[OFFSITE] Barrel Club: Lighthall Vineyards

We are excited to announce our 2nd Barrel Club event in Prince Edward County will take place Sunday, October 2nd at Lighthall Vineyards and our grape will be Chardonnay!

Founded in 2008 by Glenn Symonns, Lighthall has become a very respected, low volume, high-quality producer in the County and their Chardonnay rivals many from California and Burgundy.

The 2019 Chardonnay available now is described:

“As typically found in County Chardonnay, this wine starts with aromas of flinty minerality, Asian pear, and salted caramel. A round palate is filled with flavours of golden delicious apple, baking spices, and a hint of lemon. Put together, it’s like an apple crumble before it’s been baked! The smooth texture and long finish leave you satiating for more.”

As before, our plan is to gather at 10:30am in the vineyard for a bit of grape harvesting (dress accordingly) and a discussion of the soil attributes and characteristics. We will follow this with time in the winery itself learning a bit more about the wine-making process with winemaker Chris Thompson.

We will be split into 2 groups, each spending about 1 hour in total in the vineyard picking grapes and at the crusher. We will then gather at the tasting bar to try an array of wines and cheeses.

Our bonus surprise:  Lighthall also make exceptional artisanal cheeses and we will be given an opportunity to learn about cheese-making and of course enjoy some wine-cheese pairings.

This outing is limited to a group of 25 ONLY and 10 spots remain so please book ASAP. 

The barrel yields 22 cases of 12 bottles per case and each participant will subscribe to 1 case at a price of $38 / bottle or $456 per case. The wine is expected to be bottled in March/April of 2024 and payment will be taken then. 

Tasting Bar:

2018 Culmination (Traditional Method, Blanc de Blanc)

2021 Riesling

2021 Pinot Gris

2019 Chardonnay

Cellar:

2021 Chardonnay (oak)

2021 Chardonnay (concrete)

2017 Pinot Noir (library, sold out)

2018 Pinot Noir (library, sold out)

2020 Pinot Noir

Cheeses:

Phillipston Road (Manchego style)

Cheddar

Tete Carree (Red Leicester style)

Frenchie (Alpine, Gruyere style)

Albert (Pecorino fresco style)

Cotija

Lunch: 1pm

Following Lighthall, we will gather at the beautiful The Old Third Vineyard for a locally inspired lunch accompanied by their 2019 estate-grown Pinot Noir and their 2020 Chardonnay. For a bit of fun, VC member James Murphy and Old Third wine-maker Bruno Francois will walk us through an Old World vs County tasting of Riesling, and the Old Third Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Date:  Sunday, October 2nd

Time: 10:30 AM

Place: Lighthall Vineyard, 308 Lighthall Rd, Milford, ON K0K 2P0

Cost: Total Cost for this amazing day of wine, food and vineyard culture is $175/ pp (inclusive of tax and gratuity).

Each member agrees to purchase a minimum of one case of 2022 Chardonnay futures at $38/bottle or $456 (to be paid in Spring 2024).