After completing the final test run of our route for this upcoming Saturday’s Wine Trail Ride, we’re pretty geeked about the ride.
While the route itself will be one of our longest (35km total to be exact), the scenery we encountered made the kilometres fly by without us really noticing. We’ll be passing by plenty of serene corn and soy fields along the way, as well as apple orchards and even a cabbage field.
Wildlife was also abundant. Monarch butterflies littered the countryside along the entire route, herons were in the marshland and someone’s pot-bellied pig even greeted us roadside as we cycled by.
The route is a mixture of quiet side roads, gravel roads and the scenic County Rd. 50 and will provide some great opportunities for photos as we’ll be passing by beautiful rural scenery. One of my favourites was an old, run down barn overrun by trumpet vine.
July 21’s ride will include stops at Colio Estate Wines, Cooper’s Hawk Vineyard and Colchester Ridge Estate Winery. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here. As with every Wine Trail Ride, a support vehicle will be on hand to carry any purchases and the ride concludes with a filling and very tasty locally sourced meal.
For those looking to stay in the county overnight and make a weekend out of it, maybe try booking a room at Inn 31 above Jack’s Gastropub as Erie Shore Vineyard is hosting a War of 1812 bi-centennial event celebrating 200 years of peace. The winery will be open 1:00pm to 5:00pm and be host to live music on their grounds and pavilion. Guests can purchase a glass of wine and a cheese plate for $7. The glass of wine alone will be $5.
You can also make the short jaunt down the road to the Colchester harbour to see some tall ships.
