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A mixed series of images from the Merrill House shared guest areas. All images by Kateryna Topol.

The Vibe & Shared Spaces 

The dining facilities are located at the back of the house, creating a secluded area for the Merrill House guests. The shared living space is designed for multiple uses. The fireplace works as a conversation corner, the dining table can be used to play games, and then there is the piano, setting the mood for intellectual gatherings. The conversation bit of it all is, of course, optional. This room is ideal for quiet contemplation with a glass of wine or a brown spirit nightcap.

Throughout the house, there are various sitting corners looking out on the historic Picton neighbourhood. The back terrace houses a barrel sauna and gardens with a separate entrance to the Atlas Bar.

Dining & Bar

Brasserie Alexandria is new to Prince Edward County (PEC) and is already well-known as a dining destination. The space is divided into a parlour and a library area with two intimate tables. The bright blue decor, accented by golden finishes and an intricately complex wall mural, promises to transport you to Alexandria. The restaurant, led by Head Chef Michael Sullivan, features French cuisine (primarily Burgundy) leaning on the fresh seasonal ingredients of the PEC terroir. In addition to the regional staples like tartare and escargot, the menu has uniquely interesting dishes like white-wine braised rabbit and duck confit leg.

The menu is complemented by a robust wine collection with Prince Edward and Old World selections. A lot of this collection can be seen in the cellar on your way to the cocktail bar or during breakfast. The breakfast is optional and must be requested the night before. Guests are welcome to a selection of buffet offerings (meats, cheeses, baked goods, and parfaits), and a daily hot dish like salmon gravlax or avocado toast.

Out in the garden is the tented Bar Atlas, which feels like an art garden from the inside just as much. The cheerful interior is paired with a diverse cocktail selection of world-inspired cocktails. You just might want to arrive a little earlier for your dinner reservations to enjoy an aperitivo in the garden.

Inside the Suite 

There are 14 rooms and suites at the Merril House, recently selected as a MICHELIN Guide Hotel, all individually designed. Each room has its own story guests can read up on online. The Victorian Suite, pictured in this article, is the only room that retains its wallpaper through the restoration project. All suites have mixed sitting areas with antique furniture, spa-like showers, and luxury toiletries.

Some rooms are naturally larger than others, like the Owner’s Suite on the top floor. This suite has a separate living room and two washrooms (sleeps four). The Prince Edward Room was originally a sitting room and has been converted into a two-queen room with a view of the historic Ross House.

Complimentary sparkling water and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies are a staple in each suite.

Sustainability & Social Causes

Ongoing efforts at the Merrill House include a range of sustainability efforts to lower the hotel’s footprint throughout the year. The owners, Jordan and Evert, also use a portion of the profits to support local and international organisations, including local theatre and performing arts, independent foundations, environmental organisations, and LGBTQ+ rights and human rights organisations such as UNHCR and Rainbow Railroad.

* * *

Merrill House
Room prices starting at $220 CAD 
Picton Main Street, 343 Main St E #343, Picton, ON K0K 2T0
Book directly on merrill-house.com or with your favourite booking website: Expedia | Booking.com | Hotels.com | TripAdvisor 

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PEC has a different vibe in the winter, more isolated, spread out, and quiet. You can see the stars, hike the trails, and listen to ice chips crush against the shore, almost singing in the wind. It’s a wonderful feeling, even though admittedly I got a little cranky during the cold walk.

 Sandbanks Provincial Park (above) has quite a few hiking routes, and different distances and most are quite easy. Some inland hikes are return, some are loops through the woods with lovely observation points on the water. The shoreside is a long walk along the beach. This walk can be incredibly windy and cold on a winter day – a great way to meet the elements face-to-face. In the peak season, this is an incredibly busy area. The cars are typically tightly parked on the pavement, umbrellas and beer coolers line the beach. But on a day like today, the park was eerily empty.

I’ve visited the Sandbanks once a long time ago but I’ve never been to Dunes Beach. This short hike and the sandy hills brought out a kind of a childish feeling in me. If left behind, I would’ve contently frolicked up and down the dunes and chased otters along the icy shore for hours. Something I am very much looking forward to doing again soon. 

The Dunes Beach (below) is a bit out of the provincial park area. This park has a smaller parking lot and a range of nice, easy hikes. A short trail will take you to the beach. The water edge is guarded by the sandy hills, weaving along the shore with picnic tables spread out between high points. The naked trees appear very tall, as if reaching for the sun. I can only imagine the lovely shade they must cast on a sunny summer day.

Millennium Trail (below), on the other hand, spans nearly the entire county and can be entered through multiple points. Some parts of the trail pass between farms, others on the side of the road, and along various water sources. Rumor has it, the trail is also a route for a local pub/brewery crawl. But that’s an adventure for another time. We chose an hour or so walk to one of the lakes divided by a short bridge from which you get a lovely view of a swan bevy. I couldn’t help but wonder if one could swim out there on a boat in the summer. It would be wonderful to float, be one with the swans, have a glass of lemonade, and take in the sun.

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The county spans 800km of shorelines with two beautiful beaches and a handful of quaint small towns. The towns are slowly gentrifying and opening doors to boutique shops and restaurants while holding on to historic spots and antique family markets. Our short adventure was an overnight stay with a loosely planned itinerary and sadly, pretty poor weather. But “the wind cannot stop us from enjoying this mini-vacation” I kept telling myself clutching onto a wool scarf while letting the heels sink into the send: “This is nice”.

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The grapes

There are 20 wineries across Prince Edward County, some are clustered together, others a bit more remote. The moderated temperatures of the region are sponsored by nothing other than Lake Ontario. But unlike the sister region South of the city, PEC has a unique flavor advantage created by the calcareous limestone and clay deposits in the soil. This composition fosters the growth of colder-climate European grapes. 

The first stop entering the county is Redtail Vineyards. It is a lovely property with a shaded outdoor tasting area and a few tables out in the field. The wines are produced using traditional methods with minimal intervention creating what the winemakers call a “true representation of vintage and terroir”.  After tasting a flight of 4 wines we both agreed on taking home a bottle of Fumé Gris and some Pinot Noir.

Having booked a sit-down tasting at 3:30 pm there was still some time to kill so we dropped by the Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards. At the time they only offered pre-packaged tasting flights (3 small sample bottles and a signature glass). Up next was Hinterland Wine Company whose cozy indoor tasting room I wouldn’t mind making a regular spot. At Hinterland the guests are invited to choose one of 3 tasting options, one of which features sparkling and other nontraditional wines. Both flights were a delightful surprise with Les Etoiles bubbly and L’Imparfait Négociant Famille Pinot being particularly fascinating. The latter is a collaboration between the winery and Chef David MacMillan of Joe Beef, Montreal. This was a limited release and may be no longer available.

For the sit-down tasting, we joined the Closson Chase team at their off-site location for a small group experience. This curated one-hour tasting takes place in a spacious room, heated by a small fireplace. The tasting was guided by a knowledgeable and entertaining sommelier. He walked us through 4 wine and food pairings peppered with wine education. Sitting across two other couples in a classroom-like environment, making jokes, and discussing each other’s faults in following the teacher’s instructions was quite fun. 

One of the new discoveries for me and a must-visit for the next trip is Karlo Estates. A humble 200+-year-old barn that houses an artisanal winery, proudly making natural wine with minimal intervention. What made this spot distinctly special is its tasting room. The tasting room is accessed through the wine shop. It is a cozy space, decorated with red-themed Victorian furniture, with a dimly lit low ceiling. The room feels like a swanky speakeasy one could spend many hours in, discussing literature and the current state of affairs (see a brief walkthrough reel here). 

The brews

PEC is well known for its breweries, many of which are very new, popping up throughout the county like spring flowers with vast outdoor hangout areas and long lists of beers. Many of these spots are not open early in the week, which is when we were visiting. But even with the little time that we had left, we found some really fun spots to cozy up in.

Parsons Brewing Co., located in Picton, is a beautiful family-owned property wrapping around a newly built multi-level barn, serving up sustainable craft beers. A short drive away is Prince Eddy’s Brewing Co., recommended to us by the Cannery Row shop team. This is a surf-inspired style brewery producing ultimate summer beers. On cold days, the only tasting room is a balcony above the taproom. This room is cheerfully wallpapered with tropical plant motifs and equipped with ping pong and foosball tables. From here the guests get a full view of the production process as it happens. Another well-established local favorite is Midtown Brewing Company. Located in the heart of Wellington this is also a popular lunch and dinner spot.

The stay: Drake Devonshire 

One of the main reasons we went on this adventure was my longing desire to return to the Drake Devonshire*. This time of the year they were participating in Countylicious. The event is a county-wide foodie event that allows diners to relish in some of the best farm-to-table chef’s menus as set courses.

The hotel is the sister property of the Drake which has been a staple in Toronto for many years. This is a century-old Devonshire Inn recently revamped by ERA architects and interior designer John Tong of +tongtong inc. This group also designed Her Majesty’s Pleasure and Annex Residences, among many other notable city spots. The property is sitting directly on the lake, evoking an easy-to-tap-into sense of peace.

The hotel* has a modern yet cozy feel, drawing on the shades of wood, beach, and water with a bold mix of graffiti and choice pieces like a long, tub-shaped century couch in the common room. Naturally, there is a lot of modern art placed across the hotel and outdoors – the Drake Hotel has always been a supporter of the local art community. Rooms are tastefully decorated with notes of playful humor sprinkled in unexpected places like the flea market found old paintings. The bathrooms are a simple balance of black and white, spacious and inviting, complemented by oversized bathrobes.

With the weather dipping into cold temperatures, all guests are invited to roast marshmallows by the fire pit in the Motor Inn hotel extension across the street or simply enjoy a cookie and a bottle of complimentary local wine in the room as a nightcap. 

After indulging in a 3-course Countylicious meal we chose to spend the rest of the evening in my favorite part of the hotel: the exposed glass box games room. Here the guests can play ping pong, foosball, or Four In A Row with a cocktail one may have carried out of the bar. 

To facilitate social distancing the restaurant has been extended into the entertainment room which also looks out on the lake. At night the view is almost absent – the darkness of the county sets in well with minimal light pollution and the vastness of the lake – but in the morning the lake offers a great view to ponder over at breakfast. 

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