A Little Wine Tour Of My Own

A week ago Wednesday, I drove to Moncton, picked up my longtime friend, and headed out on a wine adventure. We had planned to visit three wineries around Moncton. Our first stop was Magnetic Hill Winery. They have a full line of fruit wines ranging from dry to dessert. The owner, Janet, gave us a tour of the B&B and the grounds followed by a tasting of 5 of their wines. It was  very nice way to start the day.


We left Magentic Hill Winery for Winegarden in Baie Verte. The winery is across from the ocean, and the drive down was wonderful. Winegarden is the oldest winery and distillery in the province. It is thanks to this family that the cottage wine industry got its start. They now have a huge production facility, and an extraordinary range of products.


Our final stop on Wednesday was Belliveau Orchards. We were given a private tour of the processing warehouses (huge!). It was like being in an episode of "How It's Made". Belliveau is making a line of fruit wines, sparkling apple ciders, and about to start production of hard cider.


As we drove back to Moncton following the bank of the Peticodiac River, it was clear to me that we had had an awesome day. Everyone we spoke with was so excited about their products and proud of all the work they've done. The wines were delicious and the people were sincere. I look forward to working with everyone this summer!


The night ended with a delicious dinner at Graffiti's restaurant on Main St in Moncton, followed by a couple bottles of wine with friends. :)

The next morning I was up early to meander my way back to Saint John. My mission was to find my way to Degenhardt's Sausages in Glenvale, NB, while getting a little artsy with the covered bridges and lupins along the way. All things considered, I got one heck of an education on what meat processors have to deal with to provide us with high-quality local products. Ask me about it and I'll tell you.

I left Degenhardt's loaded with awesome sausages, beef, and kielbasa and found myself at the Cornhill Nursery for lunch. A beautiful setting with all kinds of plants looking to be adopted and delicious food. I had the Soup of the Day which was a fiddlehead soup.

I finally made it back to Saint John 6 hours after leaving Moncton. As I came into the city I saw the tower of the first cruise ship of the season soaring above the downtown. I think it's going to be a good summer!