This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Agri-Tour, an event that invites you and your family to visit farms and wineries around the Prescott-Russel area of the Lower Ottawa Valley. For the most part entrance was free to each of the farms over the two weekends (September 11-12 and 18-19) the event was run, but some did charge a very nominal entrance fee.

To start our tour, Hubby and I along with my step daughter, S, visited Arpents Vert Alpaga – an Alpaca farm that sold the most beautiful scarves, hats, mitts and duvet covers. We learned that Alpacas are smaller than llamas, but their fur is softer and warmer. It’s also hypoallergenic.  The little guys were a bit shy but that didn’t stop some of us from trying to get them to come closer.

They were incredibly soft…

Our next stop was Covenant Farm, a small farm with a goal to be a diversified, sustainable, and environmentally responsible family farm. In addition to free range chickens and pigs:

The farm’s owners also roast fair trade coffee beans – something they have been doing the past 7 years. Joel’s coffee gets its beans as part of a coffee co-op that sees 35 different groups across North America coming together to purchase fair trade beans. If that weren’t enough they also make honey!

Next it was off to our last stop, Domaine Perrault, a 6000 vine winery with the distinction of being the first vineyard in Ottawa. Their lovely staff made our day with wine tastings, food samples and allowing us to tour their vines – even giving us the go ahead to sample some of the grapes right off the vine!

Their wines are complex and surprising – with beautiful finishes and wonderful aromas. I swear as soon as I own a house with room, I’ll be back for a few cases of this amazing vino.