Last Saturday was a wonderful autumn day with beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures. A perfect day for a wine tour in the Annapolis Valley.
We booked our tour with Go North Tours which is Nova Scotia’s only tour company dedicated to winery and wine related tours. Laila North is the company owner and was our driver. Laila is a wealth of knowledge about wine and the wine making industry. She was a great guide, but I was a little surprised that she didn’t take a bit of time to get to know the 9 people that made up the three groups in the van that day.
The first stop that day was at Grand Pre Winery where we were fortunate to have a bit of a tour and a talk with Jürg Stutz. I’ve attended a wine tasting hosted by Jürg in the past and find him to be an interesting speaker who explains wine making in accurate but easy to understand terms. Probably Jürg’s most intriguing characteristic is his obvious passion for wine and wine making.
Our next stop was at Gaspereau Vineyards, in the gorgeous Gaspereau Valley. This is a lovely little spot with very enthusiastic staff who have been very friendly and helpful each time we’ve visited. We were treated to some locally produced cheeses and patés that were paired with the wines at this stop. It’s amazing what a difference there can be in the taste of a wine when it’s paired with a bit of food! All delicious!
Our final stop was at Luckett Vineyards which is also in the Gaspereau Valley, but in this case it’s on one of the hills and has an amazing command of what must be one of the most lovely views in the province. When Pete Luckett does something he does it right and his Vineyard is no exception. This is a gorgeous setting and I look forward to visiting again next summer to enjoy the restaurant.
We had 5 wines at each location which ranged from dry red to sweet fruit wine. I’m not a big fan of fruit wine so there were a few I didn’t appreciate, but out of 15 wines that’s not too bad!
Upon returning to Halifax my friends and my partner and I went to Rock Bottom Brew Pub and had a great meal in a wonderful atmosphere… and a little more wine!
A wonderful day, great wine, great food and fantastic friends! What a way to spend a Saturday!
