The Old Third Vineyard — Attraction in Ontario

This barn is a must-visit in Prince Edward County for a casual but elevated lunch. Everything is self-serve: order your food and wine at the counter, then head upstairs to find a seat by the open breezy window in the beautiful barn space. Then wait for your number to be called and pick up plates in the kitchen. You are also asked to clear your own empty plates into the bus bin and bring glassware downstairs after. They do prompt for tips, but obviously this is not a service-oriented eatery.

There are four excellent pasta options, each $22; we had the agnolotti, which was outstanding and well worth the 15-minute wait. Jens, the owner, personally took our order; he’s a serious cancer survivor and brings a quiet warmth and resilience to the experience. It was meaningful to meet someone with such a story behind the counter.

Wine tastings are $3–$4 per pour, featuring Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made on-site (though the Chardonnay grapes come from Beamsville). A friendly young staff member poured our tasting, though tasting prices weren’t mentioned in advance, something to note for first-time visitors. A glass of Chardonnay was $14 and a great complement to the food.

Clean outhouse on-site, outdoor seating available if you don't want to climb stairs, and lots of free parking. A peaceful haven for wine lovers and pasta fans alike. They only sell bottled water or wine for beverages so we brought our own soft drinks.

Highly recommended for a true rural experience...

Went on a Sunday, around 1530hrs. We have a party of 4 people. It is a winery based in a renovated barn, so it has a nice vibe to it. The lady at reception was very friendly and nice. However thats about all the good things I can say about this establishment.

1. The lady at the reception did not say that the food is going to be self-collect until I gave the tips. Knowing that before hand will be helpful.

2. The individual plates of food were really heavy and hot. However, the staff and chef just stare at me struggling to carry both plates on my own, instead of offering some form of help such as providing a tray to carry the plates of food with. I had to phone my wife to come down from level 2 to help me with the food.

3. Certain portion of the food tasted extremely salty as compared to others, so I assume that the chef did not spread the salt out well while cooking her food, which is a very basic skill to have when you expect people to pay at lest $20 for each plate of your pasta.

Overall nice ambience, but totally not worth the money you going to spend here. Total bill add up to $90 for two plates of pasta and two glasses...

Local here from the area and recently saw a bad review for The Old Third. I was very confused because the review mentioned how this family business deserved a 1 star review due to the $14 glasses and “supermarket” burrata. I just wanted to leave my own 5 star review for The Old Third. I think what tourists need to remember is this is a small community of people, we are not in a commercialized Toronto market. All ingredients are authentic and pasta is made from scratch that morning. If a $14 glass is expensive to you, you will find most wineries very expensive. Small businesses like this thrive off good reviews and also, this is a pasta bar for LUNCH. Not a full gourmet dinner. I can barely finish even my lunch size so I think reviews based on portion sizes vary for the customer. I recommend tourists coming to the area to check out the social media platforms to see if you’ll enjoy your time.

Anyways, thanks again Jens, Bruno, Steph, Alicia and Jenna for the amazing hospitality. We always enjoy coming for the pasta and...