11 Best Sights in Vancouver Island, British Columbia

One of Vancouver Island's oldest estate vineyards, this family-owned, sustainably farmed winery is a favorite with the locals. Award-winning estate wines include Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Black Muscat, while the Quill label wines are blended with grapes from the Okanagan Valley. Locally made cheese and charcuterie boards, which pair perfectly with the wines, are served daily in the architecturally stunning Tasting Room. Lunch for two, including five wines, is $50.

There are actually two vineyards on this lovely 26-acre property—the upper vineyard clings to Mount Menzies while the lower trails down to the sea—both kept trim by a resident flock of small Babydoll Southdown sheep. Vintages from the first two years proved so popular that the vineyard has now increased to maximum production capacity. The award-winning Ortega and Blanc de Noir continue to sell out. Enjoy appetizers from Truss Farm Food in the licensed picnic area off the Tasting Room.

It's all about the Pinot Noir at this estate winery. Even the rosé is 100% Pinot Noir. In the tasting room, take the Pinot glass test to learn why the shape of the glass makes a difference to where you taste the wine on your palate (mid-palate being ideal for the delicate nature of Pinot). Try the Charme de L'Ile and Prevost Foch Cab before heading out to the patio overlooking the ocean with your favorite bottle and something off their snack menu or your own picnic. This is the perfect place to start or end a trip through the Cowichan Valley.

This 24-acre family-owned and -operated vineyard, one of the first licensed wineries in the Cowican Valley, is now the second-largest on Vancouver Island. The tasting room is open daily and features varietals including Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Ortega, Auxerrois, and Agria. The winery's highly rated bistro La Terraza serves lunch Thursday to Sunday from May to October.

This small estate vineyard on a south slope overlooking Somenos Lake is a labor of love for husband-and-wife team Mike and Robin Nierychlo. The pair purchased the property, which has some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines on the island, in 2013. Since their first vintage the following year, the Sauv Blanc continually sells out. The property includes The Tractor Shed guest house, a 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom guest house, complete with a six-guest hot tub on the deck overlooking the lake. The tasting room is open three days a week or by appointment.

This small winery, home to valley-view vineyards and a meditative labyrinth, produces estate-grown Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, a Chardonnay-Gewürztraminer blend, and an intriguing red made from Zweigelt grapes. It's open for tastings daily May through October from 11 am to 5 pm.

Cider is made in the traditional English way at this apple orchard, cidery and distillery; in addition to several varieties of cider and fortified wines, they also make spirits, like brandy, vodka, gin, and an apple eau de vie. Visitors can take a cidery and tasting tour at noon on Saturdays or a spirits and brandy tour on Sundays. Lunches of local fare served on the orchard-view patio. There's also a shop selling ciders, juices, baked goods, and jams, and you can even spend the night in a glamorous yurt on the property.

Salt Spring Vineyards produces a dozen wines, including Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and blackberry port, almost entirely from island-grown fruit. Be sure to try one of the Evolution series, made with a grape variety developed right on Salt Spring Island, and the Charme de L'Ile bubbly. Tastings are paired with local, seasonal food. Wine by the glass, bread, cheese, smoked fish, and other fixings are available for summer picnics on the vineyard-view patio. Live bands entertain on Friday evenings in summer; events, from food fests to outdoor theater, happen regularly, too.

Plan to spend a couple of hours at this family-owned and -operated boutique winery, where tastings of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and port-style dessert wine are on offer. The business has also extended to include vodka production. Guided tours are offered Friday through Sunday at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm. The picturesque grounds are also home to Unsworth Restaurant, a charming bistro in a restored early-1900s farmhouse serving lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday, overlooking the vineyards. On Monday and Tuesday from noon to 4 pm dine alfresco on the Pizza Patio. 

This small family business prides itself on not using any pesticides or herbicides in its limited-release products. While it started out making wine, Venturi-Schulze is quickly becoming known more for its balsamic vinegars, which are crafted using an ancient process. Regular, maple, and 100-year-old balsamics are available. Enjoy a glass of wine and lunch on the picnic patio. Tastings, which include 3–5 wines and a balsamic vinegar, are available Wednesday to Sunday from June to August (Thursday to Saturday from March to May). Tours are available by appointment.

A local favorite is Zanatta Winery (formerly Vigneti Zanatta), Vancouver Island's first estate winery which produces lovely Ortega, Pinot Grigio, and Damasco entirely from grapes grown on its own 25 acres. If you can, time your visit for an Italian-style lunch on the veranda at Vinoteca, a restaurant and wine bar in the winery's 1903 farmhouse.