Winter is a state of mind in Prince Edward County and spending time there promises warmth and peacefulness while enjoying nature and good spirits. Brighten up the darker months this year and add some of these items to your itinerary.
Warm-up this winter at Prince Edward County’s wineries, breweries and distilleries. Winter is when the winemaker pours your tasting, the brewmaster is available to chat and you can tour like a local. With less visitors around, it’s a great chance to meet the makers.
Tasters often gather around the fire at Kinsip House of Fine Spirits, a farm-based, grain-to-glass distillery. The sipping room is open, and they invite you to learn how they produce their spirits and what makes their craft distilling practices unique. Tour the distillery, sip fine spirits in the Cooper-Norton house, and hang out at the farm with its heritage hops barn and funky chickens! Don’t forget to taste Kinsip’s remarkable maple whisky.
Adega is a fresh wine bar with a safe and cozy space where friends can come together to laugh and share a sip. What’s more enticing than that right now? Coziness, friends, wine, laughter. Sold!
The County’s brewery scene is growing here and this is the perfect time of year to connect with the faces behind the beer to learn more about the process and get an insider’s view of crafting the perfect pint. Take your pick in exploring more than 20 wineries open during winter months in Prince Edward County.
2. Unwind And Drink Wine While Doing Yoga
The wineries in Prince Edward County aren’t just for indulging in spirits. Pair your wine with a little exercise. Three Dog Winery and Sugarbush Vineyards offer trails and snowshoes. Celebrate winter with a fabulous outdoor experience on the intriguing trails or sit inside by the fire with a glass of wine.
Speaking of wine and experiences, Three Dog Winery offers Canada’s first co-located yoga and winery studio! If peace is what you’re craving this winter, find it among the vineyards in The County.
3. Walk Along Beaches And Trails
Don’t let the cold stop you from getting a little bit of nature in your day. Prince Edward County’s beaches and trails are still accessible, offering unexpected, unusual and unique winter experiences.
Sandbanks Provincial Park
Walk along the shoreline and feel as though you have travelled to another planet. The bright winter sunshine reflecting off the freezing waters will ease your mind. On windy wintry days, watch for kite surfers braving the waves! the beloved Dunes Beach at Sandbanks Provincial Park is peace personified (follow the road signs leading south from Bloomfield and park at the Dunes Trail lot).
The visitor centre is open year-round to cater to winter guests. With 10 km of groomed trails, this is the perfect place to embrace the season. A quick call to the park will let visitors know the latest updates on trail conditions.
Millennium Trail
Take a wander over to the Millennium Trail, a flat, former rail line that’s perfect for beginner hikers or those looking for an easy stroll. The trail is more than 45 km from start to finish and offers numerous spots to hop on and off, passing fields, vineyards, breweries and picturesque scenes.
Wellington Beach
Trade in your cooler for a thermos and leave your sunscreen at home. The icy shores of Wellington Beach are a sparkling dream this time of year. Bundle up to beat the chill and enjoy the quiet beauty.
4. Try Fat Biking
Fat biking will have you looking at winter cycling in a whole new way. The reason it’s so much fun is obvious: those massive tires. Acting as the bike’s built-in suspension system, riders practically float over snowy, icy and bumpy terrain, making your favourite trail a fat bike winter wonderland.
The Millennium Trail is a great way to get used to a fat bike’s handling. Due to the sensitive nature of the dunes at Sandbanks Provincial Park, fat biking is restricted on the beaches and dunes. Cyclists and winter warriors have a way to explore on two wheels year-round!
Feed your mind and soul by delving into the arts scene in Prince Edward County during winter. Memorable creative experiences await: become an artist, discover the Barn Quilt Trail, browse a gallery or two, or take in the Arts Trail! The Arts Trail is a year-round, self-guided ‘choose your own adventure’ tour of artist studios and galleries, featuring sculpture, visual arts, photography and more. It’s a great chance to meet some of the artists who give The County its flare.
The best expression of a community is often the art it creates. Hit the back roads and take the time to meet the talented artists and gallery owners who make The County a beautiful place. Experience the heart and soul of The County by visiting local artisan shops to browse unique paintings, carvings, jewelry and more! We’ve mapped out some great spots to check out on your next visit.
Get on the ice at the Wellington Arena with family and friends and show off your skills! Check to see if the canteen is open when you visit so you can enjoy some hot chocolate and fries. Make it a day and follow up your skating with dinner at one of the many local restaurants.
While some like to warm up after skating with hot chocolate, try quenching your thirst with a post-skate beer! This skating rink is located in the middle of the new Drake Motor Inn and Midtown Brewery. There is also skating available at the Picton Arena. Whether it’s in Wellington or Picton, you will have a blast skating in The County!
Winter adds a certain shimmer to Prince Edward County. It’s the perfect time of year to appreciate the world-class nature found in The County. Marvel as Prince Edward County reveals a new experience to be had in the winter!
Edited & Updated By Rosanne Lake and Lindsay Medeiros
