Where to take a wintery weekend road trip

Where to take a wintery weekend road trip

Secret no. 8 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Winter Guide 2015: Road Tripping
(Image: Nikolas Koenig/The Drake Devonshire)

The rural-chic Drake Devonshire inn in Prince Edward County offers customizable winter packages that include wine tastings at Norman Hardie and Rosehall Run (two of the county’s top producers) where the winemakers themselves lead guests through barrel tastings and uncork special bottles. Guests can also book a snowshoe tour of Sugarbush Vineyards, where, weather permitting, owners Robert and Sally Peck will demonstrate how they boil down sap to produce maple syrup and hand out tasters. Post-trek, guests can take a spin around the Drake’s newly installed skating rink and sip hot toddies by the patio fireplace, then cozy up in one of the inn’s playfully appointed rooms (the gorgeous A-frame loft, pictured above, is $499 per night). The following morning, there’s a chilled-out yoga class held in the glassed-in box on the west side of the property.

On the Family Day long weekend, Karlo Estates holds their all-ages Skidoo Suit Ski Bunny Party, featuring a daytime deejayed barn dance. Kids can unleash their inner Michelangelo for the snowman-building contest while parents sample the estate’s wines and stay toasty by the bonfire.

Drake Devonshire, 24 Wharf St., 613-399-3338; Norman Hardie, 1152 Greer Rd.,613-399-5297; Rosehall Run, 1243 Greer Rd., 613-399-1183; Sugarbush Vineyards, 1286 Wilson Rd., 613-399-9000; Karlo Estates, 561 Danforth Rd., 613-399-3000.

The Winter Hater's Guide to Loving Winter