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§ == . ; â€" o 6 New local w itamen mer w Library users at the Colâ€" e l{orne and Castleton public : ; libraries can get their hands 1 I on some serious hardware & ( élfle;g days, thanks to an \ o ;200 grant from the Onâ€" | LP Derf ep»pep1i quwst j3)s7 tario Trillium FOundatg::] | Oak Heights first winery in East Northumberland \axai== a â€"| by Paul Dalby : On one of his many County maintaining other THE INDEPENDENT evenings on the patio in . wineries. THERE’S A NEW EIND of . front of the century farmâ€" "But they loved this cash crop going into the _ house, Mr. Frazer turned to place, saw the potential and ground ata farm just westof his wife and said: "You . came to work for me fullâ€" Warkworth â€" traditional â€" know what? Ithink I can. . time," he said. ‘They pulled fields of corn have been â€" grow grapes here." in a great harvest for me last ploughed.under to make His wife‘s response was â€"year so then I had to go out way for acres of grape . very much to the point: "Are. _ and buy all the good equipâ€" vines. you crazy?" Apparently not! _ ment to produce the wine, I This is the new Oak Mr. Frazer, 66, whose amso pleased with the wine Heights Winery, the first company provides contract _ Mike has made." winery in east Northumberâ€" _ sales personnel to the phar Mr. Traynor, 29, was the. . â€" land County that‘s.opening . maceutical industry, sent a _ first employee of the now " its doors to the public at the ._soil sample to be tested at wellâ€"respected Huff Estates end of July. the University of Guelph. _ Winery and later winemale | § The winery is located on â€" Back came the analysis he . erat Willow Springs Winery, l a ridge next to Countyâ€"Road.. had been hoping: "Yes, you ‘both in Prince Edward 29, seven kilometres west of _ can grow grapes in this soil County. He knows he will Warkworthâ€"in the longâ€"forâ€" â€" but plant a hardy grape beâ€" â€" face stiff competition from ) gotten hamlet of Oak cause you have a short his old stomping ground â€" Heights. growing season." Prince Edward just received : 3 Now brand new blue "They warned me that â€" a boost from the province, road . signs for‘ "Oak _ the harsh winters would beâ€" which made it a designated Heights" have been erected _ a problem as we are pretty . viticultural area like Niaâ€" either side of the new winâ€" . far north," Mr. Frazer said. gara and Pelec. ery by the Northumberland _ "ButTenjoy a challenge and : â€" economic development deâ€" . the achievement that folâ€" Champagne surprise ; partment. ‘ lows. I decided I was going Unfazed, Mr. Traynor i oi to try this." will be blending a full slate Hlive of activity Factâ€"finding trips folâ€" _ of red and white wines with The property itself has lowed to Brock University, â€" grapes imported from both been a hive of activity in re â€" home to eastern Canada‘s Prince Edward County and . cent weeks as an engineer= premier viticulture proâ€" â€" Niagara. ing crew drove through a gram studying cool climate : But the top "calling new access road off County .. wine production. card" of the Oak Heights Road 29 right into the propâ€" Mr. Frazer had planted . Winery will be a dry chamâ€" erty. Former cornfields _ first 500 vines at the farm in pagneâ€"style sparkling wine. were ploughed under and _ the year 2000 with the help "Oak Heights has plantâ€" planted with new vines to _ of his running mates from_â€" ed extensively with the come onâ€"line in 2009. And _ his marathon club. three key grapes that proâ€" the finishing touches were Even a harsh flashâ€"freeze _ duce champagneâ€"Chardonâ€" put to converting the farm‘s _ winter failed to kill all of nay, Pinot Noir and Pinot old barn, lifted onto new _ them and four years ago the _ Meunier," Mr. Traynor said. poured concrete foundaâ€" â€" wouldâ€"be winemaker plant _ "Our soils are very wellsuitâ€" tions and refaced with â€"edanother 4,000 vine plants. _ ed to it. They are very high board and batten. It will _ Again backâ€"toâ€"back extreme _ in pH level. Prince Edward ; serve as the visitor interpreâ€" _ cold winters claimed 75 per _ County is typically rated at tation centre in full view of . cent of the vines. 7 pH but our soil at Oak the wine fermentation 5 Heights is rated at 8." | room. Hard winter test Another key member reâ€" : Optimism is running "Some people would say _ cruited to the Oak Heights | high in Trent Hills that the _ it‘s time to give up, butIhad team was executive chef new winery could be the _ come so far I wanted to try _ Peter Gosling, formerly of missing piece of the jigsaw _ again," Mr. Frazer said. the Milford Inn. and Spa, puzzle to bring a rush of visâ€" He learned from the Niaâ€" . Jonathan‘s of Oakville, his itors and their tourism dolâ€" â€" gara wine producers about _ own bistro Goslings in lars into Northumberland. _ "tripleâ€"hilling" soil in three â€" Brampton, and recently 3 The winery is the brainâ€" _ levels around the base of _ Cobourg‘s King George Inn . â€" child of Brampton business . the vines for extra protecâ€" "Everything will come entrepreneur Ian Frazer, _ tion against frost. The next off the barbecue and I ' who bought the old Couvert _ hard winter his vines surâ€" â€" thought that, because we : homestead back in 1997 as _ vived in tact. are out in beautiful countryâ€" "a place to come here on a At this point Mr. Frazer .. side, we should be outdoors weekend to relax. knew he needed professionâ€" _ to cook, using locallyâ€"bred "But then I realized _ al help, a team to turn his . trout and wild salmon," Mr. there‘s sandy clay here on _ hobby into a going business. â€" Gosling said. . : the farm," Mr. Frazer told He found winemaker ""We have to be different, f The Independent. In fact, alâ€" _ Mike Traynor, as well as his _ why else would. people come most a metre of sand, then _ assistant winemaker and â€" here if we weren‘t," he exâ€" | underneath a deep bed of . farm manager, all working â€" plained. "We want to be a _ chalky clay. together in Prince Edward â€" destination." | @