Are you looking for 4 unique wineries | Nova Scotia. Read on!
I know what your thinking! Nova Scotia wine??? YES, I can find unique wineries almost anywhere. I sniff them out. James and I love to do wine tastings and trying new things, so I find them whenever and wherever we can. While we were in Nova Scotia we stopped at seven different wineries, Woot, Woot!!! Today, we will share about 4 Nova Scotia wineries and our overall wine tasting experiences.
We love to go to wineries for the taste before we buy aspect, but it also gives me new ideas on wines to make when we get home. Most of you know, by now, I make wine as a hobby. Yes, a delicious hobby!
Unique Nova Scotia Wineries
James and I prefer sweeter wines so we tend to scope those wineries out. We did hit a few drier wineries this time though. Here are our top four wineries. They are in no special order. They were all great in their own special way. I would definitely return and visit each one again!
Nova Scotia has a wine that several wineries make. This wine is called Tidal Bay. It is a crisp, refreshing, coastal climate white wine. Tidal Bay is the signature wine of Nova Scotia.
“A wine bearing “Tidal Bay” on the label must be made from 100% Nova Scotia-grown grapes. The blend of grapes differ from winery to winery but some of the star grapes are L’Acadie Blanc, Vidal, Seyval with lesser amounts of supporting varietals like Ortega, New York Muscat, Riesling and even Chardonnay. Every year, the wines are evaluated by a blind tasting panel to ensure that the wine fits into the “Tidal Bay” style; one that is fresh, crisp, lively, with green fruit and distinct minerality. Each winery has its own take on Tidal Bay all while maintaining a style that is light , clean and slightly aromatic.”(Alanna McIntyre, Bishop’s Cellar)
Award Winning Sainte-Famille Wines Ltd.
Sainte-Famille Wines Ltd. is a winery located in Falmouth, Nova Scotia. They produce wines from 100% Nova Scotia grapes, 95% of the grapes are from the Sainte-Famille vineyard and the other 5% are from local growers.
This winery has over 20 award-winning wines and has been servicing Nova Scotia for almost 30 years. We found the staff to be award-winning as well, so friendly and knowledgeable. They even were helpful with giving us recommendations on vineyards to go to next.
Sainte-Famille produces Reds, Whites and Specialty wines. When we looked at their website and noticed that they had Blueberry Iced Wine. They had us at Blueberry! But then you add Iced wine to the equation it is a win/win.
We love Iced wine/late harvest and sweet fruit wines. As you can imagine we really enjoyed our tasting and left with a few bottles to enjoy later. https://www.st-famille.com
Historical Avondale Sky Winery
Avondale Sky Winery was another winery we stopped at. They are located in Newport Landing, Nova Scotia. Avondale Sky Winery was established in 2009 and wine sales began in 2011. But the vineyard had been in production since the 1980’s.
When the new owners Stewart Creaser and Lorraine Vassalo purchased the vineyard they started to care for the grape vines and started to see results. They purchased a barn that was no longer being utilized and had it moved to their site and also the beautiful St. Matthew church from Walton.
They have the winery, tasting bar, restaurant and retail space so it is a one stop shop. You can stop in for a tasting, tour of the vineyard, and stay longer for a meal and relax on their outside patio.
We really enjoyed our tasting. The staff that we worked with were very knowledgeable and friendly. They do have a variety of Reds, Rose’, Whites, Select Small Batch, and Iced Wine. When we found that they had some late harvest wine and iced wine we were sold. http://www.avondalesky.com
Delightful Domaine de Grand Pre’s Winery
Domaine de Grand Pré’s Winery was a quick stop. We walked the grounds quickly and observed a wine bus tour finishing up their tasting. when it was our turn we had a very enthusiastic and helpful server. Of course, we found a few bottles that we loved. http://www.grandprewines.ns.ca
Charmful and Historic Bear River Vineyards
Bear River Vineyards has a lot of heritage. The first vines planted in Nova Scotia were planted in Bear River in 1611. This was an ideal place to grow grapes and it still is.
As of September of 2017 there are new owners. Darren and Su are keeping the heritage alive. The Winery is housed in a renovated bank barn. The barn was originally built-in 1883.
When the bank barn was renovated it was rebuilt meticulously. The original owners really took great care to use materials that came from the land. They have given the winery its character and charm.
Bear River Winery’s Unique Wine Process
Bear River Winery is a four and a half story building and it was renovated to allow for a gravity fed wine production. There is a beautiful stone centerpiece on the main floor where the pressing takes place.
As the juice is expressed it feeds down to the fermenting tanks. It allows for that gravity fed wine process. “This is a vintner’s dream, as it ensures our grapes and wines are treated as delicately as possible to preserve their integrity and quality during the process.”(Bear River Vineyard).
Darren and Su want to make sure that they carry this same tradition forward. The main floor also houses the tasting room and wine shop.
As we took a tour of the facility, we noticed as we descended to the next level that the temperature had gone down by at least 10 degrees. This was due to the cement walls and foundation.
This is another way that the original owners ensured the success of their wines. The walls and floors provide a consistent temperatures throughout the whole process from fermentation, bottling, aging, and storing their wines.
Bear River Winery is also taking reservations for their new Guest Suite. The Guest Suite is located in the winery building. With so much to see in the area you can stay for a night or a few in the Guest Suite.
The Suite offers lots of amenities to make your stay comfortable. There is a queen size bed, microwave, compact fridge and even an en suite bath with heated floors. It is complete with a beautiful view of the vineyard. It is a great place to relax and enjoy a glass of wine or a bottle. http://www.wine.travel
A Memorable and Most Enjoyable Day Of Nova Scotia Wine Tastings
These 4 Nova Scotia Wineries are second to none! They offer a unique but a perfect taste to satisfy any palate. If you are visiting Nova Scotia be sure to check out these wineries and tell them, Jim and Nancy from Life Of The Empty Nesters said, “Hello!”
Happy Wine Tastings!!
