I have been a part-time resident of the County for the past six years. The farm project here has been taking up all my time. I know the road and what I see from my car window on the drive from Toronto to Hillier. Over this period of time, I have gotten to know my neighbours in Hillier and a few other people scattered about the island. I know that I really like it here, but I haven’t done a lot of exploring yet. I expect this will all change as I make the transition from part-time to full-time residency in Hillier, Ontario.

It is an interesting paradox that even though Prince Edward County is one of the oldest settled areas of Upper Canada, that today there exists this spirit of pioneering among some of the new emerging communities here. I am speaking about recent emergence of Prince Edward County onto the food and wine scene. Where once, the mills powered the local economy, culinary tourism is breathing new life into an area looking for something to nurture. It seems there is a renaissance going on.

Recently, I spent the better part of a day touring around the Taste Trail. I probably could have fit more stops into the itinerary, but at each port of call I wanted to stay longer. We started the day in Bloomfield at The Bloomfield Carriage House owned and operated by Jacqui Vickers and Scott Kapitan. We picked up a delicious picnic lunch and drove to Huff Estates. Here we spent several hours conversing with Frederic Picard - a passionate, engaging winemaker, clearly proud of his vinous accomplishments so far, but truly jazzed by the potential of the wines in the years to come. After our focused tasting it was wonderful to repair to the patio and soak up the sun while gazing over the vineyard and enjoying our lunch and the wine we had picked to accompany our vegetable tart, (the Gamay Noir Reserve 2005).

We made our way on to Rosehall Run Winery on the other side of Hillier (on Greer Road). Dan and Lynn Sullivan are making beautiful wines from 100% County fruit. As I have experienced elsewhere in Hillier in the hands of Geoff Heinricks, Norman Hardie and others, that there is this verve that is evident in the wines from the county that makes it a truly exciting new wine region. I can’t help but think that the success of this emerging wine region will be in hands of the artisan winemakers. Those who realize the points of differentiation which make this locale, and therefore these wines unique. At Rosehall Run, Dan Sullivan took us through several tastes from the barrel and the bottle. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay appear to be the stars, but the Rose and Cabernet Franc were tasty as well. Dan is also a passionate winemaker who believes in the terroir of this region. I look forward to having him as a neighbour.

Next we took a meandering drive through the County to a remote stand of maples here, at Fosterholm Farms, Clifford Foster and his family has their sugar shack and event venue. What a wonderful place to have a party, al fresco! From there we headed toward the water. The shores of Lake Ontario are spectacular in Prince Edward County. Broad limestone shelves make strolling along the lake a beautiful experience, unique to this place. All this walking, fresh air and birdsong were making me hungry! Luckily, we had dinner reservations at Angeline’s Restaurant back in the Village of Bloomfield. Willi Fida, our host and chef made us feel comfortable. Here the menu focuses on locally grown ingredients. The dishes are beautifully turned out and there is an emphasis on local wines on the wine list.

All along the Taste Trail there is a strong sense of the history of this region as well as the excitement of an area that is rediscovering itself. I am struck by the sense of community that I get. It harkens back to an earlier time in history. It is like in many ways, the aspects of modern living that deemphasize community have not been experienced here. I think this bodes well for the new generation of people coming here as tourists or as residents. It is interesting and increasingly dynamic as more and more models of local and sustainable communities based on local economies are forged here.

I look forward to being part of this renaissance. I get a good feeling inside when I think about all the interesting and passionate people I have met here, because soon I and my family will be part of the community.

www.jkkitchens.com