Prince Edward County is Ontario’s fastest-growing wine region. With almost 40 wineries, excellent restaurants, charming bed and breakfasts, and local breweries, it has everything necessary to entice wine lovers to come and spend a weekend discovering the wines.

It is not a coincidence that Lacey Estates Winery, one of the new kids on the block, was inspired to establish a winery in this charming area. Blessed with limestone soil and a microclimate that allows the grapes to ripen, Prince Edward County has quickly established itself as an exciting wine region. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the darlings, but many wineries are experimenting with other grape varieties.

The Lacey family started their venture in 2003 and their goal was to make wines exclusively from estate-grown fruit. They planted 9 acres of vines on their property on Closson Road and their first vintage was in 2007. It did not take long for their wines to get noticed. Winemaker Kimball Lacey has a lot of experience in the region. He was the assistant winemaker at the highly regarded Norman Hardie Winery for 3 years and he is currently the associate winemaker at Closson Chase, another great winery in Prince Edward County.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are among the grapes the Lacey family cherishes, but the portfolio offers other interesting finds. Jake Skakun did a great review on their 2012 Gewurztraminer in his post on ‘Wines for Warm Weather’. My Wine Canada's Jackie McLachlan has a weakness for their 2011 Baco Noir. The 2014 Riesling is another great choice. The region has certainly proven its great potential.

Prince Edward County provides everything you need for a weekend escape. With a note on their site that says ‘Dog friendly’, a great line up of wine, and a porch where you can sip and swirl while overlooking their vineyards, a visit to Lacey Estates Winery is a must. Santé!

Lacey Estates Pinot Noir My Wine CanadaLacey Estates Winery Chardonnay My Wine CanadaLacey Estates Gewürztraminer My Wine CanadaLacey Estates Winery Baco Noir My Wine CanadaLacey Estates Winery 2012 Riesling My Wine Canada

Michelle Bouffard is a wine educator and journalist who splits her time between Montréal & Vancouver. She co-owns the Vancouver-based company ‘house wine’ and is the president of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. She Tweets @michellebwine and Instagrams @michellebouffard.