The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
A wild single is a right of passage when it’s time to say “yes,” but some girls want a fancier affair too. Prince Edward County (PEC) is the perfect place for a girls’ weekend in Ontario, where you can choose to rage or sip wine and relax.
Planning a fun bachelorette party can be a lot of work and it’s hard to know where to start, especially in addition to wedding planning. I just celebrated my bachelorette weekend at PEC and it was planned by my bridesmaids, I’m one lucky girl!
It’s the ultimate destination, as proven by the number of other bachelorette parties we’ve seen there. Even though it’s April and just before their high season, the county was full of girl groups.
Instead of spending hours searching, here’s what we’ve done in this scenic wine country, to save you time.
Ottawa Brewery Stop
Beer theft at Riverhead Brewing Company in Kingston.Megane Renaud | Narcity
Part of the singles group traveled from Ottawa and decided to stop at a brewery for lunch on the way. You can’t start the celebrations too soon.
Riverhead Brewery is one hour from Prince Edward County in Kingston, Ontario. It’s right next to the freeway exit and makes for a fun, boozy stop. While our DD couldn’t participate, the rest of us enjoyed beer flights with apps like nachos and soft pretzels. The limited edition Cherry Apricot Sour was tart and fruity, a great option for all the girls in the group who don’t like beer.
Our Airbnb home
View of the kitchen at Blue Roof PEC Home in Wellington, Ontario Airbnb.Megane Renaud | Narcity
We stayed at Airbnb PEC Blue Roof in Wellington. It’s an adorable, bright house, with a yellow door, funky kitchen tiles, and fun decor that add to the girls’ weekend vibe. The Airbnb has two full bathrooms and three bedrooms with five beds, so it can easily accommodate seven people. It was on a large private property with a hot tub that we enjoyed the two nights we stayed. The spacious wooden decks are a great place to sit with your morning coffee.
A big plus of this home is that it is within walking distance of Karlo Estates Winery and Garage Time Brewing Co.
Within walking distance
Vintage speakeasy wine tasting room in Karlo Estates.Megane Renaud | Narcity
It was only two turns on foot from the Airbnb driveway to reach Karlo Estates Vineyard on Danforth Road. This vineyard is in a spacious historic barn, and it’s no wonder they’ve made it to some lists of the best wineries in Ontario. It has a speakeasy vibe that we all loved.
From the outside and when you enter it appears to be a quiet barn, surrounded by beautiful wooden beams. We rang the big bell out front and were greeted by staff poking their heads out from behind a barn door. It was a moody vintage atmosphere with patterned rugs, red velvet couches, and spaces made private by the red curtain divider. We had a tasting flight here and left quite tipsy after their generous pours.
In the same street you will find garage time, a nano-brewery literally installed in the garage of a family home. They are usually closed later in the evening but stayed open late for our party because one of my bridesmaids called and confirmed ahead of time.
The beer flights here were also generous and the family staff were really friendly. It was like drinking beer at a friend’s house. I found their most unique beer, also great for non-beer drinkers, the Margarita Gose. It had the salty lime flavor you expect from a margarita.
The local tour company.
Saturday we had planned a private day trip with the company The local tour company. This PEC-based company offers different tours for up to 14 people, usually with four stops that can all be wineries or a mix of wineries, breweries, and cider houses. Our bachelor wine tour included private chauffeured transportation, stops at three wineries and a brewery, with tastings at each, and pickup from our Airbnb home. Plus we had the nicest driver who looked after us throughout the day, kudos to Pete!
Private wine tasting cabin at Norman Hardie Winery in Wellington.Megane Renaud | Narcity
The first stop was Norman Hardie Vineyard, one of the largest and most popular in the region. There are private patio platforms with individual tables per group, and thank goodness each one is covered because it started to rain. After enjoying baked pizza, oysters and a glass of wine, it was time for our private wine tasting.
Behind the large cellar are their bottle store and tasting huts. We warmed up by an outdoor bonfire before entering our private tasting room outside which had a spacious bar. We each tried four wines of our choice and most of us bought a bottle as we left. We got detailed information about each wine as well as the winery and region during our tasting.
Wine tasting and wine pairing tasting at Harwood Estates Vineyard.Megane Renaud | Narcity
The second winery we visited was Harwood Estates Vineyard. It has a small-town feel to it, and you’ll find other goodies to buy besides wine, like artisan cheeses. We had a pre-set wine tasting of three wines and the fourth wine of our choice. We sat at patio tables inside and enjoyed a cheese and salami pairing with the three pre-selected wines. They also had a nice “congratulations” sign made for me on a chalkboard.
Glass of white wine at Sandbanks Winery in PEC. Megane Renaud | Narcity
Our third tour stop was the popular Sandbanks Wine Estate. They had an extensive wine list to sample, and we each chose our own wine selections to sample from the wraparound bar inside. The same young man helped our group throughout the tasting and he was a lovely guy who seemed to handle our increasing levels of tipsy talk very well. Although many of their wines are available at the LCBO, we tried some delicious winery exclusives.
Tasting of craft beers on the terrace of Gillingham Brewing Company. Megane Renaud | Narcity
The last leg of the tour was Gillingham Brewery. It was a more casual stop, and unlike an official tasting, we ordered beer off the menu and drank on a heated outdoor patio table. The tour included a choice of one glass of beer or two 5oz beers. They refer to the patio as an outdoor cafe with its covered areas and a heater at each table. It had really chilled by then and we probably would have stayed longer if it hadn’t been for the rain and wind. There is a few seats inside but there is a lot more space outside.
bachelor games
While we loved the local wineries and breweries, drank all day and had no intention of driving, we dined at the Airbnb house and played games. It was like a girls slumber party in high school and I was there for it.
I had two favorite games at my bachelorette party that my bridesmaids had planned. One was a lingerie game, where everyone pre-selected a piece of lingerie or panties for me and packed it without a card. I rummaged through bags of lingerie and had to guess who bought me what. As you can assume, if I got it wrong, I drank, and if I picked correctly right away, my daughters got a drink.
The second game that I loved was also pre-arranged. My daughters had asked my fiancé different questions about me or our relationship and had documented his answers. I had to guess how he would answer those same questions, and again, if I guessed wrong, I took a drink and the other girls drank when I guessed right.
Even if it’s not for a bachelorette party, I recommend a girls’ weekend in Prince Edward County. It really is the perfect destination to travel and try new drinks with women you like. Don’t forget water and ibuprofen.
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