New wine region just south of Belleville has come of age visited The Grange of Prince Edward County, a vineyard just south of Belleville, Ontario where I met with Caroline Granger, the CEO, and an outspoken advocate of the wines of Prince Edward County , which surprisingly consists of more than a dozen wineries. Caroline is also a member of the board of the Canadian Vitners Alliance and The Wine Council of Ontario. My visit was during grape harvesting time which I later discovered was the worst and best time of year to visit. A passion for life has guided Caroline Grace Granger through a wide spectrum of experiences, everything from working at her parent's cattle farm to being a successful international model and travelling to Paris, New York and Tokyo. Today you can find her working diligently on that same farm harvesting and bottling some of Ontario's finest wines. Caroline explains, "This is an exciting time for us, how often do you get a chance to experience the infancy of a new wine region". I was surprised to learn that the grape harvest for the entire year for PEC wines lasts only 5 weeks, but it is a long 5 weeks, in fact Caroline doesn't sleep much in those 5 weeks. The Grange has 60 acres of grape vines which is a small amount compared to their counterparts in Niagara so the grapes at the Grange are all handpicked, which is unique only to this county. The wineries of Niagara, Pelee Island, and Lake Erie North Shore, all use machines to pick their
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grapes. No sleep for the ‌‌ 5 weeks of harvest time. During harvest there is little to no sleep at The Grange. Caroline explains, "There are such rich oxygen levels during harvest from the grapes that you can feel the energy and well being just from being on this farm during this magical time. The air is so full of oxygen, it is incredibly invigorating." Aside from the gruelling work schedule of picking grapes, Caroline is kept awake from the constant threat of frost, birds, and especially racoons. She explains, "We found out the hard way in 2003, and later learned that racoons can eat almost 3 tons of grapes in a single weekend". Growth at the Grange has been astronomical! In 2003, they produced 1,600 cases of wine but in 2007, they produced 10,000 cases of wine. Obviously as the vineyards matured so did the production. Wines from the Grange are bottled under the Trumpour's Mill Label. These wines were the first from Prince Edward County to win medals at provincial and national competitions. Caroline explains "Awards are important for consumers learning about your wines, it gives them confidence in selecting what they're going to try". Caroline's passion includes a strong focus on buying locally and supporting Ontario's authenticity. I was shocked to learn that the LCBO is the largest retailer and purchaser of beverage alcohol in the world, and The Grange Wines have to compete on par with those of France, Italy, and Australia. "The Ontario market is a