Island Life

This year to celebrate Canada Day, Adam and I decided to head to Price Edward Island. A little emerald jewel off the coast of New Brunswick, and considered to be the birthplace of Canada. 

It had been over 15 years since Adam had been on the Island, and probably close to 5 years for me. It was great to get back, and still a thrill to drive over the Confederation Bridge, the longest bridge in the world over ice-packed waters.

We spent three nights at a cute little B&B, the Cranford Inn, in downtown Charlottetown. PEI has had a very strong Eat Local movement and you see it in the food. In addition, Charlottetown is home to the Culinary Institute of Canada, and the restaurants truly benefit from having the wold-class chefs trained within its limits.

Of course it wouldn't be a vacation (or a working holiday) if we didn't visit at least a couple wineries or breweries. And here's the run-down of what we saw:

• The PEI Brewing Company ( & Gahan Restaurant) - This place was awesome. Maybe it was the cool architecture of the converted warehouse, or maybe it was because we had our first drink at 10:30 in the morning, but I got a real kick out of this brewery. It has been around under a couple of different names since the mid-90s, but only recently have we started to see their beer exported to New Brunswick. The tour was awesome, our guide very friendly and knowledgeable, and the beer was delicious. Also part of the company is the Gahan Restaurant in downtown Charlottetown. This was our first dinner stop on the island, and it was fabulous. Try the wings! The restaurant brews all of their Gahan beers on site, while the brewery handles the production for bottling and export.
• Rossignol Estate Winery - 11147 Shore Rd, Little Sands PE - We decided to try and explore the Eastern side of the island. We had planned to drive a big loop but after an extended tasting at Rossignol our plans changed a little bit. This winery is heavily awarded, both from Atlantic Canada competitions, and National wine competitions. They have about 10 grape wines, and the same number in fruit and fortified wines. The winery was similar in its product offerings to some of the wineries here in NB. We ended up purchasing some bottles of the Ile St Jean Red and Ile St Jean White. Both estate grown blends, and very easy to drink.
• Newman Estate Winery - Drive to the end of Gladstone Rd, Murray River PE - Mike Newman's winery was a little off the beaten track, so we had originally decided not to visit. But we found ourselves in Murray River, only a few kms away, and went for it anyway. Newman is taking a different approach to wine. He trained as a winemaker at UC Davis, although he's originally from Moncton. He's the youngest of winemakers that I've met in my travels so far, but don't let that fool you. He can rattle off the instructions for sulfur titrations and the history of hybrid varietals and why some grapes grow and others don't. On top of that, he's trying to do something big with his winery. Instead of focusing on easte grown wines, Mike imports some juice from Niagara, then blends those juices with his estate grapes to create something new. A blend of PEI and Niagara grapes. His passion is the science of winemaking, and the artistry of blending varietals to create a very nice balance in his wines. Newman wines will soon be available in NB Liquor Stores, the pallet was shipped earlier this week.
• Matos Winery - 3156 West River Rd, St. Catherines PE - You'll pass the sign for this winery on your into Charlotte after crossing the bridge and it's definitely worth pulling off the highway for. It's run by a husband and wife team who have done something amazing. They are successfully growing Chardonnay and Gamay Noir grapes for wine. It has something to do with the soil and the slope of their vineyard, but by all accounts, it shouldn't be possible in PEI (or NB for that matter). They also have a small selection of liqueurs available including Anisette and a product very similar to Grappa.  
• The Merchantman - 23 Queen St, Charlottetown PE - This pub in downtown Charlottetown has a cool little hook, they distill their own rum. A smooth drink with a whiskey finish. It was great, although a little strong for my taste. Make sure to order a shot if you get the chance (and the mussels are delicious too!)
• Olde Dublin Pub - 131 Sydney St, Charlottetown PE - This cool pub lives on the second floor of an old building in Charlottetown, above an oyster bar. They've got a little side deck for outdoor seating. Moosehead brews a special light beer for the pub that goes by the name ODP. Worth checking out if you're in the mood for a drink and appies as they usually have scallop and oyster happy hour specials.
• COWS Factoy - OK, so this isn't wine or beer, but COWS has started exporting cheese! We're talking gourmet, aged, clothbound cheese, and it's delicious. Not the mention the ice cream, a super premium ice cream as they like to call it. Lucky for the rest of us, the cheese is being exported. You can find the extra old cheddar in Sobeys stores across the Maritimes. 

Now don't go getting the idea that all we did was drink, there was an awesome Multicultural festival and of course the Canada Day fireworks. Not to mention the miles of walking we did just getting around the city. It was a great trip, and I'm so happy to have been reintroduced to Island life. We'll definitely be heading back. 

For all the foodies out there, PEI has put together a Culinary Route worth checking out and using to help plan your trip.