Regional breakdown: Cowichan Valley

Contributor Chris Turyk breaks down the terroir of Cowichan Valley, and what makes it so special.

Credit: Averill Creek

The Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island’s South East Coast is the leading edge of high latitude premium viticulture. Bright, delicious and ever-intriguing wines are always found in this dynamic region. Since the first planting of vines in the 1970’s, the trajectory of the Cowichan Valley has hit a steep pitch.

Credit: Blue Grouse

Recent approval of the Cowichan Valley as a VQA Sub-GI, foreign investment from wine industry moguls Barbara Banke of Jackson Family Wines renown, and occupying an ever growing proportion of the Canadian wine conversation, all have the spotlight firmly held on the shores of Vancouver Island.

Focus has sharpened from the proverbial shotgun approach to variety selection from days of old, to a focus on Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and more recently Chardonnay. Currently, with only a few hundred acres of vineyard, expansions are already underway by major players, Unsworth Vineyards, Averill Creek Vineyards, Sea Star Winery and Blue Grouse Winery to more than double the total acreage in the next few years.

The farmscape of the Cowichan Valley ends not at Vineyards. Several small scale organic farms, cheesemakers, Canada’s only tea farm, are nestled around, cideries, distilleries and breweries; all of which continue popping up at a breakneck pace.