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We spent three days traveling to wineries in the Lake Erie North Shore Region of Ontario. Many of the wineries are within a few miles of the shore of Lake Erie and enjoy the moderating effects the lake has on vineyards. Twelve wineries dot the landscape from Windsor to Blenheim and south. Expect to taste a range or red and white wines including the classic vinifera grapes. Some wineries produce fruit wines. All take pride in producing wines from locally grown fruit.
Wine tourist are largely drawn from the Detroit metropolitan area, an hour and a half away, and Toronto about three and a half hours away. However there are also plenty of wine enthusiasts that travel to the region from other points in Michigan, Ohio and new York as well as Ontario and Quebec. Most wineries are open daily so travelers during the weekdays will find several of the wineries open.
The majority of the wineries are along the Lake Erie shore from Leamington to Amherstburg about a thirty mile stretch that will take an hour to drive between the wineries. Smith and Wilson Estate Wines is the furthest winery from the main area. They are about an hour further east from Blenheim. However the drive is easy along the coast of the lake and worth the visit.
The photo is the new tasting room at Coopers Hawk Vineyards, opening this weekend, November 12th/13th.
If you are looking for a weekend get-away consider traveling to the Lake Erie North Shore wine region. You can visit several wineries each day and enjoy the wines this southernmost wine region in Canada has to offer.
Cheers,
Terry
Lake Erie North Shore Wineries and Vineyards Mourn the Passing of Gord Mitchell
Gord Mitchell was a winegrower and owner of Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery. Gord Mitchell, 66, died suddenly this past weekend stunning family, friends and the wine industry in western Ontario.
Kathy and I met Gord in August 2008. Gord filled some wine glasses with Pinot Grigio and then sat down with us to talk about wine and the industry. We recall that Gord started as a winegrower. He sold his grapes to other wineries and noticed these other wineries were winning gold medals with his grapes. Then in 2006, he opened the Sprucewood Shores tasting room, a beautiful wine facility in Harro, Ontario. Gord took us on a tour of his state of the art winery. We remember how much his family meant to him. His wife, Hanna, and children became an important part of the winery.
Now the family is dealing with the death of Gord, right in the middle of the winemaking season. Winemakers and industry employees have stepped in to help. Several winemakers are filling in for Gord’s daughter, Tanya, Sprucewood Shores winemaker. Many of the wineries in the Lake Erie North Shore area are sending tasting room staff to Sprucewood Shores to help in their tasting room. Although there is a degree of competition in the wine industry, there is a camaraderie not seen in other industries.
Our hearts go out to Gord’s family in this time of sorrow.
Terry