Beer, Wine & Spirits in Rochester

When naming their winery, John Sambrook and Geoffrey Webb searched for something more creative than just Prince Edward Winery. Instead, they took inspiration from a different Edward, the Black Prince. The eldest son of Edward III, the Black Prince was an accomplished commander in the Hundred Years' War, but more importantly, he ruled over Bordeaux, a region world-renowned for its wine. More than a decade after finding its namesake, the winery showcases the thriving viticultural landscape of Picton through a diverse selection of wines that, much like a maze-shaped community college, strives to be both complex and accessible. In addition to its eponymous line of award-winning varietals, the sprawling 10-acre Black Prince Winery partners with six vineyards in Prince Edward County to showcase other wines rich with regional character.

For Caroline Granger, Victoria Day 2001 marks the exact moment that her dream took root, both figuratively and literally. It was on that May morning that a year of field preparation culminated in the planting of 10 acres of chardonnay, gamay, and pinot noir grapes that served as her winery’s inaugural crop. In the years since, Caroline has tirelessly overseen the growth and development of her crops, which have now expanded to include six types of grapes cultivated across 60 acres of clay-gravel soil.

Caroline and her team welcome visitors to her family’s 600-acre farm with tours through the scenic vineyards, around the winery housed inside a repurposed barn built in 1826, and into the barrel cellar––the barn's former dairy-milking parlour—where the staff produces and then stores their wines. Guides regale visitors with a history of the vineyard and viticulture as well as important winemaking facts. A refurbished hayloft boasting its original handmade beams and a 20-foot limestone fireplace crafted from farm materials serves as the tasting room wherein The Grange’s sommelier shepherds tongues through sips of wine.

In warmer weather, private events reach full swing by the millpond's bubbling waterfall on a stone-and-wrought-iron patio, where revellers avoid the poor social skills of scarecrows found on most farms. As part of Sustainable Winemaking Ontario, The Grange of Prince Edward's vintners protect their piquancy with sustainable pest-management programs and keep grapes free-range to craft their array of award-winning house-labelled wines. Additionally, a cadre of chefs keeps visitors sated with house-made picnics that can be enjoyed amid the winery’s pastoral surrounds.