British Columbia (cont)

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island, a short ferry or float plane ride from Vancouver’s bustling hub, is home to many exceptional food experiences that will astound, thanks not only to the variety and quality of local goods but also to the talent of the destination’s artisans and producers.  With its moderate offshore breezes and wealth of world-class chefs, food writers and like-minded culinary adventurists are clamouring to make their home in the fertile Cowichan Valley and surrounding environs.  Indeed, this “not so small” island is leading the way in BC’s culinary renaissance.

A taste of the unique products on the island can be unearthed minutes from Swartz Bay ferry terminal, where most travellers disembark.  Marley Farms, a winery and working farm owned by relatives of the late great Bob Marley, promises to be a tasty stop.  Jamaican pride comes through in the colourful labels on their selection of fruit wines and vinegars including their Kiwi Solera, which is fashioned utilizing locally grown yellow kiwis, boasting a flavour reminiscent of the sun-aged Soleras from Spain.  Few would think of kiwis in Canada, but the temperate climate of the island lends itself to unique fruits like kiwi, as well as figs, grapes and especially apples.  And speaking of this favoured fruit, just around the corner sits one of the island’s newest culinary attractions and its second cidery. Opened in July 2007 on the Saanich peninsula, Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse is home to outstanding organic ciders ranging from delicate (Kings & Spies) to robust (Rumrunner).

An hour’s drive north of Victoria, the picturesque Cowichan Valley is a foodie’s nirvana with its wineries, fromageries, culinary retreats and farmers markets.  Set up base camp with Mara Jernigan at historic Fairburn Farm, a destination which has fast become one of BC’s top culinary retreats. As with any working farm, there is plenty to do and eat; Jernigan hosts cooking classes, traditional Sunday lunches on the huge wrap-around porch and even private dinners.  The farm is also home to North America’s only herd of mozzarella-producing Water Buffalo.

Greater Vancouver

Unlike the laid-back lifestyle of Vancouver Island, Vancouver offers a contrasting bustle of activity, just as you would expect from any Pacific Rim hub. Indeed, this region promises outstanding epicurean experiences where cultures collide. 

A host of cultural influences entice the epicurean in various food districts including Chinatown, Commercial Drive (Italian District) and Main Street (Indo Canadian district).  While Vancouver Island is more about the farms, Greater Vancouver can best be experienced through its restaurants.  And with more than 100 new restaurants having opened in the City of Vancouver alone in the past 12 months, choices abound.  Then there’s Granville Island - the region’s foodie mecca.  Here, locals, chefs and tourists mingle amongst the plethora of shops dedicated to all things indigenous.  From Canada’s first artisan sake maker to a small goat cheese producer, Granville Island will show you how the people of Vancouver forage for fare. 

If you’re hungry after visiting Granville Island, head to the locals’ favourite seafood shack – Go Fish.  The little blue hut is home to some of the best and cheapest eats in the city and features the fresh catch of the day right off the nearby docks.

For a more upscale meal, break bread at some of Vancouver’s favourite locales, which continue to earn critically acclaimed reviews worldwide.  West, situated on the South Granville slope, exemplifies local cuisine prepared using classical French techniques. A few blocks away, Vikram Vij mans the floor of his eponymous restaurant.  Hailed as one of the best Indian restaurants in North America, Vij skilfully marries traditional Indian cookery with BC’s freshest local products.

Okanagan and Similkameen Valley

Another noteworthy culinary destination in BC is the province’s vineyard and orchard region, just a four-hour drive from the city.  With more than 100 grape and fruit wineries, plus a variety of cheesemakers, fruit orchards, roadside vegetable stands and restaurants, the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys offer a taste for everyone.

Take time to explore the scenic route to the Okanagan via the Crowsnest Highway and wind through the Similkameen Valley, which is an example of what the Okanagan was like many years ago.  Small boutique wineries, such as Orofino, dot the landscape and are raising the bar not just for the region, but for BC as a whole with their award winning wines.  Plan to spend a couple of days in this picturesque valley and take in the hospitality of Kim Brind’Amour and Steve Venables at Harvest Moon Guesthouse, near Keremeos.  The three-room guesthouse is nestled on their organic farm and features a hot tub in the orchard (perfect for gazing at the stars each night), a basket of organic fruits and vegetables and a bottle of their tantalizing fruit wines.

Once you have delved into the Okanagan Valley, be sure to visit the Naramata Bench with its incredible assortment of wineries.  One not to miss is Lake Breeze Vineyards, home to a fabulous patio restaurant where the locale’s chef mingles Mediterranean influences with local products.  Lake Breeze proves the perfect place to sip a glass of their most popular wine, Ehrenfelser, accompanied by one of the winery’s many dishes.  Take time to pop into the wine shop as well and taste the unique Pinotage; this robust red reflects winemaker Garron Elmes South African heritage.

When to Visit

Many local farms and wineries provide unique venues for festivals and events that keep BC’s food and wine scene buzzing year-round, which makes any season a good time to visit.  The months from May to October offer the best selection of fresh fruits and vegetables for which BC is known.  If you are visiting during these months, plan around the Feast of Fields events which take place in Whistler, Vancouver and on Vancouver Island.  In winter months, be sure to hit Cornucopia, BC’s biggest food and wine party held in Whistler each November or the Icewine Festival, raising a glass in the Okanagan each January. 

British Columbia has long been known for its beauty and accessibility to pristine wilderness; adventurers come from across the globe to ski, snowboard, hike, swim, fish, bike, climb and play in this spectacular province – and now BC’s culinary scene has provided another reason to explore BC’s great outdoors.  Indeed, no trip would be complete without a taste of the ocean, mountains, valleys and woodlands which define this province as extraordinary.  

If you go:

Call 1-800 HELLO BC® (North America) or visit www.HelloBC.com

Marley Farms: 250-652-8667, www.marleyfarm.ca

Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse: 250-544-4824, www.seacider.ca

Fairburn Farm: 250-746-4637, www.fairburnfarm.bc.ca

Granville Island: www.granvilleisland.com

Artisan Sake Maker: 604-685-7253, www.artisansakemaker.com

Go Fish: 604-730-5040, 1504 West 1^st Ave.

West: 604-738-8938, www.westrestaurant.com

Vij’s: 604-736-6664, www.vijs.ca

Orofino: 250-499-0068, www.orofinovineyards.com

Harvest Moon: 250-499-2649, www.harvestmoonguesthouse.com

Lake Breeze Vineyards: 250-496-5659, www.lakebreeze.ca

Feast of Fields: www.ffcf.bc.ca/feast.html

Cornucopia: www.whistlercornucopia.com

Icewine Festival: www.owfs.com