Posted : August 31, 2021
Our blog is chock full of great ideas for fun things to see and do in York Durham and Headwaters. We are always adding new content and updating old posts, but sometimes you might stumble upon something from our vault. If this article has inspired you to hit the road, be sure to double-check that the featured stops in this post are still welcoming visitors.
If you’ve spent time with us at our York Durham Headwaters blog, then you’re likely familiar with Adamo Estate Winery. Located in the Headwaters region of Mono, adjacent to Hockley Valley Resort, this premier winery and vineyard has turned more than a few heads in the international wine lovers’ community. Since its inception, we’ve been thrilled to feature several of Adamo’s stories on our YDH blog, and we anticipate many more inspiring stories to come as they continue to grow and thrive in our rural tourism landscape.
Given that I, myself, have written several of these stories, Hockley Valley Resort was naturally one of the first places I thought of when my partner, Peter, asked me where I wanted to go for my 40th birthday this summer. It’s a big year for me which necessitates a big trip—five days away with absolutely zero kids! A luxury resort in my own backyard, with golf, spa, food and wine on the menu, was the perfect way to kick off my milestone “thirty-tenth,” just me and the hubby in one of the most scenic regions in all of Ontario.
For our first night and our first experience, Peter and I ventured down the road from Hockley to Adamo. Since the first vines were planted almost a decade ago, Adamo has grown to become one of our internationally celebrated Ontario wineries. The estate is comprised of 18 beautiful acres of cultivated vineyard, with winemaking facilities located on the grounds in a visually stunning building. Winemaker Shauna White stands at the helm of this award-winning vintner’s ship, with accolades to her credit like InterVin International Wine Awards (2018 Estate Riesling – Gold), International Wine Challenge China (2016 Foxcroft Chardonnay – Silver) and New York International Wine Competition (Winery of the Year), to name just a few.
Literally just a few. As of Summer 2021, this wine-loving writer counts over 90 awards and commendations.
Because I’m unabashedly partial to wine, Peter and I decided to go for the tasting and raw bar experience. Adamo offers a Flight of 2 option, which is two ounces of wine and two wines per tier—three tiers in total. There is the Playful Series, with fruitier, fun wines like Spark’l, Whip’d White and Redhead Pino Noir. There is the Growers and Estate Series, with more robust varietals like Willms Oaked Chardonnay and Lepp Merlot. Then there is the Artists Series and Dessert Wines with deep flavoured wines like Lowrey Wild Ferment Pinot Noir and Special Select Late Harvest Vidal.
To accompany our tasting, we chose a shared meal from the raw bar, and were rewarded with a delectable sampling of the best seafood dishes Adamo has to offer. For those guests who are not partial to raw seafood, rest assured that there are several delicious hot meal options, too, and the estate focaccia is out of this world good! Our servers augmented our experience—each tasting came with a knowledgeable explanation of the wine’s flavours, how it was made, what notes we could expect to detect, and what types of food it paired well with. I don’t mind saying that it felt like being a bit of a VIP—even though, I am sure, everyone who walks through those dramatic red estate doors receives the same intimate attention.
After our tasting, our meal and a period of studied consideration, the humble verdicts of this newly-minted quadragenarian and her best wine tasting partner are in. My favourite: Cabernets. Peter’s favourite: Foxcroft Riesling. Wines disliked: Zero. Wines tried: … Most of ’em between the two of us.
Though I am a wine lover, I am not any kind of a wine expert. But I do love adding to my limited wealth of Bacchus-inspired knowledge, and this visit to Adamo Estate Winery left me with a little tidbit that I can pull out to dazzle people who think I’m wine-smart. The term: Mineralization. You know that slightly carbon-ey feeling on your tongue when you enjoy a wine that is not itself carbonated? I learned that this is called mineralization. My newfound tidbit is as delightful to me as the tiny little tongue bubbles which they describe.
Adamo Estate Winery was my first of five days’ worth of experiences at Hockley Valley. It was a wonderful way to kick off my 40th birthday celebration. Peter and I loved it so much that we decided to bookend our Hockley experience with a final visit to Adamo just before heading home. A charcuterie lunch and a nice glass of wine on the elevated patio overlooking the rolling green hills of the vineyard? Now that’s a memory to keep for a lifetime.
A note on winery tours: Due to COVID-19, Adamo Estate Winery is currently not offering tours of its facility. Be sure to check for updates on the website for when tours are able to resume.
Adamo Estate Winery
793366 3rd line EHS, Mono
www.adamoestate.com
Story by Katherine Ryalen
