5 Favorite Travel Days in 2014, Biking and Sailing Portland, Maine

An easy one-hour drive west of Halifax and I arrived in the growing wine region of Annapolis Valley. Once a footnote among grape-growing regions, the rolling green countryside now boasts 14 wineries that produce crisp cool-climate whites, decadent icewines, and Champagne-style sparkling wines that are attracting international attention. My first stop was Luckett Vineyards, where I enjoyed the dry Tidal Bay and spicier Muscat, with hints of tropical fruit. A short drive through the rolling countryside dotted with rows of vines, dairy farms, and green fields and I arrived at L’Acadie Vineyards. Their 2007 Prestige Brut was the only North American entry to be honored last fall in a competition held in France, bringing home a silver medal for its sparkling wine. I tried the 2008 variety, which also deserves kudos for its earthy, mineral taste. My favorite wine of the day was an Ortega, a Riesling like wine made by Domaine de Grand Pré. Not nearly as cloying as most Rieslings, this one went down smoothly with my seafood chowder of lobster and scallops, served at the Grand Pré’s excellent restaurant, Le Caveau. The college town of Wolfville is the gateway to the Annapolis Valley. Victorian mansions have been transformed into bed and breakfasts like the one I’m writing this from, the Blomidon Inn. Their top-notch restaurant not only serves local wines, but other indigenous goodies like a freshly caught halibut in the nearby Bay of Fundy that I happily devoured last night. 

When we caught up with Woodstock Inn General Manager, Gary Thulander, over dinner last month at the property, he was very excited about the opening this spring of the Red Barns, renovated rustic barns down the road from the property that will showcase the wealth of produce already growing at the surrounding Kelly Way Gardens. Certified organic by the Vermont Organic Farmers Association, the gardens boast more than 200 varieties of produce including 55 varieties of tomatoes, 75 berries and orchard plantings, 50 herbs and edible flowers, a mushroom glen, annual and perennial flowers, honey, and hops. Taking advantage of this bountiful harvest, the Red Barns will combine rustic charm with a state-of-the-art cooking and dining facility to offer the Red Barn Dinner Series this summer. Join Gardener Benjamin Pauly and Executive Chef Rhys Lewis on Sundays in July and August for an evening of dining that features the local artistry of Vermont’s cheesemakers, farmers, beekeepers, and dairymen while celebrating the abundant produce of the Kelly Way Gardens. Dinners will start at 5 pm and cost $55 per person. Reservations are a must. You can also enjoy tea in the gardens, Tuesdays in July, August, and September, free to inn guests, or a sensory stroll through the gardens on Thursdays.