The Acadian Express

Just a short jaunt from downtown Wolfville, this moving tour through the history of the Acadian people at the Grand-Pré National Historic Site includes a walk of the UNESCO World Heritage Site grounds (including the Memorial Church and the Deportation Cross and a special stop to the Grand Pré View Park). Following this, guests will be treated to a wine tasting at Domaine de Grand Pré Winery and an Acadian-inspired lunch at Le Caveau Restaurant, named one of twenty of the world’s best winery restaurants by Wine Access magazine. Featuring a collaborative lunch between Chef Jason Lynch (Le Caveau) and Chef Jesse Vergen (Saint John Ale House). This Devour! The Bounty of Kings County Tasting Tour is facilitated by our partner Grape Escapes Nova Scotia Wine Tours. Round trip: 2 hours.

Jason Lynch

Having grown up in a rural farm community in Nova Scotia, product and quality has always been important to Jason Lynch. This upbringing has set the tone for Jason’s restaurant, Le Caveau, located in the Annapolis Valley where he started his journey.

After working in Toronto and Ottawa while attending Le Cordon Bleu, he decided to move home to train with some of Canada’s best restaurateurs – David Barrett, Nicholas Pierce and their Chef Werner Bassen. After years of experience, Jason took the chance to move back to the Annapolis Valley where he has dedicated himself to working with local farmers, meat purveyors and fish mongers to build a supply chain that supplies the majority of the product used in his restaurants. He ensures his food reflects his care and passion for good clean product, sticking to his philosophy of going beyond nose to tail while using all of the ingredients before him within each season.

Jesse Vergen, Saint John Ale House

Hailing from New Brunswick, Jesse Vergen is a passionate chef that has made his mark by utilizing his province’s untapped bounty of small farms and fisherman as a base for his craft. Raised on a small organic farm in Fundy Hills, Jesse now resides on his family farm with his wife and three kids. Produce from his farm is readily consumed by the hungry diners of the Saint John Ale House (ranked #39 on Vacay.ca’s Top 50 Restaurants in Canada list), Smoking Pig BBQ and Cleaver Catering, where Jesse has brought local flavours together with unpretentious dining.

Jesse’s life is all about food – whether he’s in his kitchens, on his tractor, or hunting coastal marshes – flavour is always on his mind. A competitor on the fourth season of Food Network’s Top Chef Canada, his restaurant has also been featured twice on the network’s award-winning show, You Gotta Eat Here! Featured in many newspapers and magazines such as The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s Readers Digest, Chatelaine and EnRoute, Jesse was also one of the contributing chefs in Michael Smith’s documentary, Village Feast.