Cowichan Valley Travel Guide: Farms, Wineries and Food on Vancouver Island

Is there a house here that isn’t selling eggs?Honour boxes abound as we roll through the sun-dappled, winding roads of Duncan, each offering the unsupervised sale of a half-dozen oeufs for little more than a fiver—fresh from the henhouse and far less than the price at the supermarket. As if the fields of lazy cows weren’t enough of a clue, it’s clear we’re in farm country: the Cowichan Valley, a charming, rural coastal region that, despite having visited Vancouver Island hundreds of times over the course of my life, I had no idea existed. Oops.

I’m not sure what I thought lay between Nanaimo and Victoria: freeways and box stores, I guess? It was a part of the Island that had never crossed my mind over the decades as I planned teenage jaunts to visit my crush in Victoria, made the trek to pay my respects to my grandparents in Campbell River or braved annual, slightly hungover post-surf-trip drives from Tofino back to the ferry terminal. But opportunity knocked for a whirlwind visit this past fall and, nearly four decades into my relationship with Vancouver Island, it seemed like the perfect chance to see a place I thought I knew with fresh eyes.

And as I traverse this uncharted territory—husband and three-year-old daughter in tow—I find myself having one consistent thought: why did no one tell me? This entire time, a beautiful wine region has been a mere ferry ride away? I get to take a pleasant boat ride instead of white-knuckling it through Abbotsford traffic to get to the Coquihalla? As much as I love the Okanagan, I also love a day of civilized travel—and this particularly civilized journey also allows for a pit stop in Ladysmith’s historic downtown a mere 20 minutes after driving off the ferry.

The Cowichan Valley region stretches along the south coast, encompassing a swath of charming communities from Ladysmith to Mill Bay; the towns of Duncan, Chemainus, Cobble Hill, Cowichan Bay and Shawnigan Lake lie in between. Multiple people tell us it’s the “warmest” climate in Canada: temperate conditions that, as it turns out, are perfect for growing everything from grapes to tea leaves to pumpkins (and cannabis, as a chain of pot shops called “Warmland” remind me). Yes, there are freeways and box stores connecting these mid-sized Island towns, as I thought previously, but off the Trans-Canada Highway, the side roads lead us by pretty pastoral scene after pretty pastoral scene, glimpses of a glistening ocean or serene lake occasionally visible between them.

We fuel up on homestyle cinnamon rolls from Ladysmith’s jam-packed Old Town Bakery before heading to our home base: “The Tractor Shed” guest house at Emandare Vineyards. Owner Mike Nierychlo grew up in the Lower Mainland, blogging about wine on a blissful, pre-Zuckerberg internet. In 2013, he and his wife Robin, agri-curious, stumbled upon a derelict vineyard in Duncan. “These were noble weeds,” jokes Nierychlo. They rolled up their sleeves and got to work; today, the winery produces an annual 1,000 highly coveted cases of minimal-intervention pinot noir and chardonnay with a distinct coastal minerality.

The vines that make these extremely crushable wines roll down the hills right outside the windows of our little guest house. “The sink has the best view on the property,” Nierychlo tells us as he gets us settled into the airy, farmhouse-inspired suite, gesturing to the frameless window that lines the kitchen counter.

It’s tempting to continue to hang out here all day, working our way through the crisp bottle of Emandare rosé Nierychlo pops for us, but farm country is a-callin’: we have a total of 10 farms on our list to hit over three days. We’ve waited this long to explore the Cowichan Valley—there’s no more time to lose.

Over a few days, we more than make up for our time away. At Merridale Cidery and Distillery, my daughter romps around the apple trees as the grown-ups tuck into pot pies and sip tart, frosty glasses of perfectly funky cider. Later, we pull on special foot covers to meet-and-greet the sweet cows of Cowichan Station Creamery, where owners Renee Davy and Henry Rekers are dedicated to cultivating a low-stress environment, which happily leads to some truly delicious high-fat gouda.

Another farming power couple, Rebecca and George Papadopoulos, take us for a jaunt around their Keating Farm, a historic property they’ve been reinvigorating over the past decade. We tour the house, lovingly restored to its 1888 glory, that is host to indoor markets and long-table community dinners; meet an ornery goose named Ivan the Terrible watching over the chickens; and watch my daughter put on an impromptu dance recital in a barn that’s home to both a rustic-romantic guest suite and dozens of twinkle-lit wedding receptions a year.

That afternoon, chef Bill Jones also welcomes us into his home; at his Deerholme Farm, he hosts field-to-table dinners several times a month, inspired by ingredients from his neighbours or the mushrooms he’s foraged nearby.

On another misty morning, we walk through the tea slopes at Westholme, Canada’s first tea farm, before settling into the converted-barn teahouse for a hot pot of oolong, overlooking the lush Westholme Valley below. The scene is equally beautiful at the state-of-the-art new Unsworth Vineyard tasting room, an open, concrete-and-glass beauty with clear views of the rows upon rows of grapes and swooping starlings, hoping to get lucky.

Funnily enough, all of these winemakers and farmers seem to have something in common besides happily living off the land: they’re all first-generation agriculturalists. We meet former teachers, construction workers, an epidemiologist and a startling amount of recovering engineers. There’s an entrepreneurial spirit here: folks hoping to grow more than just a few carrots in this special little sliver of the West Coast.

As we hop from farm to farm—with breaks for berry-packed danishes from Hank’s and an enchanted forest sauna experience at Setri Nordic Spa—Cowichan goes from being a mystery to a place I can’t imagine forgetting. The sensory memories layer one on top of the other: crisp, mineral-forward sauv blanc washing over my tongue at Averill Creek Vineyard as I try and fail to teach a toddler to play cribbage; the late-October sun on my face as I bite into a too-hot wood-fired pizza on a terrace above Alderlea Farm’s sprawling land; a tickle on my palm from a soft muzzle as I feed the easy-going miniature goats trotting around Yellow Point Farms.

My daughter is snoring in the backseat before we’re even out of the Emandare driveway—exhausted from meeting pigs and picking pumpkins for days on end and, admittedly, crying that she didn’t get to wear her own pair of special protective booties at the dairy farm. It’s been a big weekend: a crash course in a place I’m so grateful to now know.

I haven’t caught the same bug that inspired so many of these operators to ditch their big-city jobs and embrace farm life full time—my lifestyle-journalist hands are far too soft for the demands of farm labour and goodness knows my three-year-old isn’t going to pull her weight—but it’s nice to know that when I do feel like going country, the experience is just a ferry ride away.

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12 Essential Stops in Cowichan Valley

1. Emandare Vineyard

The guest house is an adorable spot to hang your hat, but the tasting room and small, sunny garden patio are great for a visit even if you’re not spending the night. Estate-grown, low-intervention wines celebrate the terroir: if the flagship sauv blanc isn’t sold out, grab a bottle (or a case) and be rewarded with notes of orchard pear and ripe kiwi. 6798 Norcross Rd., North Cowichan

2. Unsworth Vineyards

Though Unsworth started as a family affair (hello to the Turyks!), a recent acquisition by Jackson Family Wines has given the local hero a few extra resources, like a beautiful new tasting room and excellent restaurant. Pinot noirs and chards are the heart of their output-wine-maker Dan Wright consistently shines in global competitions. 2915 Cameron Taggart Rd., Mill Bay

3. Averill Creek Vineyard

You can spend a very pleasant afternoon in the light-filled tasting room sipping your way through the wines crafted by self-proclaimed
“mad scientist” winemaker Brent Rowland, but if you’re short on time, a bottle of the light and fizzy Charme de l’ile Charmat is a great grab-and-go choice. 6552 North Rd., North Cowichan

4. Cowichan Station Creamery

Even if the passionate duo behind C.S.C. don’t have their farm shop open for a tasting on your visit, the cheese vending machine out front offers the opportunity to stock up. Animal welfare is at the forefront of all their work-you can even scan the QR code on each package to find out exactly which cows made your block of high-fat, hyper-creamy gouda-style “Walter” cheese. 4354 Howie Rd., North Cowichan

5. Merridale Cidery and Distillery

You could just pop in for a drink or a meal, but there’s enough to explore at the cidery to fill a whole afternoon, including a fairy-garden scavenger hunt for kids and distillery tours. If you plan on hitting the cider tasting hard, consider booking a stay at the surprisingly plush, orchard-side yurts. (Each little hut is named after a heritage apple, like Yarlington and Tremlett.) 1230 Merridale Rd., Cobble Hill

6. Westholme Tea Company

The Cowichan Valley happens to be the ideal climate for growing tea-good news for Victor Vesely, who decided to open up Canada’s first and only tea farm here back in 2003. Since planting his first bush, he’s become a self-taught expert in all things tea, and the tasting room here (a wood-stove-heated converted barn) features varietals and blends from his own tea slopes and farms across the world. 8350 Richards Trail, Duncan

7. Setri Nordic Spa

Saunas are hot right now (pun intended) here on the West Coast, so it’s not a surprise that one has popped up in Cobble Hill, too. There’s something particularly special about the setup at Setri-it’s built in a forest clearing, so you can sweat, soak and soothe yourself surrounded by towering firs and the scent of cedar. 940 Jedson Rd., Cobble Hill

8. Hank’s Bakery

Located in an industrial park off the highway, Hank’s doesn’t look too special from the outside, to be frank. But head through those doors and right to the bakery case to discover the truth: fresh baked sourdough and golden Parisian-inspired pastries piled with seasonal fruit elevate a morning, pre-farm tour coffee run to new heights. There’s a great selection of provisions here, too: locally made granola, jams and more. 3–5311 Trans Canada Hwy., Duncan

9. Keating Farm

Call ahead to place your order for non-GMO eggs, raw honey, heritage-breed pork and more -and see if you can talk Rebecca and George into giving you a tour when you drop by. Or, watch the Keating Instagram account for invites to regular public events like local farmers markets or long table dinners that are followed by live musical performances in the restored hay barn. 5250 Miller Rd., Duncan

10. Deerholme Farm

Tickets to chef Bill Jones’s intimate, multi-course dinners always sell out fast, but snag a seat and you’re in for a treat from one of Canada’s most legendary culinary minds. He’s packed his kitchen with enough tables and chairs to seat 30 (with room for an extended collection of mushroom ceramics) Expect a meal inspired by the valley’s best produce unique to each seating. 4830 Stelfox Rd., Duncan

11. Alderlea Farm and Cafe

The biodynamic farm gives visitors a chance to taste its wares right on site with its popular café. Pizzas crafted in the wood-fired oven here are laden with veggies plucked right from the field (either their own or their neighbour’s). Juicy burgers are made from grass-fed beef and feature homemade fermented sauerkraut on the side. 3390 Glenora Rd., Duncan

12. Yellow Point Farms

Owners Justin and Becca Dault are transplants from the Lower Mainland, a former teacher and contractor now happily growing blueberries, selling artisanal goat-milk soap and raising miniature pigs. The petting farm here is a delight for kids (and kids at heart); glossy-coated ponies and mini goats happily roam in a large, lushly grassy enclosure. 4756 Yellow Point Rd., Ladysmith

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