Stoney Ridge Estate Winery Tour

I was able to grab a great deal from WagJag a month or so ago. The deal was for a Tour-Tasting-Lunch for 6 people, and grabbing 4 friends off we went to Stoney Ridge Winery.

Let me first say that the entire event is very well run and managed. There were many people with the WagJag deals and our group consisted of 3 other groups of 6, so a total of 24 people. I have to say I was impressed that they didn't try to bunch too many in at once.

We all met in their beautiful gardens and Sheila, or guide, was truly knowledable about the winery and it's operations. She gave us a brief history of the winery and the grounds and after each grabbing a wine glass the tour was on.

We all followed to the vineyard where Sheila explained the grapes, varietals and operations for getting the most out of their harvests. From there it was time for a taste! We headed in to the pressing room and were able to choose from two samples (one red; one white). I selected the red, my wife the white allowing us to get a taste of both.

The red was their 2010 Cabernet Merlot. This is a new bottling and won't be available till later in the year. Their 2009 Cab Merlot can be found here. I enjoy an Oakie wine and this 2010 did not disappoint. A rich ruby colour with very nice deep flavour, with a great lingering appeal. A definite purchase when available.

The white was their 2009 Gewurtztraminer. Again, not yet available, but here is their 2008. This one was a bright nice wine with a great aroma and excellent flavour and lingered on the palate. Very fruity and not too sweet. A nice wine to enjoy with fruit, cheese or on the patio.

Once the wines were poured, Sheila was then able to show us the proper way in which to appreciate the wine. Look, initial aroma (pre-swirl) and then swirl to get all the aroma from the wine. Of course then came the tasting. Amazing how that first taste of any wine awakens the tastebuds.

Having finished our sample it was off to the Wine store for our final tasting. It was here that we were educated on Stoney Ridge's Ice Wine production. In the room there were many bottles of their ice wines, and it was a real eye opener as to the different varieties along with the various price points that this nectar commands. Now I love ice wine, and I was dying to purchase many of them (but unfortunately did not get approval). I digress.

So, now with that explained, we were able to sample the ice wine. We were ample to taste a 2007 Reisling Ice Wine , and it did not disappoint. Very crisp and clean, not too sweet and a little bite at the end. Very enjoyable.

At this point Sheila left to complete the tour and this meant lunch. Now, when I had booked the tour they had mentioned that lunch would be in the form of a box lunch. No problem, sounded good to me. Well, we were in for a surprise. The yard was laid out nicely for us to all sit, and we were given a beautiful basket full of wraps, cheeses, and fruit selections. Very impressive and tasty. We also all grabbed a glass of wine and settled in to enjoy the beautiful day and atmosphere. My compatriots and I grabbed the following wines to enjoy with lunch:

2009 Excellence Pinot Noir
2009 Merlot
2009 Warren Classic Cabernet Franc
2008 Inspiration

All were most enjoyable and fit the food and atmosphere well. I can't say enough how much we all enjoyed the morning. If you have a chance I suggest you make this one of your stops when in the area.

Extras:

Another stop you must make is to the Cheese Shop at Stoney Ridge. We were amazed at the varieties available and the excellent prices. We were able to sample many of the cheeses and purchased many that we did. Definitely a must see when you go.

The Gardens. These were the hilight of the trip. The gardens here are stunning and have won numerous awards. Simply beautiful and a joy to walk around. We stopped and enjoyed the rose trellis before leaving, and I recommend making sure to enjoy these gardens, possible the best at a winery I have seen.