An autumn hike bookended by wineries

“You see that path over there?” our friendly server walks to the large window in the wineshop and points to the vineyard below. I follow his gaze out the pane of glass to a wide path that intersects the vineyards at Vineland Estates and ends at a dense cluster of red, orange and yellow trees. “There’s an entrance to the Bruce Trail there.”

My husband and I were picking up a few bottles of wine at Vineland Estates, and hoping to combine it with a short hike on this sunny October day. The winery staff was super helpful in pointing us in the right direction. This short section of the Bruce Trail connects with neighbouring winery Featherstone. I love Featherstone wines, so this already sounds great, and I learned the two wineries host an event in the summer where you can bring your dog along for the hike. It’s called Muddy Paws. Awww.

Our dog Caramel was not with us but she would have loved the hike. It was a nice easy walk, roundtrip 45 minutes, in a leafy forest with sunlight dappling through the golden canopy. The forest floor was covered in a blanket of fall colours.

The path ended in a grassy field. Walk to the right, and you reach Featherstone Winery (the farmhouse is behind the bright creamsicle vines in the photo below). When you’re done, head back into the forest for your return hike to Vineland Estates (the other photo below).

It was a perfect start to our afternoon in the Twenty Valley. Similar to my visit in the spring, I planned a few curbside pick-ups. We also stopped at Malivoire, Hidden Bench Estate Winery and Fielding Estate Winery. At Fielding Estate they have plenty of well spaced out Muskoka chairs to pause and enjoy the view of the vineyards and Lake Ontario in the distance.

It was not all about wine. We also bought some baskets of apples and pears at a roadside market on King Street. There was a fine selection so we got multiple varieties of these crisp fall fruits.

Oh, and some beer.

Last time we were at Bench Brewery we enjoyed a beer tasting sitting in the old schoolhouse (now their taproom). On this visit, we walked up the steps of a stone church (now their bottleshop). This brewery is brilliant at repurposing Beamsville’s historic buildings. You can see the picturesque old church as you drive up to the brewery. It’s behind the hops field. The church’s front door is flanked by chalkboard menus, and as you get closer you get a glimpse of the bright stain glass windows inside.

It’s quite beautiful.

Each time I visit the Twenty Valley I seem to discover something new…and bring home something delicious.