I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to spend my first weekend in May but I knew that I wanted to get out of the house and the city for a drive and to take a few "snaps" along the way. I called up my friend Gail and threw the idea out there of an early Sat. morning drive to the valley somewhere, not knowing exactly where the destination was going to be. She was up for the idea as well, so I researched what kind of things were going on that weekend in the Wolfville area. One of the first things I came across was Luckett Vineyards. I've heard a lot of great things about this vineyard through one of my camping friends who works for Pete Luckett. I thought this would be a great first stop for our little excursion.
We arrived a little time after the vineyard opened for the the day and Pete Luckett was one of the first people to greet us with some of his staff and a taste of apple and blackcurrant wine. We chatted for a little while and Pete suggested that we take a walk around the vineyard to check it all out. Even though the grapes were not in full bloom, the beauty of being up high and overlooking the valley below was totally captivating.
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Along the Gaspereau River rd. on the way to Pete Lucketts Vineyard.
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More views along the Gaspereau River rd.
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Here is a few facts taken from the "Invest in Nova Scotia Wines" web page.
March - May
When the buds start to grow, it is important to protect them from late frosts. By the end of May, the frost threat ends. While battling frost, potential mildew is treated with sulfur applications. As the land starts to dry in late March/April, mowing and tilling under the cover crops begins. Then suckers are removed from the vines to maximize quality so that the vines can focus on growing great grapes.
May is bloom time. While the self-pollinating flowers do the work, rain-free days and and mild temperatures present ideal conditions. Meanwhile, the shoots are positioned to avoid overcrowding. After the bloom, the leaves are pulled around the berry bunches to expose them to indirect sunlight – allowing flavors to develop. The earlier you get sun exposure, the better.
June - September
It's veraison time, when sugar accumulation begins. White Chardonnay grapes turn from green to gold. Red Pinot Noir and Merlot turn green to dark red. As the crop moves to 85 percent of their colour, the remaining green berries are dropped to the ground. This removes potentially uneven flavors and concentrates the flavors of the remaining berries. The grapes reach maturity at 24-25 percent sugar content.
October - December
October is typically harvest time in Nova Scotia (unless you're making icewine when harvest is late December). It helps with the winemaking process and the crush as the grapes are at the optimal temperature to produce premium wine.
January - March
After the harvest, cover crops are planted to prevent erosion during the rainy months and to add nutrients to the soil when they are tilled under. Areas are stabilized and any damaged trellises repaired. The vines enter full dormancy in mid-December. The dormant season lasts through March and the cycle begins again.
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The infamous telephone booth in the middle of the vineyard.
You can make toll free calls in North America.
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| A view from the Vineyard |
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| Gail making sure the phone works. |
"Here, Luckett Vineyards captures the magic of Nova Scotia’s distinctive character through wines that truly are worth phoning home about. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of the Minas Basin and Blomidon from the outdoor dining patio while sampling a menu of locally produced foods, specially chosen to compliment the unique red, white and fruit wines.
The winery also offers an elegant barrel room featuring custom décor by a local artist, ideal for hosting small corporate functions and private events. Owner Pete Luckett’s British roots are evident throughout the winery, including an authentic London phone booth in the vineyard".
( Wines of Nova Scotia web page ).
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| Mulching |
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| Pete Luckett |
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"Media personality
Luckett's TV career started while in Saint John as a frequent guest on the CBC television show Midday.
Upon moving to Nova Scotia in the early 1990s, Luckett became a contributing guest to the Halifax CTV affiliate, ATV, where he hosted a bi-weekly segment on fruit and vegetables on the supperhour news show Live at Five.
Luckett currently hosts the Food Network series The Food Hunter where he travels around the world.
Luckett's catchphrase in his broadcast media appearances is "Toodlee-doo."
Luckett currently (January 2012) stars as a cab driver at the end of a TV ad for the NSLC encouraging Nova Scotians not to drink and drive by saying "If you've had a few, your car has too". The ad shows cars parked outside a party as drunk saying such phrases as "I love you man" and other drunken ramblings." ( Wikipedia )
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After visiting Luckett Vineyards, our excursion took us to Grand Pre to do the touristy walk around the gardens and church area. Pretty quiet in Grand Pre as the official weekend to open is May 17th.
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| Grand Pre Church |
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"Grand-Pre Nova Scotia
Settled in 1680 by Acadians who had ventured out from the original French settlement in Port-Royal, Grand Pre, which means great meadow, has a history as rich as its dyke land soil. These settlers built the dykes which keep back the tides of the Minas Basin and created very fertile lands for crops and animals.
Grand-Pre grew to be the largest of all the Acadian settlements in the Annapolis Valley area. That is until September 5, 1755 when from the church in Grand-Pre the order was declared that all Acadians would be deported. From that date until 1763 more than 10 000 Acadians were deported from Nova Scotia.
Today Grand-Pre is a National Historic Site and it has had a memorial church built on the grounds which serves as a museum. Other notable sites are the Deportation Cross which was built to ensure memory of the deportation and a sculpture of Evangeline the main character in the famed poem by Henry Longfellow." ( Our Valley.ca )
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Our last stop was a little pub called the Library Pub and Winery. Not a huge lunch menu but the burger and side I ordered was better than most I've had. Gail ordered a chicken sandwich and she to raved how good it was. We both agreed that we would highly recommend it to friends. Here are a few links to copy and paste if you are interested in visiting this establishment.
http://thelibrarypub.ca/.
https://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=library+pub+wolfville+menu&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=library+pub&hnear=0x4b585508649b3e03:0xb991fdcccab87245,Wolfville,+NS&cid=0,0,11468267822878429695&ei=h9KHUZbONq-24APUn4HABQ&ved=0CLUBEPwSMAA.
I will definitely be visiting Luckett Vineyards again when the grapevines are in full bloom and the weather is a bit warmer. It is a very accommodating place for people to get away on a beautiful day to enjoy the beauty of the valley and to sit back and relax with friends
and a glass of red or white wine.
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