Exploring the County | Huff Estates

Getting out of the city is something that I always strive to do, especially on weekends. There’s nothing quite like enjoying the outdoors during the summer – especially when it’s to relax and have a good time! Having been to Prince Edward County before (for Sandbanks provincial park, Drake Devonshire and the unforgettable hospitality), I had an idea of what to expect when I was coming back again, but I wanted to explore something new this time around.

Julie and I had been wanting to go to a vineyard for sometime, but it was a little difficult pinpointing which one to go to – especially when we didn’t know where to start. Even when I did begin looking, most places came up around the Niagara region – which was expected, despite the little knowledge I had, but I was more intrigued by one particular vineyard that caught my attention… in Prince Edward County: Huff Estates.

At first, I was just curious to know more about their story – as well as how they compared to the vineyards in the Niagara region. After some research, I was convinced that this was going to be more than just a tasting experience – because of their state-of-the art facility and enticing food menu. I had also heard that the region was an up and coming area for winemakers, so I was very curious to know what that was like for the locals.

Once we arrived, we were greeted with a warm welcome, despite how busy it was at the time of our visit! The restaurant patio was such a lively space, bursting with music, conversation and enjoyment. After our food arrived, we were amazed at how well the food complimented the recommended wines. We did order lots of food since we were hungry, but we were also curious to see how the various dishes paired with the variety of wines. Some stand out menu items were the Funghi pizza (which is made in a wood-fired stone oven) and the open-faced smoked salmon sandwich (just so, so good). We also lucked out with the weather, so that made the experience that much more memorable.

[Huff Estate’s] grape processing area and fermentation tanks [sit] on top of a hill, [which allow] for a natural gravity flow into a temperature controlled barrel cellar below, which sits just behind the tasting room.
Huff Estates

After our wonderful meal, we had the chance to walk around the property and get a quick guided tour of the facility, which was awesome to say the least. I developed a greater appreciation for everyone involved in the business, especially after seeing how passionate everyone was about being apart of Prince Edward County’s wine journey. We ended up wrapping up the day with a fun tasting experience that I didn’t get to fully enjoy, because I was driving – but Julie loved every little bit of it! Her standout favourite was the 2016 CUVÉE JANINE.

Huff Estates also has an Inn on the property, which makes it the perfect getaway destination for those looking to spend a few in days in the county. Next time around, that will definitely be on the list, since I would love to spend even more time wandering off and exploring the beauty of the surrounding areas. There are also tours for those who are interested (it’s a good way to learn more about their process and overall history of the region). Overall, the experience was lovely – and I wish I could have shared the experience with more friends – but eh, there’s always next time!

Thank you for reading. Please enjoy responsibly.