By Chadsey's Cairnes

Our wine store is a charming one-room building with mysterious origins, an 1840's architectural jewel hidden from roadside view behind weather-greyed barns. Over the years, like all farm buildings, it has been put to good practical use: school house for field hands' children, chapel, apple storehouse and workshop, perhaps even for coffin construction for the nearby Chadsey Cemetery. These days we serve wine tastings.

HOURS:
Open daily June to October, 11 am to 6 pm. Open weekends spring and autumn—best to call ahead. Or open by appointment during the off-season.

TELEPHONE:
(613) 399-2992

ADDRESS:
17432 Loyalist Parkway (Highway 33)
5 km west of Wellington
E-mail:the.cairns@reach.net.

Visit us online at http://bychadseyscairns.com/

By Chadsey's Cairnes - Gamay Noir

 

2005 Gamay Noir:  $16.00 An earthy version of our usual cherry and pepper Gamay with extra minerality thanks to the late rains that year.

2007 Gamay Noir:  $22.00
A full flavoured Gamay, thanks to a warm growing season, that deserved oaking.  Classic cherry and pepper with toasty caramel finish.

NOTES ON GAMAY NOIR

A cheerful wine, Gamay demands little of the palette, only asking to be enjoyed as a great simple pleasure.  Known as the famous Beaujolais wine when grown in that French region, Gamay can flourish in cool climates, and particularly on our sandy and clay loam soils.  Usually the wine is laced with refreshing acidity and red berry fruit, and most years has sufficient heft and character to support oaking.  A totally gulpable, take-it-anywhere-you-go wine.  Can be served slightly chilled.  [2.8 acres; planted 2001-02]

By Chadsey's Cairns - Pinot Noir

 

2005 Pinot Noir: $9.00 (375 ml bottle)

Cherry bomb on the nose, peppery finish, firm tannins.  Sold in half bottles.

2007 Pinot Noir: $24.00 
Our best Pinot yet—delicate and refined, layered with cherry, pepper and toasty oak.
SOLD OUT

2008 Pinot Noir: $24.00 
Lots of cherry (red, black, sweet and sour), smoky beetroot, a hint of pepper and a solid tannin finish. Pairs well with roast chicken, pork, veal chops, lamb and duck that require a lighter red wine touch.

NOTES ON PINOT NOIR

Ahh, the wine that inspires an unending quest for the next bottle, with luck another exquisite expression of terroir.  Known as the heartbreak grape because it can be difficult to grow and vinify, the thin-skinned, black Pinot grape produces a fruity, lightish red wine that nevertheless tastes serious with a thoughtful and sensual layering of flavours: red berries, violets and pepper to name a few, whatever it has drawn from the particular vineyard location.  Pursuit of Pinot has turned many into wine geeks.  Like Burgundy, the exalted home of Pinot, the Prince Edward County is favoured with limestone soils, and a cool climate that slows down ripening to maintain aromas and taste complexity. [2.5 acres; planted 2001-02]

By Chadsey's Cairns - Rosé

2007 Roxey Rosé: $20.00  An oaked rosé is a seriously fun wine.  Heavy on the strawberries with a citrus freshness and vanilla finish.  Named after Ira’s wife Roxey, who was romantically laid to rest under a magnificent oak tree.
SOLD OUT

2008 Rosita Rosé: $10.00  (375 ml bottle)
A racy fun rose that seesaws between tangy strawberry and a touch of sweetness.  Good on hot days when you need a refreshing pickup.

2008 Rosarugosa Rosé: $18.00 
Named after a famous variety of pink rose. This is a unique blend of Chardonnay, Gamay and St. Laurent. Great aroma, refreshing and with a subdued sweetness, this is a great alternative to sparkling wine for starting a party.

By Chadsey's Cairns - Gewürztraminer

 

2007 Gewürztraminer: $20.00  Traditional lychee nose, silky smooth going down.  A slightly off dry wine that pairs well with Thai food and fresh tropical fruit.
SOLD OUT.

2008 Gewürztraminer: $21.00 
SOLD OUT.

NOTES ON GEWÜRZTRAMINER 

(pronounced Guh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner) A hard-to-pronounce, but unforgettable wine, Gewürz is known for its distinctive perfumed scent and tropical fruit tastes.  Some people love it and search for new Gewürzs to experience, while others heartily dislike it.  When grown in hot climates, this dark pink grape is faulted with having too much of everything. But in cool climates, Gewürz develops sufficient acid that takes the edge off a potentially cloying sweetness, and perks up the pungent lychee and peach sensations so that the wine is delicately exotic.  We were thrilled when our first Gewürz wine developed a cult following, and wished we had planted more. [2.1 acres; planted 2000-02]

By Chadsey's Cairns - Chenin Blanc

 

2007 Chenin Blanc: $24.00 Our typical offering.  A dry, refreshing wine with its distinct salty minerality and crisp lemon finish.  Great with seafood.

2008 Chenin Blanc: $24.00
Notes to be updated on this wine soon .

NOTES ON CHENIN BLANC

This is our most serendipitous grape.   We agreed to buy 1,200 leftover Chenin vines from another planting, a varietal we hadn’t considered.  What the heck, we thought.  One of the most versatile grapes, and misunderstood wines, Chenin Blanc ranges from an ordinary, simple wine made in hot climates where the yields are too heavy, to a nervy, long-lasting, premium wine made in all levels of sweetness in its home, the Loire Valley.  We fantasized about a honeyed Loire-styled Chenin  (fat chance in the county’s cooler climes), but instead have been rewarded with a Chenin that is consistently refreshing with a distinct salty minerality and crisp lemon finish.  Some people say it smells like the ocean (mingled with pear), not surprising since it’s grown in our ancient beach soils.  These people prefer their Chenin with seafood, particularly oysters.  [1.2 acres; planted 2001]

By Chadsey's Cairns - Chardonnay

 

2006 Chardonnay (unoaked): $20.00
We have sold a lot of this wine to people who steer away from heavily oaked Chardonnay.  Pear and pineapple with generous buttery mouthfeel and underlying unoaked crispness.  Lingering finish.  Every wine has a story.  This one began tragically when we lost most of our Chardonnay harvest in the 2006 rains.  However, our friends, the Laileys from Niagara, rescued us with offers of their own Chardonnay grapes.  The languorous charm comes from their grapes.  The little kick-ass lilt is all that remains of ours.

2007 Chardonnay: $21.00
Lightly oaked but with the clean finish that you expect from an unoaked Chablis-style Chardonnay. This wine reflects the terroir of each of our three vineyards. It fills the mouth with a satiny viscosit with our characteristic peach, pear and pineapple qualities and then has a long lingering finish that makes it a great companion to seafood and lightly seasoned white meats.

NOTES ON CHARDONNAY

Because it is such an easy-going varietal, at home in nearly any growing condition and always willing to please, Chardonnay comes to the table in a range of styles from lean and tart to rich and creamy.  A full-bodied, broad wine, Chardonnay picks up tasting characteristics from the soil and usually needs to be cluster thinned to maximize flavours.  In cool summers we will produce unoaked Chardonnay, dry and refreshing, a welcome change for people weary of oak; the harvests of hot summers will be reserved for oaking to produce the lovely buttery, sophisticated and mellow mouth-feel that comes from Chardonnay’s particular affinity with oak contact.  [3.8 acres; planted 2000-02]

By Chadsey's Cairns - Riesling

2007 Riesling: $19.00 Lively citrus notes, mineral undertones and a crisp grapefruit finish.  Wonderful on its own at the cocktail hour. Refreshing and elegant at the dinner table, particularly with salmon.

NOTES ON RIESLING

(pronounced REES-ling) A great classic wine that tastes nothing like the sweet versions many of us cut our teeth on during our early wine drinking days.  A dry Johannisberg Riesling is thirst-quenching and energizing.  One of the few white wines that evolve with age, Riesling is also known for its ability to express the terroir of its surroundings.  Grown on Brighton Gravelly Sand, our Riesling tends to taste of zippy citrus and a distinctive minerality with a floral or green apple bouquet.  The grapes need a long, slow ripening period to maximize flavour—perfect for Ontario vineyards.  [3.7 acres; planted 1999]