Norman Hardie, Toronto’s pinot noir supertramp, has come home. His journey began in a George Brown College classroom in 1989; fast forward to a sommelier’s job at the Four Seasons’ ritzy Truffles, then abroad for 11 harvest seasons with different pinot producers, first alternating Burgundy and South Africa (Walker Bay), then California (Santa Barbara) and New Zealand (Otago, the New World hot spot for pinot). And now he is back, in Prince Edward County, with his own winery opening in early summer on Greer Road near Hillier. That’s where County pioneer Mike Peddlesden first planted in 2000, at what is now Carmela Estates, where Hardie also makes the wine. And it’s where award-winning winemaker Dan Sullivan has been turning 15 windswept, limestone-strewn acres into Rosehall Run, opening this year. Both Sullivan and Hardie make promising 100 per cent County wines, as well as wines from Niagara grapes. Hardie’s 2004 pinot noir from Niagara’s Wismer Vineyard has earned kudos as perhaps Ontario’s finest pinot noir yet. “I’m in Prince Edward County because I believe it can make great wine,” he says, “but I’m not going to ignore good grapes growing anywhere in Ontario.” Nor should he. The larger issue here will always be too few bottles at too high prices. Alas, great wine is never cheap. Or plentiful.