With December closing in and the first significant snowfall already in the rearview mirror, it’s with great fondness and longing that we look back on the glory of summertime. Specifically for my family, we look back at the time spent on the shores of Pigeon Lake in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes region.
Something became a staple this year, although we’d known about it for a few years. Kawartha Country Wines was visited by the family more often than the grocery store this summer. Memories of nights by the campfire and days in the sun go hand in hand with the taste of this wonderful winery’s amazing fruit wines.
This is not an advertisement. I am not affiliated with the winery in any way. Ours is a simple customer / vendor relationship. I do hope people will read this and have their eyes opened to a wonderful treat. Why? The success of this winery and its ability to remain a major part of Kawartha Lakes summers is in corelation to the family having complete enjoyment of the area in summertime.
Located just outside of Buckhorn, Ontario and not far from Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Kawartha Country Wines is set on a 22 acre farm, conveniently nearly directly across from one of our other favourite attractions in the area. Just down the road and on the opposite side is the nearly hidden access to Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. It is a spot about a kilometre or so down a rocky trail where we often go for a refreshing swim.
The first time I finally went into the winery was directly after a swim in the Mississagua River across the road. I was still wet and dressed in a soaked bathing suit and half soaked t-shirt. The plan was to run in and buy a few quick bottles of wine while everyone else waited in the car. Not the case. The hospitality of this place is amazing and dressed as I was, I went through a full tasting with a group of women who there as part of a bachlorette party. By the way, the tastings are always free and always generous.
In the opposite direction, towards Bobcaygeon a bit, is the junction with highway 507. Highway 507 runs along the western edge of Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park and runs north to the small town of Gooderham. This is a beautiful drive anytime of year but the autumn is particularly amazing. Not far west from Gooderham is Furnace Falls on the Irondale River – a pretty sight no matter the weather.
Kawartha Country Wines began in July, 2004 with owner and vintner John Rufa offering his first 500 litre batch. Now, the winery produces around 20,000 litres a year, all out of their retail outlet or via internet orders. The outlet is located at the winery. The building is a restored log cabin that was originally built in 1866. Along with their some 35 varieties of wine, the store has a wide selection of wine related jellies and preserves along with locally made gifts, cooking sauces and hot sauces.
As for the wine, you will find combinations of any of the following: apple, apricot, black currant, elderberry, cranberry, plum, gooseberry, kiwi, peach, pumpkin, raspberry, rhubarb, red currant, saskatoon berry and blueberry. That list grows pretty much all the time. I joked during a September visit that we had tried everything they had in stock so they better come up with something different for next summer. The answer was along the lines of “Yes, that’s what we do.”
Yes, it’s not grape wine made from product grown on site. Wine snobs, please ease up a bit. I wasn’t a fan of fruit wine either but this place changed my ways. However, they do make traditional grape wine, as well.
The pricing is right with a range from $12 per bottle to $20 per bottle. Most everything comes in a 750ml bottle. Buying by the case can reap a special reward. There are cooking wines, as well. Currently online, there is a cabernet, garlic infused white, giant pumpkin and onion in cooking wines. All summer, I was intrigued by these bottles of garlic infused wines that never seemed to be on the tasting counter. I foolishly didn’t read the label closer and didn’t realize that they indeed weren’t for drinking.
Not available in the communist style LCBO’s in Ontario, the Kawartha wines are only available through the main store or shipped via online orders. When ordering online, wines are in multiples of 12. Shipping costs are a reasonable $24 per case in Ontario and anywhere from $29 to $34 per case in the other Canadian provinces. Shipping is not available outside of Canada.
The above images were taken during a summer visit when the winery was having an outdoor event. There was a bluegrass band playing outside and homemade pizzas cooking. Sangria was the specialty drink but the full selection of wines were available. The little dude standing next to the big rock man in our son – he had just turned two around that time.
The image below is our favourites that we still have stock of at home. The Northern Kiwi and Wild Blueberry tend to be the most popular in our household.
For more details, check out the official website: Kawartha Country Wines.
The below video is of nearby Bobcaygeon. The area is much more popular than I remember from when I lived in nearby Lindsay, Ontario in the early 1990’s. However, I believe, it’s still a very underrated alternative to the Muskoka region to the northwest.
