3 Nova Scotia wineries in the Annapolis Valley led by a seasoned sommelier! Great wines, good…read morecompany and a superb lunch. One of the highlights of my trip east!

My husband and I did the Annapolis Valley Wine and Cheese tour as a shore excursion with a…read moreNorwegian cruise. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience! The wine itself was fabulous but what made it even more enjoyable was our guide, Colleen. She was extremely knowledgeable about the area (Halifax, Gaspereau Valley, and Annapolis Valley) and the wineries. She went above and beyond to make sure that we all enjoyed ourselves, including stopping at an overlook for some quick pics and a farmer's market for some extra snacks. I would highly recommend this tour and would do it again if ever returning to the area.

It's the best kept secret on the south shore Awesome assortment of fruit wines. U-pick blueberry…read morefarm. Great prices

This winery is unlike any other I've been to. Yes, there are some grapes, but this winery is really…read morea working fruit farm and so the wines actually reflect that. As Heather, lovely owner, says "grape is just another fruit". Their award winning Blueberry wine is extremely popular with Maritimers, and while I like it, there are a few others I prefer. Their Honey Moon - doesn't it even sound fantastic - is fermented honey - think Harry Potter or King Arthur and mead. And is it potent, you ask? Well yes indeed. Tastes great with Indian curries and Plowman's lunches. And if either of those don't appeal to you there are strawberry, rhubarb, pear, even kiwis all grown in the Annapolis Valley or on their very own farm. I also spent a lovely hour or so picking my own blueberries. The Upick is only during blueberry season -August to October. Don't worry though, you can buy the wines at NSLC any time of year.

The food was great! We also tried the Churchill Beef Sandwich (not pictured), also very good! The…read moreservice was great and very willing to share recommendations for the area.

Only had time to go to one vineyard and this one definitely did not disappoint! Plenty of parking!…read moreThe vineyards are beautiful! You can walk through them too! They have a full service bistro area! We got the charcuterie board (delicious)! You can get full glasses and bottles in the bistro. The tasting room offers flights that you can taste at the bar or you can take it to the outdoor tables and enjoy the view! Stunning place, great service, wonderful and relaxing time!

I was rather disappointed with most of the stops, up till the end (Five Fishermen). When we went,…read morewe started at Goldwater in the market, where we had a bite-sized lobster roll; which was super fresh and quintessential Nova Scotia, but rather small. We went from there to Johnny Ks, where we had a bite-sized beef gyro, which while tasty, was a very small portion, and nothing special. From there we puttered out of the downtown area to the Chain Yard Cidery, where one of the managers met with the group and shared great details about their business, along with two shots of cider (which were both delicious), and a tasty treat. From there we went to Salvatore's for a mini slice of cold pizza (underline & italicize mini and cold), which was extremely disappointing. We wrapped up at Five Fishermen, for chowder and wine, which was the highlight (followed by the Chain Yard). The chowder was a good portion, and I appreciated the two glasses of local wines. I've taken food tours in other cities, and was expecting similar (more upscale). Their price is less than other tours I've taken (which helps), but I didn't take a food tour to have a bite of a gyro and a cold half-a-slice of pizza. I understand the lobster roll as a coastal treat, and it was very fresh, the other two stops were what I was expecting for the entire experience. With so many restaurants in the downtown area, I'm not sure why we drove to the outskirts and back. I thought there would've been a stop for a scoop of infamous Nova Scotian homemade ice cream (plenty of options, and relatively cheap). If Five Fisherman didn't accommodate our food-allergy (nothing was offered as an alternative at Goldwater), I would've been extremely frustrated, and our tour-guide wasn't sure they'd have something for us, even though we gave advanced notice of the shellfish allergy and they said it would be fine. On the plus side, the tour guide did a great job sharing the history of Halifax, was very knowledgeable about local wines, and enthusiastic about the food scene.

Went on the "Beer Bus" tour this weekend. Wasn't expecting much but was very pleasantly surprised…read more Much more casual and relaxed than I'm used to with wine tours. Very well paced, just enough alcohol to keep it fun but not get too crazy, and great food as well. They easily accommodated our vegetarian group, which was nice. I would easily recommend this if you have friends in from out of town and are looking for something more fun than the typical tourist fare.

Unreal Sunset Cruise with Great Wine, Cheese & Vibes!…read more We had an absolutely incredible time on the JFarwell Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese Tasting. We totally lucked out with perfect weather and were treated to a stunning sunset over the beautiful Halifax Harbour--seriously postcard-worthy. The cheese spread was top-tier, and the wine tasting included four pours--we especially loved the first white they served, and to my surprise, even the Nova Scotia red wine (and I'm usually not a red guy!) was super tasty--juicy, almost like a black currant vibe. Really impressive. The crew was amazing--friendly, personable, and full of great knowledge about sailing and the surrounding harbour communities. Huge shoutout to Finn, who even let me take the wheel for a bit--YOU'RE MA BOY, FINN! This cruise is an experience we'll never forget. Whether you're into boats, wine, or just want to soak in Halifax's coastal beauty, this is a must-do.

We had a blast on our 1hr harbor sailing tour. 1. The boat is gorgeous 2. The crew is amazing:…read morefriendly and knowledgeable 3. The harbor view is beautiful 4 the sailing is super fun! 5 There are drink options at very reasonable prices! Do not miss this amazing adventure!!

Beautiful winery, amazing wine and great staff. Can't ask for anything more. Truely amazing time…read more Highly recommend

Good food. Good service. Very nice views. However playing acid rock music instead of no music or…read moreclassical music takes away from the ambience.

It's a cool your own wine place. It's ok, takes a long time to keep the owner focused...read more

Steve and Cavell walk you through the whole process - easy peasy!…read more Lots of varieties to choose from: White wine Red wine Rose Fruit wine Ciders Beer They'll give you ideas to come up with something you'll be happy with. Or how to make a bottle into a spritzer or sangria. You can split a batch with a friend so you can try different wines or you can trade bottles with your friends. With the labelling options (Cavell is a graphic design expert) and the coloured shrink caps, you can have an impressive looking bottle which makes a good gift! Visit them today! First time customers get $20 off your first purchase. :)

**Disappointing visit, and the service made it worse**…read more We visited Bent Ridge on Father's Day hoping for a relaxed family afternoon, and left genuinely frustrated, mostly because of how we were treated. We ordered the Grilled Watermelon Salad ($21.50). The menu describes it as grilled watermelon, fresh berries, red onion and mint on a bed of arugula. What arrived was essentially a bowl of arugula and spinach with red onion and a sprinkle of feta, and almost no watermelon to speak of. When we politely pointed this out, the second server who took the salad back was lovely about it and said she'd check with the kitchen. That's where it went downhill. She returned with the primary server, who was dismissive from the start. We were told they could add watermelon on the side, but only as an upcharge. We declined. We were then told we'd be charged for the original salad regardless. Fine, we said, charge us, but we don't need it back. Despite that, the salad reappeared at the table with a tiny cup of watermelon, and the response was a flat "well, it's already here." When we asked whether this is really what a watermelon salad is meant to be, since we've had this dish at plenty of other restaurants and it has never been arugula with a few cubes of watermelon hidden in it, the answer was that the watermelon is "just like the berries, a little topping." At that point we cleared our own plates onto the side table for them to collect. What needs to be said plainly is this: we were a group of 12 with a bill of around $700. Paying was never the issue, and a $21 salad is no big deal. But the audacity of the server to assume we were doing all this just to haggle a salad out of them was ridiculous. We can't tell a kitchen how to build their salad, and tastes vary. But the watermelon is named first in the dish, it arrived in nowhere near the quantity advertised, and being upsold to get the main ingredient is hard to defend. Speaking to paying customers that way is simply not acceptable. And of course, she did remember to add the 18% gratuity for her tremendous service. To top it off, we'd brought a cake to celebrate Father's Day and asked if we could cut it. We were told no outside food allowed, full stop. The Annapolis Valley has no shortage of excellent wineries where a family can actually feel welcome and enjoy the afternoon. We won't be returning to this one.

One of the great things about living in Nova Scotia is all the hidden gems tucked away just off the…read morebeaten track. Bent Ridge is one such. Across the valley from the Martock ski hills, it's a small winery/brewery, which also caters for all manner of events, including weddings. We visited on a mostly sunny, warmish August Friday at the start of the Labour Day weekend. Essentially it's a restaurant and a very pleasant one at that. There is a smallish bar/galley area inside, with a covered, all weather and all year round solarium attached, a small patio and lawn beyond that. They offer beer/cider and wine samplers which I'd strongly recommend. I went for the four reds they produce, and thoroughly enjoyed them all, especially the 1763 Unhinged. The menu is quite extensive, and we went for a pizza each, Bent Ridge Belly for me, Fig and Onion for the wife. Both were delicious and of generous size. I tried their ginger infused rough cider, which was excellent and quite novel. I was also treated to a gratis glass of the Maple Porter. The restaurant affords pleasant views across the valley and is nicely appointed, with a variety of seating and can cater for fairly large groups. Service was a delight and the eventual bill of almost exactly $100 not onerous by today's standards. Will definitely have to visit again. And this time I'll take a growler and buy some of their craft beer.