Just north of Victoria, British Columbia on the Saanich Peninsula is a unique wine area. Yes, Victoria, Victoria, has wines. Some of the visitors to Victoria, a top travel destination, are #winelovers who come to explore local wines. Martin Vernon, Bed & Breakfast Victoria notes that in recent years visitors to Victoria have expressed an increasing interest in checking out Vancouver Island wineries. During a recent visit to Victoria Spaswinefood took the time to check out Saanich Peninsula Wine Country. Only minutes away from Victoria you find yourself driving on country roads with vineyards and farms.
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| Saanich Peninsula Wines © Spaswinefood |
What we discovered was that Saanich Peninsula wineries are working with international grape varieties that do well in this region. While some vintners prefer to use only locally grown grapes others source some of their grapes from the Southern Okanagan Valley.
From the HelloBC list of wineries on the Saanich Peninsula we were able to visit three wineries. The three Saanich Peninsula wineries we visited
included:
1. Church & State Winery
Church & State
Winery,
1445 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood
Bay has such a perfect setting for tasting their award winning wines. When you arrive at Church & State the first thing that gets your attention is the vineyard.
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| Entrance to Church & State Winery © Spaswinefood |
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| Vineyards at Church & State Winery © Spaswinefood |
The tasting room and bistro at Church & State winery are also very appealing.
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| Church & State Winery © Spaswinefood |
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Patio with Vineyard View at Church & State Winery © Spaswinefood
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Bistro at Church & State Winery © Spaswinefood
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While at Church and State Winery we tasted the following wines:
1. White wines - 2012 Island Estate Pinot Gris, 2012 Cuvée Blanc, 2012 Trebella (blend of Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier) and 2012 Viognier.
2. Red wines - 2010 Coyote Bowl Merlot (Silvers at 2013 All Canadian Championships and 2013 Pacific Rim Wine Competition), 2010 Cabernet Franc (Double Gold at 2013 San Francisco International Wine Competition, Silver at 2013 All Canadian Championships), 2009 Coyote Bowl Meritage (Golds at 2013 San Francisco International Wine Competition and 2012 All Canadian Championships, with Silvers at 2013 International Wine & Spirits and 2013 Pacific Rim Wine Competition) and 2009 Quintessential (Double Gold 2012 San Francisco International Wine Competition, with Silvers at All Canadian Championships, International Wine & Spirits, 2012 North West Wine Summit and 2012 Pacific Rim Wine Competition).
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Their award winning 2009 Quintessential © Spaswinefood
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Church & State Winery © Spaswinefood
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We enjoyed tasting Church & State's award winning wines.
2. De Vine Vineyards
From De Vine Vineyards, 6181 Old West
Saanich Road, Saanichton you get an excellent
view on a clear day. In fact it was a clear, hot summer's day when we visited De Vine. We could see all the way to Mount Baker in Washington State.
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| View of Mount Baker from De Vine Winery © Spaswinefood |
We were not only impressed with the view but also with this young winery's wines.
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| De Vine Winery © Spaswinefood |
The De Vine's tasting room is inviting and the service we received was excellent.
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| Tasting Room at De Vine Winery © Spaswinefood |
This young family owned winery is already producing good wines. The winery has had winemaker Ken Winchester as a consultant since its beginning. The wines we tasted included 2011 VRM, 2011 Roussane, 2012 Riesling, 2012 Pinot Noir Rosé, 2011 Syrah, 2011 Pinot Noir, 2011 Merlot and 2012 Epiphany.
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| 2011 VRM © Spaswinefood |
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| 2011 Roussane © Spaswinefood |
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| 2012 Riesling © Spaswinefood |
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| 2012 Pinot Noir Rosé © Spaswinefood |
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2011 Syrah © Spaswinefood
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| 2011 Pinot Noir © Spaswinefood |
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| 2011 Merlot © Spaswinefood |
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| 2012 Epiphany © Spaswinefood |
It is without doubt that we enjoyed wine tasting at De Vine Winery. The winery has an
organic certificate in progress. At the moment they are totally organic on the estate. We took advantage of the spectacular view for a picnic lunch during our visit.
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| Picnic at De Vine Winery © Spaswinefood |
3. Muse Winery
Muse Winery, 1195 Chalet Road, North Saanich uses estate
grown grapes and grapes from Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and the Okanagan
Valley to produce their wines. Sulphites are kept to a minimum during their wine making process.
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| Muse Winery © Spaswinefood |
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| Muse Winery © Spaswinefood |
While at the Muse Winery we tasted the following wines:
1. White wines - 2012 Ortega, 2011 Pinot Gris.
2. Red wines - 2010 Foch Noir, 2009 Maréchal Foch and 2009 Syrah.
Overall, the wines we tasted were quite pleasant. We particularly liked their 2009 Maréchal Foch. It was rather earthy on the nose, with smoothness on the palate, and lingering on finish, but not too long. Maréchal Foch is known to do well in this wine region. Their 2009 Syrah also had an amazing peppery nose and palate. We also liked their 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon that is made from grapes grown on 30 year old grape vines.
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| 2012 Ortega © Spaswinefood |
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| 2011 Pinot Gris © Spaswinefood |
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| 2010 Foch Noir © Spaswinefood |
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| 2009 Maréchal Foch © Spaswinefood |
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| 2009 Syrah © Spaswinefood |
The vineyard and grounds at the winery are quite inviting.
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| Muse Winery © Spaswinefood |
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| Muse Winery © Spaswinefood |
The good news is that this winery has a bistro, which uses fresh, local and organic ingredients.
In addition to the above three wineries we also stopped by Symphony
Vineyard, 6409-B Old West Saanich Road. The winery however was closed.
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| Symphony Vineyard © Spaswinefood |
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| Symphony Vineyard © Spaswinefood |
Yes, Victoria,Victoria has wines too
All the Saanich Peninsula wineries that we visited were very welcoming. Two of the wineries had bistros and they all had a picnic area. If time permits during your Victoria visit you might also want to check out Cowichan Valley wineries. The Cowichan Valley is about 1-2 hour drive from Victoria.
You may wonder where Vancouver
Island fits 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. A Vancouver Island VQA would certify a wine is
from this region and meets the quality standards. We invite you to join us in our travels in British Columbia and elsewhere in search of the best in Spaswinefood.
Sharon Parsons & John Matson
September 2013
Victoria, British Columbia
© Spaswinefood
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