Cowichan Valley Wine Festival

August 13th, 2022- Cowichan Wine Month Kick Off…

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The Summer of 2022 has been one big wine festival in the Cowichan Valley.

June was wine passport month.

Now comes the August 4th  Wine Festival Launch Party. BECAUSE  August is Wine Month in the Cowichan Valley!!

The kick-off took place on the superb beachfront lawn at Brentwood College, Mill Bay.

With the help and support of Corey Wood and Jill Nessel, I was able to taste with  and talk to:

Dan Wright – Unsworth Vineyards  https://www.unsworthvineyards.com/

 

(Dan Wright- Unsworth)

 

Lorin Inglis – Enrico Winery  https://www.enricowinery.com/

Lorne Inglis

(Lorin Inglis – Enrico)

Bailey Williamson – Blue Grouse Winery  https://bluegrouse.ca/

Bailey Richardson

(Bailey Williamson – Blue Grouse)

Xavier Bonilla – Cherry Point Estate https://www.cherrypointestatewines.com/

(Xavier Bonilla – Cherry Point)

Garrett Deol – Deol Winery  https://www.deolestatewinery.com/

Zac Brown – Alderlea Vineyards https://www.alderlea.ca/

Mike Nierychlo – Emandare Vineyard https://www.emandarevineyard.com/

Christiaan DeBeer – Zanatta Winery https://zanatta.ca/

CowichanWineries.com

Tourismcowichan.com

photos by: Corey Wood &  Stephanie Cragg

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

 Township 7

Haltwhistle Cheese and Unsworth – a pairing

Fort Berens

Bartier Brothers

 

 

May 28th, 2022- Tasting Cowichan-New Fairview Cellars-Quails Gate Expands

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Proudly Sponsored by Harbour Air

Tasting Cowichan-New Fairview Cellars-Quails Gate Expands

 

THE SHOW

 Tasting the Cowichan

It’s a two-part interview with several of the wineries of the Cowichan Valley.

Taste Your Way Through The Cowichan Valley runs June 1-30

and:

Wine Festival Month Launch Party – on the Grand Lawn  Brentwood College Aug 4th (7-10 pm)

Ticket info and details are on this Page and  CowichanWineries.com

Bringing the news and pours on Zoom  are:

 Lorin Inglis – GM Enrico Winery  enricowinery.com

Jim Moody – Owner Zanatta Winery   zanatta.ca

Dan Wright – Winemaker Unsworth  unsworthvineyards.com

Bailey Williamson – Winemaker Blue Grouse  bluegrouse.ca

Tony Stewart – CEO Quails Gate Estate Winery (West Kelowna)

The news came as a wonderful surprise to many.

Quails gate Winery

 

Two beloved BC wine families have come together,  with an eye and considerable heart on the future.

The Stewart Family at Quails Gate (N. Okanagan) has leased 30 acres of Black Sage Road vineyards from Julie and Lanny Martiniuk at Stoneboat. (South Okanagan)

Tony Stewart

After replanting and pollination, just think of the wonderful wines that will appear on our shelves in about 4-5 years..

I love the fact that two iconic BC wine families have enough trust and respect to make this partnership work.

Tony Stewart explains the details.  Truly hope there’s more of these kinds of stories.

While I had Tony’s attention,  I asked about new releases from Quails Gate.

 

Fairview Cellars – Danielle and Dermott Hutton  New Co-owners (Golden Mile)

Bill Eggert and the Hutton Family

Fairview Cellars was the home and consuming passion of  Bill Eggert.

Bill Eggert

A legendary winemaker who at one point in his life, was teaching winemaking at the valley college. Fair to say, he kept some of his secrets to himself.

Several years ago Bill let it be known that he was looking for new owners so he could move on to the next chapter of his life..

It took considerable time but he found them in Danielle and Dermott Hutton.

Danielle became the GM and Dermott learned how to get along with a tractor and farm vineyards.

Now the vineyard has changed hands. Good hands.

Bill simply would not sell his beloved vineyards to just anyone.

We’ll talk to Bill Eggert down the road but right now it’s the Hutton Show.

They’ll explain how it all came together and then walk me through the new releases.

 

Sending love to the great tasting room manager – Mindy Ward.

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

  • 2022 Vancouver Wine Festival (Two-Part)
  • Pinot  Blind Tasting
  • Sponsors Special
  • 2021 Vintage Wine Review

 

 

June 26th, 2021 –  4th Annual Cowichan Valley Wine Festival!

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Cowichan Wine Festival Aug 1-31.   12 wineries – 31 days – 36 wines to be discovered.

THE SHOW

2021 –  4th Annual Cowichan Valley Wine Festival

Sunday, Aug 1 High Noon –  Tuesday, Aug 31, 5 PM.

 

It is so nice to be able to share this week’s Tasting Room Radio with our friends from the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. The good news they bring is that The Cow is open for business.

They will be adhering to covid guidelines and practices.

In all,  12 wineries will be open and welcoming. (reservations are highly recommended)

You’ll want to make plans early because last year was a complete sell-out.

Tickets are $35.00.

Your handsome glass is the ticket that allows you to get into all 12 participating wineries.

Visit as many wineries as you like and collect stamps in your passport. If you collect all of them you can enter a draw for a Grand Prize.

For more info www.tourismcowichan.com

For all the dark news of 2021 it’s nice to be able to share this week’s Tasting Room Radio with our friends from the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. The good news they bring is that The Cow is open for business. They will be adhering to covid guidelines and practices.

In all,  12 wineries will be open and welcoming. (for some,  reservations are highly recommended)

You’ll want to make plans early because last year was a complete sell-out.

 

Tickets are $35.00. Your gorgeous glass (and passport) is your ticket. That allows you to get into all 12 participating wineries.

Visit as many wineries as you like and collect stamps in your passport. If you collect all of them you can enter a draw for a Grand Prize.

Historic Faces of Cowichan

For more info www.tourismcowichan.com

unsworth wines

Unsworth Winery

 

The stories and the pours from 6 valley wineries. Our guest list includes:

 Jim Moody – Owner and Winemaker at Zanatta Vineyards (Duncan)

Bailey Williamson – Winemaker at Blue Grouse (Duncan)

Bailey Williamson Blue Grouse

Lorin Inglis – Manager of Enrico Winery (Mill Bay)

Brent Rowland – Winemaker Averill Creek and Joue (Duncan)

Brent Rowland Winemaker Averill Creek

Michelle Schulze –  Management  Venturi-Schulze (Cobble Hill)

Dan Wright – Winemaker Unsworth (Mill Bay)

www.tourismcowichan.com 

bluegrouse.ca

enricowinery.com

zanatta.ca

AverillCreek.ca

venturischulze.com

unsworthvineyards.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Spring Releases from:

2House

Gold Hill

Cedar Creek

Home Block Restaurant

Little Engine Virtual Tasting

Breaking Ground at Unsworth

 

May 22nd, 2022 –  4th Annual Cowichan Valley Wine Festival

hello

Cowichan Wine Festival Aug 1-31.   12 wineries – 31 days – 36 wines to be discovered.

 

THE SHOW

2021  4th Annual Cowichan Valley Wine Festival

Sunday, Aug 1 High Noon –  Tuesday, Aug 31, 5 PM.

For all the dark news of 2021 it’s nice to be able to share this week’s Tasting Room Radio with our friends from the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. The good news they bring is that The Cow is open for business. They will be adhering to covid guidelines and practices.

In all,  12 wineries will be open and welcoming. (for some,  reservations are highly recommended)

You’ll want to make plans early because last year was a complete sell-out.

 

Tickets are $35.00. Your gorgeous glass (and passport) is your ticket. That allows you to get into all 12 participating wineries.

Visit as many wineries as you like and collect stamps in your passport. If you collect all of them you can enter a draw for a Grand Prize.

 

For more info www.tourismcowichan.com

unsworth wines

Unsworth Winery

 

The stories and the pours from 6 valley wineries. Our guest list includes:

 Jim Moody – Owner and Winemaker at Zanatta Vineyards (Duncan)

Bailey Williamson – Winemaker at Blue Grouse (Duncan)

Bailey Williamson Blue Grouse

Lorin Inglis – Manager of Enrico Winery (Mill Bay)

Brent Rowland – Winemaker Averill Creek and Joue (Duncan)

Brent Rowland Winemaker Averill Creek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle Schulze –  Management  Venturi-Schulze (Cobble Hill)

Dan Wright – Winemaker Unsworth (Mill Bay)

www.tourismcowichan.com

 

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Spring Releases from

Clos du Soleil

Alderlea

Fort Berens

2House

Gold Hill

Mt Boucherie

Rust Wine