We visited the vineyard September 13/14. The weather was cool and windy and therefore, our tour was limited to indoor activities. We were able to roam around outside on our own.Our tour guide was great. She was very entertaining and I appreciated the personal touch she put on her presentations.The tasting part of the tour was lovely.
Coming from Australia, we have seen our fair share of wineries. However, we had the most pleasant experience at Peelee winery in Kingsville. Nicole did an amazing job at tastings and was very insightful about the production on the island from her experiences living there. The back patio was very cute and we had a delicious lunch from the food van on-site. Thanks Nicole for taking care of us :)
So Pelee Island itself is the southernmost wine growing region of Canada, but that's still further north than New England, but due to the effect of Lake Erie; here they can grow and ripen sauvignon blanc, gewurtz, cab franc and make pretty decent wines; plus also enjoyed the newish hybrid Baco Noir expressed well, tasting a bit like a Fer Severadou . We did the brief tour - actually quite informative - and tasting; and also of course here, Ice Wine has to be made in the proper way, not by cheating by putting grapes in a freezer as they do in the US. Enjoyable visit even though there are no vineyards on the mainland to look at.
In August my mother and our two small (approx 20 lbs each) dogs visited the island winery, went on the tour, and enjoyed dinner in the BBQ hut. We were fortunate to have great weather and it was a weekday so it was less crowded. The island winery is relaxing, the staff are very friendly and clearly knowledgable about wine as we learned from the tour. The tour was well worth the $5 per person charge, educational and interesting. And dog friendly! The BBQ hut was convenient. We brought along our own spices and sauces, but they had all the utensils. Highly recommend a way to spend a day on the island. The mainland winery and store however we also visited and were not impressed. Not as welcoming an atmosphere.
We went to the winery to partake in a glass of wine, food and entertainment and had a fantastic time. A glass of wine was $4.00, food was great supplied by Jacks and music by Fresh Breath. The place was full and everything was affordable, perhaps the other vineyards should take notice as we will do this again!!!!!!
We stopped by on Saturday evening, but they were about to close, so we had to leave disappointed.We returned the next day after biking for hours to have lunch and enjoy the local wine. The weather was perfect, the winery is gorgeous and the food we bought frozen and barbequed ourselves (sausages at lunch) was very tasty. We returned for dinner (salmon this time) and a second bottle of wine and it was even more picturesque as it was just before sunset.Overall, we can't wait to return, Pelee Island is now my favorite spot. Their late harvest white Riesling is the best wine I have ever had, and sadly only available for purchase on the island.
We went to the winery with a package that included the tour, lunch and an overnight stay. We really enjoyed ourselves, but it was a little different than we expected. The tour is just around the main building, it includes the history of the island and the winery and ends with a tasting. Meredith was a great guide and seemed very knowledgeable. All of the staff were pleasant and friendly. The wine was superb, but the way they sell it is a little strange. You can buy it "for here or to go" meaning you either have to drink the whole bottle or take it home warm. You do have the option of buying a glass, but you don't get much bang for your buck that way and my husband and I have very different tastes in wine. Lunch was sparse, but good and the live music was great. The thing that was really odd was the lodging. We stayed at the winery's "Guest House" which is a pole barn converted in to a "dorm" style building. There are 8 separate bedrooms with shared bathrooms. The shower situation was strange - one room with 4 showers that did not lock. There was also no one around to answer any questions. We were able to meet some other couples and share coffee. We all commented on the "dorm" feel. Overall, it was a great experience. I think if we had a little more information going in to it we would have enjoyed it more....I guess it is "island living"!
Had a wonderful tour with a wedding party that I was not part of but had fun none the less. Nice wine (went home with a few bottles) and was very impressed with the tour. I will recommend to others who visit the area. Next year I hope to go to the Island and see the area where the grapes are grown for this wine.
My wife decided to purchase tickets for a tour while I was out photographing the vineyard at Pelee Island Winery's Pavilion on Pelee Island. I am glad she did as it turned out to be an enjoyable hour, with just enough information and history, balanced out with a tasting of a flight of wines, and the opportunity to select more wines to taste, for a fee, at the tasting bar. The full selection of wines are available at the Pavilion, including some not available at stores.The main winery is located on the mainland if you want to avoid taking the ferry to Pelee Island.
Staying on Pelee Island last weekend, we did the tour at the Pelee Island Winery.Now having done a number of other winery tours, we found this to be the most relaxed and laid-back atmosphere, without all the wine-snob attitude. Derek and Doug were the guides that added lots of fun, but were still VERY informative and answered all of our questions with ease.!!The barbeque-patio area in the back is so comfortable, where you grab a bottle of wine, a snack or even bbq your own steak. The best part is riding your bike to the winery..and top quality wine, of course!!!