Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia Guide
Eat & Drink
Benjamin Bridge
In 1999, lawyers and life partners Gerry McConnell and Dara Gordon, bought a former 120-acre apple orchard in Nova Scotia’s Gaspereau Valley, bringing on board renowned oenologists Peter Gamble and Anne Sperling.
Soon after grapes were planted, and, in 2002, winemaker and former chef de cave at Piper-Heidsieck, Raphaël Brisbois joined, followed by Jean-Benoît Deslauriers who took over in 2008, using the traditional method for the winery’s portfolio of sparkling wines, to high acclaim.
The full range includes non-alcoholic, vintage and non vintage sparkling and still wines. “We’re in a valley within a valley, in a microclimate. Sparkling wine is the backbone, the heartbeat of what we do,” Ryan Isnor, experience supervisor at the winery tells me as he pours a gorgeous glass of salmon-hued 2020 vintage rosé. Neutral toasted French oak lends a light brioche profile to the Chardonnay Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir blend.
While oenophiles praise Bridge’s finessed bubbles, it’s the semi-sweet Nova 7 (an Italian Moscato d’Asti equivalent), that outsells in the province, representing 4 out 10 bottles of wine sold at Nova Scotia liquor stores.
1966 White Rock Road, Gaspereau Valley;
Avondale Sky Winery and Restaurant
A welcoming family spirit permeates this winery. Initially planted in 1987 by the Bennett family who famously transported St. Matthew’s Anglican Church across the Minas Basin (‘the church that walked on water’), the vineyard was taken over by the Coutinho family in 2019.
Banker-turned-wine-owner Karl Coutinho eventually onboarded brother Karl, and their parents, all crucially involved in every aspect of the business from the vineyard to retail. “It’s fun to do this with your family. Out in the vineyard, we have a tree dubbed the wedding tree, where my brother got married. It was a beautiful ceremony, sentimental, and everyone was enjoying our wine and food,” remembers Coutinho who also serves as CEO of Wines of Nova Scotia, promoting the Tidal Bay appellation.
A diverse product range with quaint names includes a Leon Millot Rosé called Lady Sipper, a port-style named NV Newport Reserve (a play on their location of Newport), and a fruit-forward Maréchal Foch and Castel blend called Ferry Road.
The restaurant features a Mediterranean-tinged shareable menu, including an award-winning lobster tostada with lime tarragon aioli, made for a chilled glass of Tidal Bay. Don’t sleep on the warm molasses brown bread and butter – a Nova Scotia staple. A stop at this Avon Peninsula winery is like visiting old friends.
80 Avondale Cross Road, Newport Landing;
L’Acadie Vineyards
Bruce Ewert knows soil. Over three decades he honed his skills at some of British Columbia’s best wineries, eventually bringing his know-how to Nova Scotia. Ewert first saw the potential of the local L’Acadie Blanc grape on a family visit. “I spent long nights talking about how sparkling wine could be made. Now, Nova Scotia is known in the wine world for sparkling wine. We’ve been turning some heads with this variety,” recounts the pioneer of sparkling and organic winemaking in the region.
Ewert’s dream began in 2000, choosing a former 30-acre hobby horse farm rich in schist, sandstone and slate. Planting in 2005 was followed by the opening of the winery three years later with a rare biocyclic vegan designation achieved along the way.
The signature 100 percent estate-grown, traditional-method sparkling wine, is an elegant expression of L’Acadie Blanc and its terroir (translation: incredibly delicious). Five-year lees ageing lends harmony with notes of toasted brioche, nut and citrus while another sip beckons thanks to refreshing minerality, and delicate salinity.
It’s little wonder L’Acadie Prestige Brut Estate was the region’s first internationally awarded traditional method sparkling, and it continues to win on the world stage including at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards.
310 Slayter Road, Gaspereau;
Lightfoot and Wolfville
Wandering the vineyards with Kevin, our guide, we spy doll-faced sheep roaming open fields, while bald eagles fly overhead – a good sign for the biodynamic winery and working farm, that opened its doors in 2017.
Jocelyn and Michael Lightfoot are proponents of minimal-intervention vinification and regenerative agriculture. With seven generations in the Valley, and with over 40 acres, it makes sense for their family business. The resulting wine is an eclectic, extensive and characterful expression of the terroir including still (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Reisling, Kékfrankos), and port-style tawny wine that draws from a combination of salinity and the long hang time of the fruit.
But it’s the sparkling wine that steals the show for us, and the 2021 Brut Rosé is a particular delight. The tasting room where we’re sipping it, exudes modern farmhouse chic with polished concrete and exposed wooden beams, separated into various seating areas with warm light pouring in.
And, what’s wine without food? Here elevated farm-to-table fare, like wood-fired pizza, steak frites and hand cut pappardelle, along with an array of smaller bites are perfect with glass in hand. End with the delightful tiramisu with brown butter, roasted hazelnuts and a touch of Frangelico while you take in the majestic views of the Minas Basin.
11143 Evangeline Trail, Wolfville;
An iconic 20th century Tudor-style railway hotel with stunning stone facade is the impressive setting for this small batch cidery and taproom in Kentville. “Every year we’ve outdone ourselves, growing the business. We’ve got a really great crew,” recalls co-owner Katie Porter, who has been running the restaurant for the past two-and-a-half years.
Asian and Mexican influences on the menu translates to exciting twists on classics like the bibimbap burger, 3 sisters gnocchi, and Yucatan shrimp (pro tip: ask for the house Gochujang Aioli for dunking fries).
The cider, with its exceptionally pretty gilded steam train logo, delivers on taste. Co-owner and cidermaker Jimi Doidge loves experimenting with traditional and spur-of-the-moment variations. “We use a lot of fruit grown in the [Annapolis] Valley. We have a lot of farmers that will have a bunch of extra blueberries, and say, ‘do you want some?’ And we can make a blueberry cider,” he adds.
With this in mind, we order a bottle of hybrid grape-cider – co-fermented Gravenstein and Honeycrisp apples and Marechal Foch and Castel grapes result in a surprisingly complex drink with racing acidity that perfectly accompanies a rich bowl of seaweed crusted scallop pea risotto. Oh, and you simply can’t leave without trying the seasonal cider slushie.
325 Main Street, Kentville;
Detour: What to do
“Here, you read the record whereas near Drumheller [Dinosaur Provincial Park] you dig into history,” says Dana, comparing two of the most famous UNESCO sites in Canada. Here, is the “coal age Galápagos” a cliffside beach above the Bay of Fundy that contains a massive collection of fossils from the Carboniferous period, hundreds of millions of years ago.
The decay of the first trees on earth led to the formation of coal, the discovery of which led to a century-long mining operation in the area. (Incidentally, Acadians had been using it to fuel fires for fashioning tools). Though fossils are showcased at the on-site interpretive centre, visitors will most likely come to walk the beach where every few steps there’s something to discover. “Look at that – it’s like a topographical map – it gleans,” says Dana when someone picks up a rock bearing deep striations.
It’s the very rocks, coal and the Bay itself that traces history to present day. Sometimes a rock reveals patterns left by the rivers and streams that once flowed through when the tectonic plates were closer together or footprints of the first reptiles on earth. Other times, it’s just your imagination.
100 Main Street, Joggins;
This original article first appeared in the WINTER 2025 2026 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.
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