Winery Tours and Tasting
This region of Nova Scotia was one of the first grape growing areas in North America; indigenous varietals include l’Acadie Blanc and Marechal Foch. Your tour will first take you west to the village of Weymouth to visit a new vineyard that is just at the point of producing marketable grapes. October is an ideal month to visit as it is harvest time for most varietals. En route beside St. Mary’s Bay, your guide will describe wine growing in Nova Scotia, the opportunities and the challenges. Vines here include Chardonnay, Muscat, Marechal Foch and Pinot Noir.
You will then take a short drive to Bear River, a unique “village on stilts”
where you will visit 
two working vineyards. Bear River Vineyards is possibly
the oldest grape growing site in North America (1611), only four years after
Samuel de Champlain established a settlement in the region. This winery makes
extensive use of alternative energy. The tour will include tastings, including
an unoaked Chardonnay, Reisling, Pinot Noir, a Pinot Noir Rose and the unique
Isosceles, a tripartite blend of Baco Noir, Marechal Foch and Pinot Noir.
Your next exploration will be to Annapolis Highlands Winery where a wild blueberry wine is produced, as well as a Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Franc, DeChaunac, Reisling and Muscat. A special treat will be the opportunity to pair food and wines during tasting in the bistro, with a focus on local produce including artisanal cheeses. Both of these wineries were award winners in the recent Annual Atlantic Canadian Wine Competition. Annapolis Highlands recently won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the 2010 All Canadian Wine Championships.
Your short trip back to the dock at Digby will be alongside the river through the magnificent Bear River Valley, then on a route overlooking the Annapolis Basin.
Access: Wineries are wheelchair accessible and are within 100’ of a paved parking lot. Some stairs are involved, and ramps are available. Vineyards involve some walking on hillsides, surface crushed gravel, with mown grass between the vines.
Time: Departure from dock – 10am
Duration: 5 ½ hours