County’s giant vegetables, wine and cheese rack up awards at Royal Winter Fair

Prince Edward County is well represented at this year’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto – receiving top awards for giant vegetables, County wine and cheese.

John and Sue Vincent showed how giant vegetables are grown – winning and placing in several competitions. The couple took first and second spots in the giant cabbage category with John’s weighing in at 64.8 pounds, and Sue’s at 60 pounds.
John earned a third place for his sunflower head with a 13-inch diameter and Sue a second place for her 13′, 2″ Amaranth (leaf vegetable).
In the category “Any other giant vegetable or fruit of record”, Sue won first place for her 149.8 pound bushel gourd, while John won fourth spot for his 22.8 pound giant rutabaga.
Of course, John is well know locally for his giant pumpkins, and entered in the Royal’s “Giant Pumpkin or Squash Challenge” winning first place with a weight of 1,199.4.
David Leeworthy, of Ameliasburgh, won top spot for his 144.6 pound watermelon. John Vincent’s 81.2 pound melon placed fifth.

Wine Competition
The Grange 2009 Trumpour’s Mill Riesling won “Best Overall White” in the wine competition. It’s 2009 Trumpour’s Mill won gold in the Riesling under $20 category and its 2008 Grange Brut earned bronze in the sparkling category.
The County’s Rosehall Run Vineyards secured three bronze awards, while Sandbanks Estates Winery earned a silver and bronze.

Cheese Competition
The County’s Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company earned nine Royal Winter Fair awards. Fifth Town’s Nettles Gone Wild, Quinte Crest, Wishing Tree, Bonnie and Flloyd, and Cape Vessey all placed in the top three for their category.
1st Place
Nettles Gone Wild – Goat Milk Variety Competition (Mold Ripened Brie, Camembert, tre Fratello, L’Extra Goat Category)
Wishing Tree – Variety Cheese Competition (Any Cheese made with Sheep’s Milk Category)
2nd Place
Quinte Crest – Variety Cheese Competition (Hard Parmesan, Grana, Romano ect. Category)
Bonnie and Flloyd – Variety Cheese Competition (Any Cheese made with Sheep’s Milk Category)
Cape Vessey – Goat Milk Variety Competition (Surface Ripened OKA style, St. Paulin, Tilsit, Mimstes Category)
4th Place
County Quark – Variety Cheese Competition (Unflavoured Fresh Cheese Category)
Plain Jane Bagel Chevre – Goat Milk Variety Competition (Unflavoured Fresh Cheese Cream Cheese, Ghage, Quark, Ricotta Category)
Lighthall Tomme – Goat Milk Variety Competition (Firm Cheddar, Mozzarella, Caprano Category)

Black River Cheese entries earned five seventh place awards, one sixth and one 12th place honour in cheddar competitions.

The Royal opened Friday and continues to Nov. 13 with more than 4,500 national and international exhibitors and performers. Since its inception 89 years ago, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is synonymous with agricultural innovation, state-of-the-art technology, health and well-being and world class competition.