Nova Scotia Wines Wows Parliament Hill, Petite Rivière Vineyards Showcases its Grand Red Wine

The Nova Scotia Wine industry poured wine on Parliament Hill for the Members of    Parliament, Senators and visiting dignitaries last Tuesday, March 27, 2012. The  reception was hosted in the Speaker of the House’s private reception ballroom. It was vintage maritime hospitality including four ways to eat lobster and wines from  14 direct Nova Scotia wineries. It was a tremendous turnout with the room packed solid for the whole two hour event. The wines were very well received creating a buzz by the many Members of Parliament and their staff. Petite Rivière Vineyards wine maker Barbara Thomson greeted Gerald Keddy, Member of Parliament for South Shore – St. Margaret’s. Mr. Keddy was very graceful with his time and introduced the Petite team to numerous Members of Parliament. Petite did a preview of the yet to be released 2010 Italy Cross, a rich, smooth, oaked red. It was a hit from senators to junior staffers; many were surprised with the quality of the wine from LaHave River Valley Wine Region.

“This February, we offer wine lovers something delicious to keep them warm in the heart of winter. Kissing Brook reveals rich spicy notes of dark fruit, cassis, and leather, with notes of dark chocolate on the finish. This wine pairs well with steak, chicken or wild mushroom risotto,” said Barbara Thomson Wine Maker at Petite Riviere Vineyards. “We are delighted to work with Harvest Wines & Spirits and we invite everyone to come by for a tasting.”

To mark its arrival, Harvest Wines & Spirits will run a contest “Warm Reds in the Heart of Winter” with the top prize being a 1-year membership to Petite Riviere’s Wine Club. Tastings have been scheduled for February 7th and the 14th from 4-7pm, February 11 from 12-4pm. All store visitors will be provided with a coupon leading to Petite Riviere Vineyard’s Ultimate Vineyard and Winery Tour. Kissing Brook will be available at an introductory price of $23.99.

“The quality of Kissing Brook makes it a top pick for wines under $25 for this season. Petite Riviere Vineyards is a gem in the South Shore and is quickly becoming known for their robust reds—a perfect compliment for these winter months,” said Moira MacDonald, Harvest Wines & Spirits. “As a local, independent retailer of fine wines and spirits, we recognize the importance of working with our local wineries. We are thrilled to be able to offer this exclusively in Metro.”

About Kissing Brook
The wine takes its name from the brook at one of Petite main vineyard. It was used by the native Mi’kmaq as a pathway to the beaches of Green Bay. During preparation of the vineyard, many native artifacts were recovered and are on display at the winery.

LaHave takes its name from the LaHave River Valley Wine Region. This region is one of the oldest grape growing regions in North America. The name LaHave (and Petite Riviere) dates back in 1600s when Samuel de Champlain, an explorer and cartographer, explored, mapped out and named the shores in the area.

“This February, we offer wine enthusiasts something special from our very own wine region. LaHave unravels layers of ripe fruit including cherries, strawberries, with some leather herbal notes,” said Barbara Thomson, Wine Maker at Petite Riviere Vineyards. “We invite everyone to come by for tasting at the NSLC Bridgewater. Discover the good structured tannin in this wine. It is excellent with a tomato-based pasta or barbecued chicken.”

The wine LaHave has been made available on a small lot at the NSLC stores in Bridgewater, Chester, Hubbards, Lunenburg, and Mahone Bay. NSLC Bridgewater will run a contest called “Warm Reds in the Heart of Winter” with the top prize being a 1-year membership to Petite Riviere’s Wine Club. Tastings have been scheduled at NSLC Bridgewater for February 4th from 5-8pm, February 10th and February 24th from 4-7pm, and February 18th    from 1-4pm. All store visitors will be provided with a coupon leading to Petite Riviere Vineyard’s Ultimate Vineyard and Winery Tour.

About LaHave
This wine is from the LaHave River Valley Wine Region. In 1604, the Don de Deiu ship docked in Green Bay, Nova Scotia. During this time, Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer and cartographer, drew charts of the area. The names LaHave and Petite Riviere originated from his map. The first reported vineyards planted in this area goes back to 1632.

Petite Riviere Vineyards Ends the Season with ‘Come for a Party, Dig a Well for Kenya’ Party and Fundraiser with a Finale Concert

(Petite Riviere, NS) October 19, 2011 – The ‘Come for a Party, Dig a Well for Kenya’ event fundraiser will be held on October 30th at the Petite Riviere Vineyards, NS from 5-9 PM. The public is invited to attend.

This fundraiser is a unique event planned and supported by a group of active South Shore locals to benefit a women’s group in rural Kenya. The event is the brainchild of Ashton Rodenhiser, who works in Kenya and met the women behind Makindu Friends Women’s Group and their families. Supporters include Leif Helmer, Music NS Community Presenter of the Year award winner 2010; wine maker Barbara Thomson, and Sean Sears of Petite Riviere Vineyards.

The funds raised at the event will go to the cause of digging a “borehole”, or, well for the women in rural Kenya. This allows them to grow their own food and sustain the farm, and, more importantly provide for their families. The women then will not have to depend on the ‘unreliable’ relief food.

“We are very pleased to support Ashton and the cause,” said Sears. “We are inspired to know how digging a well can impact so many lives in a Kenyan community.”

The ‘Come for a Party, Dig a Well for Kenya’ event fundraiser marks the end of season for Petite Riviere Vineyards. Local singer and songwriter Jennah Barry starts and the touring band from BC, The Geese, headlines the evening. There will be lots of barbecue, food, wine, and cheese.

“Water is scarce in this particular part of Kenya with no sufficient rain in over twelve years! The rivers have dried up and the women can only access a small amount of drinking water from the wells in the town,” shares Rodenhiser, who recently got back from a trip to Kenya. “I consider Sean and Leif’s collaboration to be a great gift. It will be a fantastic event with great food, gorgeous Petite wines, Canadian music and arts at the lovely vineyard and winery! ”

Petite Riviere Vineyards will also display the Top 12 photos amongst hundreds submitted to its Picture Perfect Photo Contest 2011.The three winners for the three categories will be announced that evening.Tickets are $20/person. Advance tickets for the show will be available at The Winery, Petite Riviere Vineyards at 1300 Italy Cross Road, as well as the Petite General Store and Cobbler Corner. This event is from 5PM-9PM

About the Makindu Friends Women’s Group

Ashton is supporting the Makindu Friends Women’s Group that was established in January 2011. The 37 women from all ages come together to talk about one common issue: how they can feed their families. These women come from all walks of life, single mothers, great grandmothers, widowed, HIV-affected and little, or, no income. Here is a video:

About Petite Riviere Vineyards

Petite Riviere Vineyards is a destination winery located in the heart of South Shore Wine Country. Its winery location is idyllic, serene and located within 5-miles of three of the province’s most beautiful beaches. Petite benefits from the unique terroir of the LaHave River Valley, one of the oldest grape growing regions in North America. The distinct terroir makes it an ideal location for producing fine wines, particularly robust reds. For more info, visit www.PetiteRiviereVineyards.ca

Contact

info@PetiteRiverieVineyards.ca

902-442-0357 ext 5045

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More about the women of Makindu Friends Women’s Group

Rose is a member of the Makindu Friends Women’s Group. She is the secretary of the group. She has twin daughters who are 22 years old. One of her daughters, Matilda, is also part of the group and has a 6 year old daughter. Rose has suffered from an abusive relationship in the past and now tries to support her daughters and granddaughter on her own by making wooden handcrafts and selling them. She also tries to support her sister who is HIV positive, and, her sister’s children. She is excited about the potential the farm project will bring.

Fatuma is a member of the Makindu Friends Women’s Group. She is an elderly lady in her 80s. She has four sons, one daughter and many, many grandchildren and great grand children. Work is hard to come by for her sons and they have left their wives and children in Makindu to go to Nairobi to find work. Fatuma walks ten kilometres everyday to the town centre to try and sell a few goods. It’s hard to make an income this way since so many people are trying to do the same thing. Fatuma has recently fallen ill and hasn’t been able to get to town to sell goods and her family has suffered because of it. She is excited about the potential the farm project will bring.

For photos about Makindu and Kenya, click here http://bit.ly/pMsImz

Contact

Ashton Rodenhiser

902-521-7446

ashton@vdafrica.org

In addition to our annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 15th, there will be many other grape harvest dates.

We launched a website service enabling you to register to participate in harvest. We will then send the people who register an email 24 to 48 hours prior to each harvest day. We hope this approach will help give everyone who wishes to participate a good chance of making one of our harvest days.

We harvest only in fine weather, so when you are outdoors on a beautiful October day, it is just about perfect.

Sign up for our Grape Fun Harvest!