Vancouver Island
Wineries on Vancouver Island
A small, cool-climate wine region that makes crisp whites and light reds rather than anything big. The scene is compact enough to see properly in a day.
- 12 places on this page
- 15 towns
- 4 upcoming
Wineries and estate vineyards
Brewery & Winery
Salt Spring Vineyards
Salt Spring Island
Family-owned winery with award-winning wines.
Brewery & Winery
Blue Moon Estate Winery (Ravens Moon)
Comox Valley
5.0(3)Rated 5 out of 5 from 3 reviewsA farm on Darcy Road in Courtenay growing blueberries and heritage apples and turning them into cider, fruit wine, sparkling and fortified bottlings, alongside…
Brewery & Winery
Flying Fish Winery
Sidney
4.9(119)Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 119 reviewsBrewery & Winery
Alderlea Vineyards
Duncan
4.9(109)Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 109 reviewsAn estate vineyard on Stamps Road in the Cowichan Valley outside Duncan, growing Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, Merlot and…
Brewery & Winery
Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery
Comox Valley
4.9(94)Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 94 reviewsTwenty acres on Pickering Road in Courtenay planted to Ortega, Petite Milo, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir, certified organic by Ecocert since 2022 — the first on…
Brewery & Winery
Emandare Vineyard
Duncan
4.9(54)Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 54 reviewsCool climate, and what that means in the glass
This is a marginal growing region: mild, damp, with a long slow ripening season and no reliable summer heat. That produces high-acid aromatic whites, sparkling wine, and light-bodied reds from early-ripening varieties. It does not produce big, ripe, high-alcohol reds, and any producer here claiming otherwise is importing fruit.
The honest pleasure of Vancouver Island wine is the crispness — bottles that work with oysters, cold prawns and a grey afternoon, which is exactly what the region also produces.
How a tasting day works
The scene is small enough that three or four stops is a full and satisfying day. Tasting rooms are informal, usually charge a small fee that is waived on purchase, and often sell food alongside. Many are seasonal and close or shorten hours outside summer.
Because the properties are spread out, this is a designated-driver or hired-driver day. Distances between tasting rooms on the island are measured in tens of kilometres, and the roads between them are country roads.
Planning a tasting day
- Three or four stops, maximum
- The properties are far apart. Four is a full day and all you will remember.
- Arrange a driver
- These are country roads between rural properties. Do not plan to taste and drive.
- Check seasonal hours
- Many tasting rooms shorten or close outside summer. Confirm the day, not the month.
- Buy at the cellar door
- Production is small and much of it never reaches a shop. If you like it, take it with you.
Tasting rooms, cider houses and breweries
The wider drinks scene on the island — many of these pour local wine alongside their own.
Restaurant
The BEAR Bierhaus Restaurant
Tofino
4.7on GoogleRated 4.7 out of 5 on GoogleRestaurant and brewery in Tofino with live music.
Brewery & Winery
Gladstone Brewing Co.
Comox Valley$$
4.6on GoogleRated 4.6 out of 5 on GoogleCraft brewery serving IPAs and stouts alongside pub fare.
Brewery & Winery
Small Gods Brewing Co.
Sidney
4.6on GoogleRated 4.6 out of 5 on GoogleBrewery rated 4.6 serving craft beer and restaurant food made with local ingredients.
Brewery & Winery
Fern + Cedar Brewing Company
Qualicum Beach$$
4.6on GoogleRated 4.6 out of 5 on GoogleQualicum Beach brewery with seasonal beers and food pairings.
Brewery & Winery
Salt Spring Wild Cider House
Salt Spring Island$$
4.6on GoogleRated 4.6 out of 5 on GoogleHandcrafted cider with tastings and seasonal events.
Brewery & Winery
Beach Fire Brewing Company
Campbell River$$
4.5on GoogleRated 4.5 out of 5 on GoogleBrewery and kitchen pouring house beers including High Tide, a West Coast pale ale with tropical fruit and citrus notes, and WheelBender dry Irish stout.
Buying, shipping and taking it home
Production runs are small and the best bottles frequently sell only at the cellar door. If you like something, buy it there — you are unlikely to find it in a shop, and almost certainly not off-island.
Shipping wine across provincial and international borders is restricted and varies by destination. Ask at the cellar door what they can legally send to where you live before you build a case.
Wineries by town
Places, events and things to do, town by town.