For wine people
Wine tour
The Cowichan Valley is Canada's only maritime Mediterranean climate and one of its newest official wine regions. Aromatic whites, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine grow within 30 minutes of the inn, and the tasting rooms are small enough that the person pouring often made the wine.
- Tasting rooms
- Nine within 40 minutes
- Season
- Daily Jun–Sep; most Thu–Sun in winter
- Tastings
- Usually 4–5 one-ounce pours, $10–20, waived with purchase
- Driving
- Name a driver or book a tour
The full-day loop
Eight stops south through the valley, lunch at a winery, finishing at Unsworth for dinner. About 75 km and two hours behind the wheel.
- Averill Creek Vineyard — Hillside above Duncan with the valley's best view from a tasting-room terrace; known for Pinot Noir and sparkling. Opens late morning.
- Alderlea Vineyards — One of the Island's oldest vineyards, planted in 1992: Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and the old-vine Marechal Foch "Clarinet". Small, personal pours.
- Duncan — Coffee or an early lunch, and the Saturday market if it is Saturday. Otherwise push on.
- Blue Grouse Estate Winery — A striking modern tasting room above a sweep of vines; one of the best places in the valley for a long lunch on the terrace in summer.
- Cherry Point Estate Wines — One of the original 1990s wineries, now with a Latin touch from its Colombian owners and a food-friendly rosé; bistro lunches in season.
- Merridale Cidery & Distillery — BC's oldest craft cidery on a 20-acre orchard in Cobble Hill: self-guided orchard walk, farm store, bistro with a covered patio and tastings of cider, brandy and gin. Allow an hour.
- Unsworth Vineyards — Finish in Mill Bay with the valley's most polished restaurant, in a restored farmhouse. Book dinner, then 35 minutes home on Highway 1.
The half-day version
Three rooms and lunch, home by mid-afternoon. Leave at 11, taste at Averill Creek for the view, drop down to Blue Grouse for a long lunch on the terrace, and finish at Merridale for a cider flight and the orchard walk. Forty minutes of driving in total.
If you'd rather stay close, Averill Creek, Alderlea and Emandare are all within ten minutes of each other north of Duncan, and the Duncan Saturday market is on the way.
Who drives
- Cheers Cowichan Tours — Private group tours in a 14- or 18-passenger bus with a driver and guide, visiting three or four wineries or breweries plus a restaurant; pickups anywhere from Victoria to Parksville, including the inn. Priced per bus, so best for four or more. cheerscowichan.com ↗ · 250-710-7391
- Small-group tours — Several Victoria-based operators run scheduled Cowichan wine-and-food days with hotel pickups; ask us and we'll check who is running on your dates and whether they can collect you here.
- Taste lightly — Most rooms pour one-ounce samples and sell by the glass; a designated driver can share a single tasting and the spit bucket is not rude.
All the tasting rooms
| Place | Where (drive) | Known for | Food on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Averill Creek Vineyard | Duncan (20 min) | Pinot Noir, sparkling, the valley's best terrace view | Snacks; picnics welcome |
| Alderlea Vineyards | Duncan (20 min) | Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, old-vine Foch 'Clarinet' | No |
| Zanatta Winery | Glenora (25 min) | The valley's first winery (1992); sparkling | Vinoteca restaurant (seasonal) |
| Emandare Vineyard | Duncan (20 min) | Small-lot natural wines | No |
| Blue Grouse Estate Winery | Cowichan Bay (30 min) | Modern tasting room; Pinot, Ortega | Seasonal terrace lunches |
| Cherry Point Estate Wines | Cobble Hill (35 min) | Original 1990s estate; rosé, blackberry port | Bistro, seasonal |
| Enrico Winery | Mill Bay (35 min) | Reds and Pinot Gris on a south slope | No |
| Unsworth Vineyards | Mill Bay (40 min) | Polished whites, Pinot Noir | Restaurant in a restored farmhouse (book) |
| Salt Spring Vineyards | Salt Spring (ferry) | Small estate winery | Picnic patio |
Cideries, distilleries and farm shops are on the Beer & Cider page. Many rooms close Monday to Wednesday from November to April; confirm before driving out.