Dawn was born and raised on the Canadian prairies and later lived in practically every province in Canada. From an early age she started working in food and beverage industry. After successfully completing Level I and II of the International Sommeliers Guild she is currently enrolled in Level III. Dawn lives in Victoria, BC and works as the Restaurant Manager at the Hotel Grand Pacific.
Vancouver Island Wineries & Vineyards
Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are both located on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is a hidden gem within Canada’s wine industry. This wine growing area enjoys long hours of sunshine and warm temperatures in the summer months. Vancouver Island area boasts the mildest weather of Canada. These months can also be a mix of cool intermittent shifts in the weather conditions which promotes wines higher in acid and more aromatic. The Cowichan Valley, Victoria and the Gulf Island regions have the highest concentration of vineyards and wineries of this area.
The soils of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are nutrient rich and with high organic material. The soil is a mixture of mainly limestone and sand, with some clay. There are many microclimates throughout the islands. You will find the wineries scattered from all over among lakes, rivers, mountains, forests and gripping the ocean’s edge.
Wines of these areas showcase rich fruit flavours with typically softer acids. But this area does not only produce wine but high quality cider, microbreweries, mead, gin (recent!), and fruit wines. And then there is the food, west coast cuisine! There is an amazing following for local organic products and eating seasonally. The islands produce some amazing local cheeses and you are able to buy farm fresh eggs from the side of the road!
I plan to share some treasures I have discovered living and working on Vancouver Island for the last five years throughout my next posts.
Cheers!
Dawn Kapcala
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