September 20th Day Six: More Winery Visits and Deep Sea Fishing

Lovely Morning
In Italy I would wake up and marvel at the view from the top of Castelrotto, a high hill overlooking the valleys that make up Valpolicella. I have stayed in lovely Umbria where mornings sounded with the enchanting calls of song birds and a view that would speed up any heart. I have seen the mountain hills of Portugal's Douro region and the splendor of Styria in Austria. Added to this list of hypnotic beauty was the mystical and peaceful view that I would wake up to at the Platter House in Souris. Prince Edward Island. Everyone on a trip takes something with them wherever they go. For me it was this memory of mornings----and evenings at Platter House.
Hemingway had his Loire Valley in France....... I had my Platter House. Energized after a few minutes of meditation overlooking the dock and the water, I went into the building and soon Roy and I were off to our first visit.
Percy Hill, Montegue
The name Montegue is derived from the Montegue River which, in turn inherited from George Brudenell (later Montegu after 1st Duke of Montegu). The area has a claim to fame for being the first to have both a Wendy's and Tim Horton's cohabit in the same location. Apparently, the executives of both enterprises met and immediately liked each other and the rest is history. Percy Hill is the name of a cottage that is rented out to various individuals for private use. It lies atop a gorgeous hill with a view that rivals many resorts. The 3000 square foot cottage came with all amenities such as closeness to recreational facilities, view, Internet, television, 1.5 baths, four bedrooms and much more. I was very impressed at the location and the building but that was not why I was up there for. I was up there to see a new little vineyard just planted this year.
To my astonishment, the vines looked over one year old already and in top notch health. The vineyard was one of hybrid varieties which would do very well with the southern slope and excellent spacing. Apparently, a retired person was coming in on a regular basis and keeping the vines spotless. In addition a five foot brick wall that stretched about sixty feet along the width of the vineyard acted as a barrier for winter months.
I had brought a Sauvignon Blanc vine with me just to try out. The vine from Ontario had a full root system and was planted right next to the wall which also served to collect heat and keep it during cool evenings. With the heavy snowfall that PEI winters get and with the warmer weather (though this year was abysmal) that the changing climate seems to be bringing, it may survive if given tender loving care.
Rossignol Vineyard
Soon we were off and away from Percy Hill and were off to Rossignol Vineyard in an area called Little Sands just South West of Murray River. The vineyard overlooks the Northumberland Strait and the combination of vineyard and water makes a great looking view. We met John Rossignol at the front of his building and he showed us his vineyards of Lucy Kuhlman, Marechal Foch, Seyval Blanc, Minnesota 78, Valient (which suffered a bit from salt spray and will be replaced) and Muscat grapes.
The wine boutique also served to show some excellent artwork as well as "knacks" that one could buy and take home. Sculptures out front depicted various forms of wine enjoyment and a Pagoda in the vineyard seemed a very relaxing place to "escape into one's own thoughts".
We tasted John's wines and found all his blends, varietals and fruit wines delicious.
As I looked upon what John had accomplished, I thought to myself that it must have been both courageous and very hard/risky to be first. There were those probably with too eager a finger to point and say "see we knew you couldn't do it" or the others would come after and say "we don't like your stuff---why bother!" John probably heard it all but kept on going. Congratulations to a true pioneer who had the guts and fortitude to move ahead and keeps on going. Nice job! Nice Winery! Great Guy!
Lunch At Brehault's
We dropped in at Brehault's Restaurant and ordered some bites to eat. Food was good and the coffee was great. We then went over to visit a Bed and Breakfast called My Father's House which I had included in my book "Rendezvous For Dinner" in 2006. Unfortunately, Joe its proprietor was not there and did not return while we were in Murray Harbour so I missed him. I did talk to his wife however and I relayed a message to him.
Newman Estate Winery
Michael Newman is only 30 years old but his vineyard and ten acre winery in Murray River was full of activity. Mike was busy working on his vineyard, bottling his blueberry wine, building his almost 3000 square foot home/boutique/winery and if that was not enough, making plans for future expansion. The man was on a mission and I was so surprised that he was not overwhelmed. His lovely girlfriend Christie along with Mike's twin brother, Rob, were there to lend a hand. Rob was invaluable to Mike in his work around the winery and Christie was excellent as a host.
On the ten acre plot which is reputed to have the warmest temps in PEI, he grows Marechal Foch, Lucy Kuhlman with plans for Vidal and Seyval Blanc. At the time of the visit he was bottling his blueberry wine. Each bottle was hand labeled and painted. The wine was not the cloying blueberry that many make but a medium dry, medium to full bodied wine reminiscent of Merlot with nice berry and chocolate. It was a good wine and with that experience I could hardly wait for a future tasting of his grape wines. His vines were healthy though needed to be tied and pruned somewhat but his strength is time itself and he is young with good friends to help.
The young man was full of dreams and positive energy and what is important, he was shopping for ideas and seriously listening. Older than his years dictated, he definitely was a man with a mission.
We tasted his wine with some hor d'oeuvres and it went well with cheese, oysters and other combinations. We were given a tour of his winery and though spartan, it was in excellent condition. My only observation is that Michael was doing so many things at one time that he may in fact at some point become overwhelmed. Somehow, I was also sure that he probably had the resources to handle it and handle it well. Job well done Michael!
With Newman Estate Winery ended our visit to the wineries for that day but we had something truly special coming up and that was a visit and tour with Tranquility Cove Adventures.
Tranquility Cove Adventures
The minute we drove into Tranquility Cove I knew that this was going to be fun when I met Perry Gotell who was the "skipper" of the tiny ship. His mate Lucas was a mighty sailing man and I liked him too. We all set sail on a deep sea fishing tour----a three hour tour! But here is where the comparison to Gilligan's Island ends. The going did not get rough and the tiny ship did not get lost. A fearless crew they were but we were never in need of help 'cause the water was as smooth as glass and the weather was just fine.
We went out about five miles or so although that was just a guess. I was allowed to take the boat controls and must admit, it was fun. The depth indicator to my right was telling me the depth of the water and a gauge on the same side indicated life such as schools of fish at various depths.
The boat had anything and everything to make us comfortable: food, fruit and soft drinks. On the way we made several stops at points of interest: One was to a Rock Crab trap. Another was to a Mussel sock where live mussels were suspended on mesh like sleeves called "Socks". These socks were anchored to the bottom and gave the mussels a place to grow. The mussels were removed by a brush and the sleeves were reused. We then went to a Lobster Trap but the surprise was on us since the lobsters had broken out of the cage which showed signs of deterioration. I couldn't help feel a bit happy for the lobsters since the alternative could have been a cooking pot and a quick change of colour to Red Lobster.
We kept on heading out past the outer point. The Skipper finally stopped the boat and gave us fishing rods. We were fishing for Makerel! Me, I never had the patience to fish and much of the time, when I did go, I would last maybe half an hour at best. Roy on the other hand loved the whole idea of fishing and took to this like a ----well-----fish does to water!! The first catch was made by Skipper, followed by Lucas and Roy. The pattern remained until I exchanged ends with the Skipper. I then started catching a few but not many. I gave in and called it a fishing day after about an hour or so. Roy on the other hand was the last one to put down the rod.
The funniest thing that happened was while we were fishing and the Skipper was catching some nice sized fish. Every so often a small one would come in and be thrown back by Lucas. The Skipper caught several small ones in a row and then on huge sucker of a fish. Lucas was talking to Roy as the big fish was caught by Skipper. Lucas proceeded to unhook the monster and without realzing what he was doing-----he threw the fish back in!!!! Skipper went into a frenzy and jokingly saying, "Hey boy, what the %#@$ are you doing. You want your pink slip do yah! This was all in fun but I am sure he did not and will not let Lucas forget this for a long time to come.
The trip was a great one and on our way back we roasted some Mackerel on the ship's barbecue which was attached on the side. The fish were great but it was then that I wished I had a bottle of good Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc or L'Acadie Blanc on hand!
Tranquility Cove Adventures had other packages such as "The Cork Adventure" where by landlubbers can see what the life of a Lobster Fisherman's helper (Cork) does from early morn' until about Noonish. "The Highliner Adventure" is similar to the Cork but it includes all you can eat lobster---------"Have ya' ever been to see Billy?"
"The Giant Bar Clam Dig Adventure" is for those who like to visit private deserted islands and swim/snorkel/hunt for clams which are collected and then steamed. Finally for those who love Eagles there is the "Bald Eagle Adventure" where sightings are guaranteed.
The way back was as much fun as going out but the thing I will remember the most is Roy's face as he caught those fish and the Skipper's face when Lucas threw the "Big One" back. As for the experience-----I actually steered the ship for a very long and enjoyable time!!!
By the time we said our good byes to Perry and Lucas, the gravol that I really did not need to take started to take effect (I took three) and shades of the "I Love Lucy" episode on the ferry, I was going down for the count fast. The night was not a long one and the bed was very, very welcoming.
End Of Day Six