex Pelee Island Coast), the beautiful Oxley Estate Winery — and passing signs for Holiday Beach and the Oxley Retreat House — we are flooded with fond childhood memories.
What a great way to kick off our summer Essex County adventure!
Upon our arrival we are immediately impressed by the warm greetings and their hospitable winemaker Andrew Wilson, who took the time to sit and talk with us about their winery, their history and their future.
Andrew’s grandparents, Ann and Murray Wilson, founded the winery in 2010 and his father Steve Wilson is the current CEO and President.
Andrew started working in the fields at 13 years old and his love of chemistry and biology were a natural fit that led him to pursue an education and career in winemaking. He studied Viticulture (the cultivation of grapevines for winemaking) at Niagara College and at Brock University he took Oenology (the study of wines).
Andrew’s program focused on the science of wine for the specific areas of Niagara, Windsor/Essex County, and Prince Edward County.
In fact, their Sparkling Wine was the result of his research thesis, which was a published article culminating his six years of study.
He explains how vineyards are a 100-year process and are constantly in flux: “There are so many variables with the weather that affect the growing season and the wine, and it is a constant learning and adjusting process. Changes are slow and often you can change only one thing at a time to measure the effects.” He adds: “Sometimes the wine you start out to make changes, as the weather determines the type of wine you will be able to create for that particular growing season.”
Andrew continues by sharing: “Our area is unique in that we have colder winters and hotter summers than Niagara. We learned quickly that we have to blanket the vines in winter, but in the peak days of growth (three inches a week) you can sit in the vineyards for a day and watch the vines grow.”
Matthew Wilson, Andrew’s brother, is a graduate of St. Clair College and is in charge of the gardens and the grounds, which adds to the ambiance and charm of the winery.
The grandson’s compassion for the environment and concern for sustainability of farms in the future is evident.
Andrew discussed the advantage of buying local wine and the lesser environmental impact it has, as opposed to transporting products from longer distances.
“We grow produce for the restaurant and compost,” Andrew indicates. “Matt would like to have chickens in the future for eggs and composting, maybe goats are next. Evolving is both daunting and exciting.”
Andrew is concerned with inspiring future grape growers and winemakers and is a member of Next Generation of Grape Growers Under 40.
Supporters of education and maximizing local talent, the owners even sponsored staff member, Yvonne Gratton to attend Niagara College and become their Master Taster.
Gratton speaks highly of Oxley Estate Winery and you can enjoy her creative and passionate “tasting notes” on the wine menu.
This young winemaker also emphasized the importance of buying local and is overwhelmed by the support of our community and their loyalty to our local wine industry. Oxley sells local products in their wine shop as well, such as Lakeside pickles, beets and asparagus, and apple cider vinegar from The Fruit Wagon.
Lunch at Oxley Estate Winery was amazing! We enjoyed asparagus soup with a dash of pepper oil, salad and the fluffiest quiche topped with fresh beets.
Our flight (a selection of wine) was excellent and consisted of: 2021 Bianca, the citrus and green fruit notes paired well with soup; 2021 Lulu, which was fruity and floral on the nose, perfect for summer; 2017 Pinot Noir, Oxley Bluff, cedar cherries on the nose with a peppery finish that pairs well with meat, cheese, mushroom and truffles, and our favourite, a 2020 Syrah, a bold plum/cherry “jammy flavour” with a hint of pepper to pair with meat, game or chocolate.
Stop by Oxley Estate Winery soon for a tasting or to enjoy events such as Sunday Sounds (live music), Cornhole Fridays, Swanky Tastings and Howl at the Moon dinners.
Dancing Swallows Vineyard, 8704 Essex Road 9 (Howard Avenue), Amherstburg
Every now and then you find a true gem, let us introduce you to Dancing Swallows.
Our first impression of this vineyard is that it definitely is going to be a winery to watch.
Its Owner/Winemaker Scott Wilkins was both genuine and generous as he began his conversation with us, recommending we visit Muscedere Vineyards for some big full-bodied reds and Colio Estates Wines to try their Pink Lily Sparkling Rose (Riesling and Cabernet Franc blend) crafted in the Charmat method.
Wilkins is the Vice-President of EPIC Wineries and a huge supporter of their region and fellow winemakers and vineyards.
“A reboot of EPIC took place during the pandemic lockdown and created an emphasis on marketing for the EPIC Wineries,” he adds “As a winery owner, EPIC is the number one contributor to winery traffic.”
Dancing Swallows is located on the Hutchins Farm, which started as mixed crop in 1881 and currently is a mix of cash crop and vineyard/craft winery.
They started with a test plot vineyard in 2006 to see what varietals were best suited to the site. In 2012, they planted their first crop and have experienced great success, even recovering remarkably quickly from the Polar Vortex that destroyed local crops in 2014.
As we sat under the majestic 200 year old maple tree in their Outdoor Tasting Garden, we selected our wines.
Their labels, as well as their emblem, depict swallows in flight, created by artists, and their wine flights are served with cork-held tasting notes. It was very interesting to see that Wilkins named the wines with math themes, but this was not surprising as his former career dealt with numbers as he worked at the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Our flight begins with 2016 Random Number Chardonnay, a wild fermented Chardonnay with hints of butter and a lovely smooth finish. The wild fermentation creates a big mouth feel similar to luxurious red.
Our hands-down favourite was 2014 Trial Solution Chardonnay, this wine is gently oak-barrelled just enough to create a pleasant nutty aroma and taste.
This is a classic Chardonnay in taste, not like the over-oaked Californians that turned us all off and started the acronym, “ABC” standing for, Anything But Chardonnay!
The 2016 C2 is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and is a lighter “mouth feel” than expected, but big on flavour. This wine is balanced to perfection.
A big surprise for us was 2014/15/16 Base 3 Baco Noir. This is a combination of three years of Baco Noir harvests. Baco Noir tends to be harvested in September; however, Dancing Swallows takes their grapes off in late October.
Leaving the grape on the vine longer, drops the acidity and intensifies the flavour, yet results in a lower yield. The bold tobacco and green grass notes linger throughout the taste.
We were curious as to the type of food this would complement. Turns out it is heavy spice and they recommended Zuleeats, 2760 Howard Avenue in Windsor. We brought a bottle home to pair with some big curry flavour.
