Averill Creek Vineyard #vineyards #cowichan #wine

The view from the Averill Creek vineyard is breathtaking.

Grape vines in the foreground; ocean in the background. Does life get any better?

“New World. Cool Climate. Uncompromising wines from Vancouver Island.”

(from the Averill Creek Vineyard website)

While I enjoyed the wine I have to say I got stuck on the view, and the beautiful garden outside the tasting room. They encourage you to bring a picnic lunch to their patio to enjoy with their wine. Wisteria hung from a wooden trellis beside our picnic table. Flowers grew all around. It felt a wee bit like heaven.

Inside:

We tasted three wines and a blueberry dessert port. I tipped, swirled, smelled and chewed the wines the official way, which I learned in Florence. It’s easy to do and really helps me discern the intricate flavors. I’ll put a YouTube clip on the bottom to help you “taste like a pro,” or a snob or whatever, in case you are interested in learning about that.

I enjoyed the wines and chose to take home their Pinot Noir . This is what they say about it:” OUR RAISON D’ ÊTRE | Delicate but intense. Elegant yet earthy. Our Pinot Noir opens with an alluring bouquet of dark berries & violets, leather & butterscotch. The silky, medium-bodied palate features rich black cherry & ripe plum flavours, finished with a touch of spice & soft, supple tannins. Delightful alongside grilled salmon, beef bourguignon, roasted fowl or sautéed mushrooms.”

To me it tasted rich, full bodied and darn good. I look forward to sipping it with my honey.

The Story Behind the Winery

In 2001 the 150-ton capacity winery was built on the side of Mt. Prevost in the Cowichan Valey on Vancouver Island. It has an original concept:

“we built an adaptable state-of-the-art facility that incorporates three buildings structured together, allowing wine to flow down from one stage to the next without the need for pumps. This gravity flow method allows for gentle handling of delicate varietals – helping to retain their subtle characteristics.

Our collection of hand crafted fine wines, including perennial sell-out Pinot Grigio, Prosecco style wine Charme De L’ile, and limited edition reserve wines, have helped raise the profile of Vancouver Island terroir and its winemaking in Canada and internationally.” (website)

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Averill Creek Vineyard and recommend it. I’m torn with how to rate the vineyards I visit because I don’t want to misguide you with my subjective view.

When I was planning my day excursion I asked around to find out which vineyards were the favorites. I thought people would agree on two or three, but that wasn’t the case. Not at all.

Clearly, everyone has a different opinion. What I gathered from their stories is that their impression of a place relied heavily on how they were treated when they were there as well as how much they liked the wines.

So, I am going to either recommend a place or not write about it. That seems fair.

I recommend visiting the Averill Creek Vineyard. Take a camera and a picnic lunch and enjoy the view as well as the cutting edge wines.

They probably don’t call wines cutting edge. Revolutionary? You know what I mean. It’s all about the gravity.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9VbtND-aNA]