We invite you to discover B.C.'s fastest growing Wine Country. Enjoy our wineries
and cideries, taste the latest vintage, picnic in a vineyard or orchard - all
with a backdrop of verdant hills and scenic landscapes.
The Saanich
Peninsula lies just a few minutes north of Victoria. Considered Vancouver Island's
latest viticultural hot spot, the Saanich Peninsula boasts the Island's only certified-organic
vineyard. Your next wine tour starts in the Cowichan Valley which is reached via
the Trans Canada Highway or if the prospect of negotiating the steep Malahat Drive
is daunting, B.C. Ferries operates a regularly scheduled service from Brentwood
Bay to Mill Bay. Your Cowichan Valley wine tour is your opportunity to sample
something truly special! The wine route begins at Mill
Bay, at the Merridale Ciderworks, and then heads north to Cowichan
Bay / Cobble Hill and the Cherry Point
Vineyards. Cherry Point offers guided tours three times a day that provide an
in-depth look at grape growing and wine making at a "farm" winery. Next stop is
Venturi-Schulze Vineyards and the nearby Blue Grouse Vineyards. Follow the Wine
Route markers, it is a fifteen-minute drive north to the southern end of the city
of Duncan and Echo Valley Vineyards, Godfrey
Brownell Vineyards and Zanatta Winery. Just north of the city is Alderlea Vineyards.
A half-hour drive north to Nanaimo
is the Chateau Wolff Vineyard, and farther north in Port Alberni is the Chase
Warren Estate Winery, the first winery in Port Alberni and the northernmost tip
of the Island’s wine growing region. While the vineyards, wineries, breweries,
and distilleries in the Central and North Central Island regions are less concentrated
than in other areas of the islands, the passion is just as strong and you'll find
many of the shops and restaurants proudly offering fine locally crafted vintages,
brews, and distilled spirits.
No two vineyards are alike; each has its own
special favourites, as popular as Chardonnay or as rare as Agria. The region also
boasts near-perfect conditions for growing premium quality cider apples. The Cowichan
Valley mirrors the climate and soil conditions of the famous cider-growing regions
of England and France.
Located in the lee of Vancouver Island, between the
island and the mainland of British Columbia, are the Gulf Islands, and their near
Mediterranean climate. Many of the Gulf Island wineries supplement their production
with grapes grown in the Okanagan Valley. Each of the Gulf Islands seems to be
a world unto itself; travelling between the Southern Gulf Islands and Northern
Gulf Islands can be accomplished in small hops - each island deserves at least
a day or two for exploring.
On Saturna
are the Saturna Island Vineyards, the only island vineyard and winery in Canada
with a resort and restaurant facilities. On Salt
Spring Island, be sure to visit Salt Spring Vinyeards and Garry Oaks Winery,
located between Ganges and Fulford Harbour. To the northwest of Saturna Island
is Thetis Island, location of Thetis
Island Vineyards. Visit Morning Bay Vineyards on North Pender Island, Gabriola
Island Winery and Hornby Island on the east coast of Vancouver Island is home
to three wineries. BC Ferries have a few sailings each day, so plan ahead. Diehard
wine trekkers will want to hit all the wineries scattered about the islands; your
best bet is to bring a bike and a tent for some serious Island
Hopping.
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