Before going on my weekend getaway to Norfolk County, I wasn’t really a huge wine or beer drinker. I knew there were tons of local wineries and breweries in Norfolk County, and I knew my boyfriend would love to go visit them. Norfolk Tourism graciously set up a tour for us with Ride the Bine to spend the afternoon trying their local drinks. Ride the Bine is a local beer, wine, and cider tour company in the Norfolk and London area. Fun fact: Wine + Beer = Bine… a bine is also the type of stem (such as on the hop), that climbs up as it grows.

To start off our tour, Amanda (one of the owners of Ride the Bine) picked us up at Long Point Eco-Adventures and took us to our first location – Burning Kiln Winery. This winery was built on a former tobacco lot and is just breath taking! They wanted to keep the same feel of the property, so they re-purposed bulk tobacco kilns to enhance the flavours of their wines. We got right into trying some of their wines and I actually found 2 I liked! (Who knew that all it took me was 1 wine tasting to find out I actually like it? To think of all the times I passed on wine… lol!). I have found my taste gravitates towards sweet white wines, such as their Horse & Boat Riesling, and my new favourite Sweet Leaf Riesling. My boyfriend really loved their Kiln Hanger red wine.

We did a quick walk around the property to see the views and it was just so beautiful. If I lived closer, I would definitely keep this place in mind for any future events that I want to throw. They have a gorgeous view of the vineyard from their back patio, especially overlooking the Long Point Bay World Biosphere Reserve. We had the chance to stay for lunch at their open-air patio, which was right in front of the property. I ordered the gourmet burger, and my boyfriend ordered the perch tacos after hearing so much about them. The gourmet burger was hands down the best burger I’ve ever eaten. The meat was so flavourful and tender, it just fell apart while I was eating. I honestly wished I didn’t live so far, otherwise I would be eating here all the time.

Views of the Burning Kiln Winery Vineyard

Things to do in Norfolk County: Ride the Bine Tour

Views of the Burning Kiln Winery Vineyard, and Sweet Leaf in hand

Outside Patio at Burning Kiln Winery

After lunch, we travelled to Inasphere Wines to try their local wines and take in their amazing views. This winery felt smaller, but the vineyard/field was HUGE. Not only was it a winery, but they also had a huge plot of land to grow all sorts of vegetables. The views were just incredible. I could just imagine waking up to it every morning. If you stop by this winery, definitely try “Grey Area”. It’s their happy mistake – a white Pinot Noir! It was definitely my favourite wine from this winery.

After visiting two wineries, it was time to hit up some breweries. We made our third stop to Ramblin Road Brewery Farm. This brewery had it all – beer, chips and nuts for sale, and a restaurant upstairs (which we came to the next day before we went home). They have a nice selection of beers, which my boyfriend got as a flight. I am not a fan of beer because it has a very dry and bitter taste to me, but the lady who was serving us made me a raddler (mix of beer and pineapple juice) and it was so good! I’ve tried raddlers before but never liked them because they’re usually made with grapefruit juice. The pineapple juice mixed with their Country Cream Ale was perfect! I made sure to pick up their Quick 6 Sampler pack and some packs of their bar nuts.

Look how huge these bines are! Tons of hop growing.

The final stop in our tour was to New Limburg Brewery. This brewery was actually my favourite location. It’s actually located inside an old elementary school, which is great because my boyfriend is a teacher. They utilized the gym to make their beer and utilized the library to store everything. The bar was located in one of the old classrooms, which still had the same blackboards up. It was such a smart idea to open a brewery inside a school – take space inside a vacated building, and it’s a fun spot to hang out at. They’ve converted the playground in the back to be an outside bar as well, with an outdoor volleyball area.

Back Patio of New Limburg Brewery

Ride the Bine held such a fun tour. Amanda was so knowledgeable, even about Norfolk County and the crops that are grown. I learned so much about the area, as well as each of the businesses that we visited. I would hands down visit Norfolk County again and do this tour with a bigger group of friends. I’d definitely recommend coming to Norfolk County and scheduling a tour with Ride the Bine. You won’t be disappointed!!