Sandbanks Estate Winery is located in Wellington, the heart of wine country in Prince Edward County.

Address: 17598 Loyalist Pkwy, Wellington, ON K0K 3L0

Phone: (613) 399-1839

It’s just one of the 40 wineries that are a must-visit on your next wine tour.

This isn’t the only reason to visit this winery! These award-winning wines are always a topic of conversation when anyone mentions wines in Prince Edward County.

Named after the popular Sand Banks Provincial Park in West Lake this winery is a must-visit for a few reasons.

Here is the main reason you’ll want to make this winery one of your stops while visiting Prince Edward County.

1. Sandbanks Wine Tasting

There are 4 levels of The Sandbanks wine-tasting experience.

Walk-in wine tasting cost $10 for 5 wines. The tasting comes complimentary if you buy 3 or more bottles of wine.

The Seated, Food, and Wine tasting experience is for $20 a person.

Sandbanks wine-tasting tour experience for $25 a person. Includes a 1-hour tour and food pairing.

Private Cabana rental is $325 for one and a half hours of intimate catering experience. Includes a customized flight with charcuterie. 

2. Free Sandbanks Wine Tasting Coupon

We found the seated food and wine pairing option a really great experience. We learned about wine and what pairs well and why. This is often not a typical wine-tasting experience.

We’ve been to other wineries that offer tasting based on any red, white, rose, etc. The Sandbanks winery staff provides excellent recommendations based on your individual tastes.

In addition, they suggest a pairing onsite with those recommendations.

We enjoyed a food and wine pairing that was absolutely delicious. If you don’t think wine pairing is a thing, you really should try it out.

We did not expect to enjoy the wine as much as we did.

I enjoy light red wine with a nice hint of Tannins at the end.

My wife prefers a light white wine that’s easy but not too sweet.

Our server suggest we try a flight first and made some recommendations.

We started with a flight of 4, two reds and 2 whites. You may have seen these wines at the LCBO as the Baco Noir and the Dunes white are very popular.

The 5 wines we tried during our last visit there were the Smugglers white, Route 33 white, the French Kiss Red, and Route 33 red.

Our review of the Sandbanks wines during our tasting.

Smugglers White Wine

This was the first time we had seen this white wine from the Sandbanks winery. It’s a very light white with fruit notes, ending with a hint of pear. This would be a great summer patio wine.

Wine pairing: This would pair well with strong-flavored seafood. I’d suggest scallops or Argentinian red shrimp.

Route 33 White Wine

This is a blended Riesling and Pinot Grigio white wine with a sweet flavor. It smells beautiful like flowers and fruit. This would be a nice dinner wine.

Wine pairing: I would suggest pairing this with fish, seafood, cheese, and any type of Salad.

French Kiss Red Wine

I’ve seen this wine in the LCBO but never tried it. This is more of a medium-body red with hints of chocolate and prune and berries.

I liked the finish as it ends with light tannins.

Wine Pairing: I bought this bottle took it home and paired it with a blade roast, roasted potatoes, and gravy and it was perfect. This makes a perfect Red table wine.

Route 33 Red Wine

Like the Route 33 white wine, this one is blended with merlot and petit Verdot. This is more of a full-bodied red wine with floral aromas and hints of smoke a hint of spice but finishes with more tannins of plum.

Wine Pairing: Our server suggested this wine be paired with red meats and charcuterie.

Noir Squared Red Wine

This was a new red wine that was very similar to their Baco Noir. I found this red to have berry notes that finished with light tannins.

It an easy drink red for sure.

Wine Pairing: I bought a bottle and paired it with BBQ Pork chops and potatoes. This is great for the campsite where you cook over an open fire.

3. The Wine Prices

We bought 4 bottles and they gave us our tasting for free. There are so many great wines, and they are all very reasonably priced, ranging from $14-36 per bottle.

There are not many wineries here in Prince Edward County that offer any wine for under $15.

I have noticed the LCBO has sales on these wines often so be sure to check those out.

There are winery-exclusive wines you cannot get at the LCBO and they are worth a wine tasting on your next wine country visit in PEC.

4. The Outside Patio

The patio at Sandbanks Estate Winery is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine while taking in stunning views.

From the patio, you can see Lake Ontario, and there were plenty of seat picnic tables.

There is also a fire pit for making s’mores or simply relaxing by the fire.

The Sandbanks patio is open year-round, and it’s the perfect spot for enjoying a glass of wine with friends, family, or even a romantic partner.

5. A Dog-Friendly Winery

The sandbanks winery is dog friendly in the patio area and around the grounds. All dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash.

This dog-friendly winery is the perfect place to relax with your pooch in tow. If your dog gets restless, there’s plenty of space for them to explore.

We stopped and said hello to a few dogs the last time we were on the patio.

All dogs were on a leash which I do feel is respectful of others at the winery.

So next time you’re in the area, be sure to stop by Sandbanks Estate Winery, your furry friend will thank you for it!

Are Sandbanks Estate Winery Vegan Friendly?

All the Sandbanks vintages are vegan-friendly and contain zero animal bi-product during the winemaking process.

They use bentonite clay to filter all of their wines as well as plant-based paper filters.

Sandbank winery is one of the few places in the world that produces vegan-friendly wine.

The process of making vegan wine is similar to traditional winemaking, with a few key differences.

First, sandbank uses special enzymes to break down the proteins in the grape juice, which removes the need for animal-based products like egg whites or gelatine.

Second, sandbank ferments its wines using indigenous yeast strains, which helps to create a more natural and sustainable product.

Finally, all of Sandbank’s wines are unfiltered, ensuring that they retain all of their natural flavor and characters, as a result, sandbank’s vegan wines are some of the most flavorful and unique on the market.

That About Sums it Up

Have you been to Sandbanks Estate Winery? or taken the Sandbanks Winery Tours?

If not, put it on your list of places to visit. This winery is a hidden gem in Prince Edward County and offers stunning views of the lake and vineyards.

The wine selection is top-notch, and the staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming. I can’t recommend this place enough, be sure to check it out!