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December 20, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Duncan, Breweries, Distilleries & Cideries
I'm from Duncan on Vancouver Island and when my husband I were out for a drive about two weeks ago we saw some signs for Merridale Ciderworks, so we said, "Why not?" and we checked it out.
This place is amazing! It's an estate cidery tucked away on Merridale Road (a side road on Cameron Taggart rd.) and they have the nicest views! As soon as we walked in the door we were greeted by the hostess and asked if it was our first time visiting. When we said it was, she offered us to go on their self-guided tour of the distillery to learn more about the process of cider-making, and once we finished that, we went back inside and had a tasting of several different types of their cider (our favourite was the Scrumpy! mmm!).
After the tasting, we had lunch in their bistro (I think it was called the Pommeraie Bistro) and the food was FANTASTIC! My husband had the chicken pot pie and I had the lamb burger and everything was locally grown and organic, and the waitresses were friendly and helpful. I can't believe we had never been to this place before, but now that we know it's there, we've been twice since that first day!
I definitely recommend Merridale Cidery for anyone who wants good food in a warm (literally, they have a fireplace!), friendly venue. And if you want a laugh, go to the tasting bar, Darcy is hilarious! :)
December 12, 2008 | Field Reports > Duncan, Multi-Adventure Excursions
Just
off the Malahat highway, we hook up with local tour guide/owner Kurt
from Legend Excursions. He takes us on an adventure experiencing local
Vancouver Island glass blowing at GBS, Venturi-Schulze Vineyards &
Farm Winery and the Pacific Northwest Raptures flying demo.
December 12, 2008 | Field Reports > Duncan, Accommodations Duncan, Accommodations
Carrying
on from the small town of Sooke, we hit some waterfalls and did some
cliff jumping, before arriving at the spectacular Aerie Resort off the
Malahat highway. Come share the experience of fine dining, massage and
one of the best views on Vancouver Island.
May 21, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Duncan, Accommodations Duncan, Accommodations
We recently spent some time exploring the southern end of Vancouver Island. The simple beauty is overwhelming. Mountains, rivers, the ocean & endless greenery. Flowers! Paradise after the rugged prairie icebox we wintered!
We lucked out & discovered something quite unique. Bluenose Marina ! I have never stayed on such a floating dream! Meticulously decorated & absolutely magical. What a fantastic idea we thought, a floating hotel, well your own personal float home for a few nights. Fully equipped & as comfortable as being at home. Take me back to the top deck watching the sunset & the quaint little hub settling in for the night.
There was kayaking, whale watching, mountain biking(anther day) & a few funky shops to browse through. They quite possibly host the best bakery on the planet. Completely organic & many varieties to choose from. Slip next door into Hilarys cheese & then grab a nice bottle of local wine. This place really is a hidden gem, the quality of its local products are exceptional. I just had to share.
I almost forgot about the delicious seafood ceaser at Schooners. mmmmm! We'll be back! And Silverside Winery with its blackberry & raspberry wines. Many vineyards to tour as well.
March 24, 2007 | Tips from Travellers > Duncan, Camping
View a larger image on flickr.com
Picture taken from up in the hills behind Heather Campsite, one of the beautiful campsites situated at the top end of Lake Cowichan, which is a 1/2 hour drive from Duncan.
February 7, 2007 | Tips from Us > Duncan, Farms & Orchards
There's an amazing farm developing at the corner of Telegraph & Hutchinson Rd in Cowichan. Six hundred lavender plants were planted in 2005 and another six thousand in 2006 as well as a 2 ½ acre vineyard, a fig orchard, olive trees and a sizeable vegetable garden.
Damali is the project and dream of three partners DAvid & MArsha Stanley and ALIson Philp, hence the acronym DAMALI. This word was subsequently found to be an Arabic word meaning ‘beautiful vision’ and their vision is quickly becoming a reality.
The five different varieties that were planted have thrived and produced much more lavender than had ever been imagined so a steam distillation system (still) was purchased in the summer of 2006 and the partners have been extracting essential oil throughout the summer & fall. Since then they have been kept busy building a Provènce themed shop while making and packaging a variety of products such as soaps, bath salts, dried flowers, pure essential oils, spritzes, culinary lavender, comfort bags, eye pillows, and much more to tantalize the senses. They invite lavender lovers everywhere to come and see, smell, touch and taste on weekends starting at Easter and then in the summer during the week as well. For more information visit www.damali.ca
September 1, 2006 | Tips from Us > Duncan, Festivals & Events
The Cowichan Wine and Culinary Festival committee members have big dreams as they aim to bring food & wine lovers everywhere to the Cowichan Region September 29th to October 1st. This is the second year for the festival and is building on the tremendous success of last years event. Visitors are encouraged to pick up a map from one of the regions Visitor Centres or participating venues and then sip and taste their way through the Cowichan Region.
There is an exciting new list of events at this year's festival and many of the activities are free to the public, others have fees ranging from $10.00 to $100.00 per person including several winemaker’s dinners, BBQs and dances.
This years festival features an event presented by the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce. The 'Gala at the Grand' a Cowichan culinary extravaganza will be held on Saturday, September 30th at the Oceanfront Grand Resort in Cowichan Bay. It will feature demonstrations by Cowichan culinary celebrities and chefs as well as local food producers and gatherers. Tickets will include a souvenir wine glass, 'tapa’ style tastings and local wine pairing, appetizer buffet, wild food identification, locally made ice cream and chocolate sampling, and interactive displays. There will be live entertainment, dancing, a silent auction and grand door prize “Decorative Dining Cowichan Style”, a table setting for four created by Cowichan artisans for the ultimate dining experience.
This year the wine shuttle will be expanding service to include pick-up points from Sidney to Qualicum and doubling the number of buses running throughout the 2 days.
“This is a celebration of food, wine and the tremendous sense of community that exists in the Cowichan Region,” says Tanya Smith, Festival Director.
For a complete schedule of Cowichan Wine & Culinary Festival events visit www.wines.cowichan.net
June 20, 2006 | Tips from Us > Duncan, Museums
If you have read any of my previous entries, you will know I am a big fan of small museums. I walked into another unique one a few weeks ago in Cowichan Bay. I was actually trying to go for a stroll down one of the main piers, but as it turns out the pier is actually the museum.
As I walked down the pier, I entered a series of covered sheds (like small covered bridges). As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so click
here to check it out.
One of the sheds is set up for kids to build their own toy boat to take home. In another shed, I particularly liked the Johnson Outboard motor from 1947 that was on display – very retro chic in a maritime sort of way. At the end of the pier, there is a pavilion that currently exhibits over 30 hand-made miniature boats.
The maritime centre also restores old boats and offers boatbuilding shops, which are held in the onshore workshop. Inside, the smell of freshly carved wood hit me like a winter gale in open water. There, I met Herb Rice, a resident Coast Salish Artist, who was carving elaborate doors for a private home. Cowichan Bay is located on
Vancouver Island , just south of
Duncan .
March 23, 2006 | Tips from Us > Duncan, Dining
Food and drink are without a doubt two of my favourite things and one of the best ways to enjoy them is by touring the vineyards and farms of the Cowichan Region on beautiful southern Vancouver Island. With over a dozen vineyards and the only estate cidery in BC, Cowichan is the second largest wine region in the province and becoming well known for it's character and culinary delights. The vineyards are all fairly small and the growers and vintners are generally available to spend time talking to visitors about their craft. The quality and variety of foods grown and produced in the area is one of the main reasons that world class chefs are making this area their home. You can take part in culinary workshops, demonstrations and gourmet pot luck dinners held in many homes and commercial kitchens. Local chefs can often be found sharing their craft at local festivals and events throughout the year. Culinary retreats and accommodations with fully equipped gourmet kitchens are springing up throughout the region for guided or self catered culinary enjoyment. A scenic wine tour will take you past diverse farms to collect seasonal fruits and vegetables, visit the cheesemaker and organic bakery in historic Cowichan Bay and buy fresh fish & seafood straight from the fishermen. Learn about wild mushrooms and have a guide take you into the forest in search of these elusive delicacies. You can even visit local potters and glass makers along the way to collect your dinnerware for a truly authentic Cowichan feast. After a bountiful day of gathering you can bet that dinner is going to be great !
http://www.visit.cowichan.net
November 28, 2005 | Tips from Us > Duncan, Dining
About 30 minutes drive from
Victoria is the
Cowichan Valley , a region which is becoming known as a mecca of food and wine production. As my in-laws live in Cobble Hill, my husband and I often spend time in the area. We've spent many weekends bombing around the backroads, searching out unique nooks and crannies. Over the years, we've developed our list of "must-stops" for every visit. On the top of the list is
Merridale Cider , which is the only estate producer of sparkling hard apple cider in the province. Their not-too-sweet ciders are worth seeking out, and we usually buy a supply to take home with us. They recently opened a bistro on premises, which is a fantastic place for lunch. There's nothing I like better than their "ploughman's lunch" of cheeses and bread, accompanied by a chilled glass of cider, while overlooking the orchard. There's a number of wonderful, small wineries in the area too. My mother-in-law favors Glenterra's "Brio" as her house white, and it's a perfect summer sipper. Nearby
Venturi Schulze winery produces wines that are a real treat, and we always ensure we have a ready stock of their "Millefiori" on hand. Winter might be approaching but the Cowichan is has the mild temperatures of Southern Vancouver Island that rarely drops below freezing. I'm looking forward to a couple days in the Cowichan soon.
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