Exploring Nova Scotia's Wine Country | Canada
THE GRAPE ESCAPE TO NOVA SCOTIA
“One of the inspirations to come to Nova Scotia and start a winery more than 20 years ago was to create a legacy while also making a difference in the culinary and experiential tourism sector. We look back with pride to see what the industry has become and, at the same time, we’re incredibly excited for what the future holds.
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When Brock and I were invited to visit Nova Scotia we were excited about many aspects of the trip; the breathtaking natural beauty, the outdoor adventures and the tasty seafood we’d heard so much about.
Something that definitely wasn’t on our bucket list was the wine. This was mainly down to our naivety in not knowing that Canada even produced their own wine.
Little did we know that not long after the start of our trip to the province of Nova Scotia we had tasted some of the best wine we’d ever had.
Find out below about Nova Scotia’s grape growing history, what makes their wine so unique, our favourite winery and experiences for your next visit!
The First Cultivators
The province has actually had a long and rich tradition of growing grapes for wine. Vines were apparently planted for wine production as early as the 16th century, meaning Nova Scotia was one of the first cultivators on the continent.
Despite the battle of challenging conditions, experiencing harsh climates and difficult terrain created the distinct and unique grape varietals as the result.
Now Nova Scotia boasts over 70 grape growers, approximately 20 wineries and 800 acres under vine across the province.
Wine Country
Nova Scotia is becoming the next “big thing” when it comes to wine and is building itself a grand reputation. Wine lovers from all over the world are now seeking out the province as a wine region destination. Some say the wineries have the taste of Napa and the views of Tuscany. I don’t know about you but that sounds like a pretty good afternoon spent to me.
Fact: When visiting a vineyard in Nova Scotia you are never more than 20km away from the ocean.
With over 200 international and national awards given, Nova Scotia can definitely be proud to say they produce exquisite, award-winning wine. So if you are travelling in the area we would highly recommend a visit to one of the many vineyards and have a taste of the extraordinary wine!
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One of the highlights from our trip to Nova Scotia was a stay at the Liscombe Lodge Resort. Overlooking the river which we’d canoed on just earlier, we sat and had an incredible steak and chips with a beautiful pairing of a Nova Scotian red wine. We sat and drank wine while watching the hummingbirds fly to the feeder next to us and this is always such a fond memory of our trip!
What Makes Nova Scotian Wine so Different?
Past the rocky, ocean-battered coastline the vines grow in the remains of an ancient seabed. Known as “Canada’s ocean playground” the province has the worlds highest tides, boasts a coastline of 13,300 kms and is surrounded by 4 bodies of water.
The province battles frigid temperatures and a short, cool growing season. The land is a mixture of sandstone and slate soil and provides a rugged terroir so it isn’t your typical environment for grape growing. These attributes make a unique viticultural climate so the vine-growers have to be selective with what will work.
Because of these conditions, Nova Scotia is known mostly for its sparkling wine and white wine which are acidic and very aromatic. The sparkling wines produced here have attracted worldwide attention and have been compared to Champagne in terms of quality.
From Switzerland to Nova Scotia
Having a tour upon lush rolling hills, taste award-winning wine and dine at their award-winning onsite restaurant (that’s a lot of awards) is something we won’t be forgetting any time soon.
Atlantic Canada’s oldest winery, Domaine de Grand Pré is a family-run Swiss-born winery based in Annapolis Valley which was founded in 1979. Owner and father, Hanspeter Stutz, is the visionary who founded the winery and put trust in creating something extraordinary from Nova Scotia with his family.
While on our visit we learnt about the background of the family and the history of the unique grape hybrids they lovingly create. And of course, we got to sample some of their best wines during the tour!
Need inspiration on what to do in Nova Scotia? Read “A 7 Day Nova Scotia Road Trip”
To finish off your vineyard experience have a meal at their restaurant Le Caveau, voted in “20 of the World’s Best Winery Restaurants”. To summarise how friendly the people here in Nova Scotia are, we ending up sitting down for lunch with one of the lovely staff members who taught us all about their wines earlier in the day which was such a pleasure!
Tidal Bay
Tidal Bay brilliantly reflects its birthplace of the coastal climate and the cool breeze and is described as the very essence of Nova Scotia in a glass.
Nova Scotia’s signature white wine; Tidal Bay is the only appellation wine in North America. An appellation wine is an official term used to explain that you can only create a specific wine from a specific region. This means Tidal Bay is governed by a board and has a protected name, just like Champagne or Chianti.
Tidal Bay was officially launched by the Winery Association of Nova Scotia back in 2012. The Tidal Bay wines are all distinct in taste but all share the same basic characteristics.
Featuring 100% Nova Scotian grapes and highlighting the white wines of the region, it is very crisp, fresh and acidic. They say it’s great for summertime and it pairs perfectly with traditional Nova Scotian seafood.
For more information on Nova Scotian food read our article “Taking on Nova Scotia, One Lobster at a Time”
Experiences
Chatting to passionate vintners about their art was a definite highlight from our trip and we would thoroughly recommend a visit or a food and drink tour. This is an amazing way to experience what Nova Scotia has to offer from the friendly locals.
Take a hop-on, hop-off bus tour on the Magic Winery Bus. Visit 5 of Wolfville’s picturesque local wineries, learn about the history of the region and have a taste of their award-winning wines.
Want to escape the city? Take a Valley Wine Tours by Ambassatours which takes you from Halifax to the heart of Annapolis Valley. Take the sommelier-guided tour through 3 of their wineries, enjoy lunch made with local ingredients and discover the history of wine in Nova Scotia.
Want something a little bit fancier? Take a Heli-Picnic Island Escape! Visit your own private island by helicopter, soar over the city and admire the coastline from above and then have a private picnic. Including local wine selected just for you with local flavours curated by Bishop’s Cellar.
So take a grape escape while on your trip to Nova Scotia and learn about what the locals have been raving about for years.
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We can’t wait to come back to this province when we have the chance. We fell in love with not only the wine but the people, the food and the culture. We hope we have inspired you to visit for yourselves!
So come and visit Nova Scotia, experience the internationally acclaimed wine and you’ll certainly be leaving craving to return just like us!
Our trip to Nova Scotia was in partnership with Destination Canada, who we went on assignment with to explore Nova Scotia for 7 days, capturing the most beautiful sites, eating the tastiest food and seeing incredible wildlife.
Find out more about Nova Scotia at www.novascotia.com
If you have any questions regarding travel to Nova Scotia or need advice for your up and coming trip then click here.
