The idyllic island of Vancouver Island,
British Columbia is just perfect for a Spaswinefood
adventure. The city of Victoria, a top tourist attraction, draws visitors from
around the world to Vancouver Island. Spaswinefood has visited Vancouver Island a number of times to check out the island scene. This time we went to check out Vancouver Island
wineries near Victoria. Little did I know the wine surprises that I would find.
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| Blue Grouse Vineyards © Spaswinefood |
While the Okanagan Valley is know for its wine
Vancouver Island is less so. My overall expectation for Vancouver Island wines was not high. I
had anticipated maybe discovering a few wines that I liked. I must admit that I
was pleasantly surprised. What I discovered was that Vancouver Island wineries
are working with international grape varieties that do well in this region.
Perhaps this is not such a great surprise. However, some of the wineries are
making wines from grape varieties I had not tasted before. Discovering new
grape varieties, such as Cabernet Libre is what made the visit special for me.
In fact this is what makes a visit to a wine region a unique experience for
wine enthusiasts.
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| Enrico Winery Cabernet Libre 2010 © Spaswinefood |
It is not surprising to find on Vancouver
Island some overlap with wines being produced in the Okanagan Valley. This is a
comfortable fit given you would naturally expect some overlap. Also, some Vancouver Island wineries source their grapes from the Southern Okanagan
Valley. Some vintners however, prefer to use only locally grown grapes. They believe
that such practices take away from the region developing its own wine making
identity. The willingness to experiment with local terroir I suspect will
continue to evolve as this young wine region discovers itself. While growing
grapes at the edge of the northern grape growing region presents unique
challenges it also offers unique opportunities for experimentation.
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| Cabernet Libre Grapes, Enrico Vineyard © Spaswinefood |
Vancouver Island Wineries
HelloBC lists wineries north of Victoria
on the Saanich Peninsula. See also Wine of
Canada’s list of Vancouver Island Wineries. During our visit we visited
two areas on Vancouver Island, namely the Cowichan Valley and the Saanich Peninsula. Most of the wineries on Vancouver Island can be found in the Cowichan Valley. This article will provide a brief overview of wineries we visited. Spaswinefood will write more on specific wineries visited later.
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Enrico Vineyard © Spaswinefood
The Cowichan Valley wineries that we visited were:
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1. Averill Creek Vineyard, 6552 North Road, Duncan is Vancouver
Island’s largest estate winery. This winery has a beautiful picnic area. We enjoyed tasting their wines and having a picnic lunch.
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| Picnic Lunch at Averill Creek Vineyard © Spaswinefood |
2. Blue Grouse Estate Winery, 4365 Blue Grouse Road, Duncan has produced handcrafted
estate wines for 23 years. This expertise shows well in its white wines. It also does produce an awesome Black Muscat. This winery has a picnic area.
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| Blue Grouse Estate Winery, Estate Vicesimus 2011 © Spaswinefood |
3. Cherry Point Estate Wines, 840 Cherry Point Road, Cobble Hill is
Vancouver Island’s premier estate winery. We did not taste at this winery. We did however, enjoy a fabulous lunch at their bistro, with some of Cherry Point Estate wines.
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| Cherry Point Vineyards © Spaswinefood |
4. Enrico Winery, 3280 Telegraph Road, Mill Bay has a very inviting tasting room. We enjoyed getting to know their wines. I especially like discovering their Cabernet Libre. This winery has a picnic area.
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| Tasting at Enrico Winery © Spaswinefood |
5.
Twenty Two Oaks Winery 1-6383 Lakes Road, Duncan is a new winery
with lots of enthusiasm. This winery has a picnic area.
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| Tasting at Twenty Two Oaks Winery © Spaswinefood |
The Saanich Peninsula wineries we visited
included:
1.
Church & State Winery, 1445 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay has a perfect setting for tasting their award winning wines. This winery has a
bistro.
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| Church & State Winery © Spaswinefood |
2.
De Vine Vineyards, 6181 Old West Saanich Road, Saanichton has an excellent view on a clear day. We took advantage of the view for a picnic lunch during our visit. The young winery is already producing good wines. The winery has an organic certificate in progress. They are totally organic on the estate.
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| De Vine Vineyards Roussanne 2011 © Spaswinefood |
3.
Muse Winery, 1195 Chalet Road, North Saanich uses estate grown grapes and grapes from Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and the Okanagan Valley. Sulphites are kept to a minimum during their wine making process. This winery has a bistro, which uses fresh, local and organic ingredients.
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| Muse Winery © Spaswinefood |
The Vancouver Island wineries that I
visited were all very welcoming. A few of the wineries had bistros and they all
usually had a picnic area. Beppi Crosarol, Globe and Mail provides a critical overview of top Vancouver Island wineries
to visit.
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| View from De Vine Vineyards © Spaswinefood |
You may wonder where Vancouver
Island wineries fit within Canada’s viticultural picture. In this case Canada has
two appellations, namely Ontario and British
Columbia. British Columbia's appellation has four "designated viticultural
areas" (DVA's). These DVA's include Okanagan Valley, Fraser Valley,
Vancouver Island and Similkameen Valley. Both provinces participate in a Vitners
Quality Allicance (VQA), an appellation of origin that is modeled
after the European system. In this case a Vancouver Island VQA would certify a wine is
from this region and meets the quality standards. I invite you to join me in
my travels in British Columbia and elsewhere in search of the best in Spaswinefood.
Sharon
September 2013
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
© Spaswinefood
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