Traynor Family Vineyard — A hands-on approach to winemaking

Traynor Family Vineyard is right in the heart of Prince Edward County, a quaint 5.5 acre vineyard at the corner of Danforth Road and Loyalist Parkway in Hillier, Ontario. But it wasn’t always this way. When Mike Traynor purchased the property in 2008, it was a frozen cornfield. Mike had been working in the wine making industry for nearly 20 years and had always wanted his own vineyard. That frozen cornfield didn’t keep him from making his dream of a gorgeous space full of friendly faces and award-winning wines come to life.

Traynor Vineyards is focused on natural wine making, being sure to use old methods when creating their wines. Their portfolio of wines is something to be recognized. They have a wide variety of styles and techniques that make every batch special. 

One of their favourite drinks is the Haberdasher Vermouth. Taking three years to build, this vermouth has over twenty different herbs and ingredients that are all grown on the Traynor property. “It’s a hyper-local product!” Mike Traynor enthusiastically explains. Another one of their favourites is their piquettes. Piquette or “little wine” was traditionally served to the vineyard labourers, and is light and refreshing. Traynor Vineyards is one of the few places in Canada that makes it on this small of a scale.  

Traynor Vineyards has loads to offer aside from their bottles of scrumptious wines. An interactive experience allows visitors to see exactly how the wine is made while sampling some of the best drinks in the vineyard’s cozy tasting bar. Visitors can see everything happening from the bar stool, and even talk to the people behind the the wine. “For a small winery, we’re super privileged to have such enthusiastic experts” says Traynor. “We love how we’re able to offer such an educational experience to people have never even tried any wines”.  The tasting experience is accompanied by wine and chocolate pairings from local chocolatiers. The newly renovated bar includes a warm fire place that’s always on the go along with a gorgeous wood interior. 

“We do this because wine is what we love” says Traynor. “All of our wines are made by hand. We touch every bottle, we label every bottle by hand, everything we do is not the easy way. But it’s the way we do it because it’s what is right and it’s what we love. We hope our passion shows in our product!”.

You can purchase some of Traynor Vineyard’s wines on their website at www.traynorvineyard.com. Or you can simply visit them Sunday to Friday between 11-5, or Saturday from 11-6. It will be a trip and a taste to remember!