Vancouver Island

Article by Michael Fagin Meteorologist, Travel Writer and Wine Enthusiast

Tasty Wine from Exotic Vancouver Island

When you think of wine country – Vancouver Island is not the first place in the world that comes to mind. However, the Cowichan Region of Vancouver Island is definitely worth a visit for the wine, weather, food and of course the scenery of the mountains and ocean. The region is one the warmest places in Canada , based on the year-round mean temperature as the name Cowichan reflects this as this is derived from the coastal native term meaning “ Warm Land ”. The “Warm Land” gets the warm air from the westerly winds from mild ocean waters and this helps to keep the temperatures above freezing for most of the year – thus protecting the area from the very cold winter temperatures that the rest of Canada experiences.

At 49 degrees north, the latitude of Vancouver Island is similar to that of a number of growing areas in France . The Burgundy region (producing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay grapes), the Alsace region (producing Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer grapes) are both located at 47 degrees north while the Champagne region is at 49 degrees north. The July average temperature of the wine growing area of Vancouver Island is 64 degrees F (18 degrees C) which is slightly cooler than the aforementioned regions in France . For the important harvest month of September rainfall on Vancouver Island is very close to that of France – 1.8 inches (45.72 millimeters). Finally, a survey taken from 1983 – 1990 by Duncan Reporting Services confirms that the similar grapes grown in Northern France would do best for Vancouver Island as the climate certainly has a lot to do with that.

An important factor in the success of grape growing is the geology of the area. The valley has a very unique geological history. 15 – 30 thousand years ago the Fraser Glaciations formed in the mountains and then gravity pushed the glacier down the mountains to carve out the Cowichan Valley . The end products included were glacier till, sand, and gravel and this just happens to be a perfect fertile soil for the grapes as the sand and gravel allow for good drainage.

Also advantageous is the much older “exotic terrane”. This terrane is a core formation that was created near the equator some 380 million years ago from undersea lava deposits. Then, 100 million years ago a large piece of the terrane (called the Wrangellia) broke off, moved north and collided with the North American continent near Vancouver Island . One of the benefits of this oceanic terraine is the soil loaded in limestone, which helps bring out the mineral rich wine notes

We are now heavily armed with our vineyard growing information that my wife and I decided it was time to visit the Venturi Schulze Vineyard venturischulze.com in rural Cobble Hill. For the owners, Giordano and Marilyn this is truly a labor of love. Giordano was born in northern Italy and immigrated to Canada in 1967. Marilyn was born in rural Australia . They met at the University of Montreal while they studied French. Their relationship flourished and this romance eventually carried them to a three day vacation in the Cowichan Valley. The conclusion to this was they fell in love with the area and within two months had bought a farm and given notice to their employers that they were ready to move on to Vancouver Island.

Giordano is known as a skilled, uncompromising and innovative wine maker. Along with a love for great wine, Giordano brought from his homeland in Italy an appreciation for great vinegar. Common balsamic vinegar is usually made from a mixture of wine vinegar, grape juice concentrate and caramel colorings. Venturi-Schulze Aceto Balsamico is made from grape juice, simmered over an open fire. The aging process takes place in five different varieties of wood barrels: acacia, ash, cherry, oak and chestnut. These releases being drawn from series combining a portion of their 1990 barrels with their younger vinegar . The vinegars that we tasted were really something special.

Giordano's innovative practices help alleviate one of the challenges presented by the soil in the area. Aside from the advantages mentioned above, the soil is also high in clay content which is not good as this creates a problem with drainage. To remedy the drainage issues associated with the surface clay, they deep ripped to a depth of 5½ ft and lay drains at that depth perpendicular to the ripping. The holes that are drilled for the vines were to create a soft channel for the roots to get established more easily. Just before planting each vine, they introduced a single gallon of water to the bottom of the hole and planted the vine a foot below the surface, protected by a grow tube, to encourage it to put its roots deep into the soil rather than at the surface. When the grow tubes are removed the following year, they could fill in the hole and have the roots continue to develop deep into the soil, protected from machinery and our summer drought conditions .

Tenting of wine grapes used at Venturi Schulze Vineyards-Photo by Elizabeth Fagin

Also challenging is the relatively short growing season of the area. In order to speed up the growing process in the spring, Giordano and Marilyn are using a process called tenting the vines. The rows are covered with plastic, creating a greenhouse warming effect. The tents are generally removed before the end of May. Marilyn's background in microbiology is very helpful as they experiment with different ways to meet the challenges presented. As you can imagine, the laborious hand labor needed in the vineyard is even harder under these tents. It is like working in a sauna but we can tell you first hand that the end product makes it all worthwhile.

Finally, Giordano and Marilyn were wonderful hosts and tour guides through the amazing tastes of their wine and vinegars. A memory that will stay with us forever is sampling their sweet, amber wine The Brandenburg No. 3. The wine's rich and smoky taste came alive while we listened to Giordano's tale of a childhood experience mixing great wine with great music. The full story of the Brandenburg can be found at www.venturischulze.com/archive/no3story.php

We did not get a chance to meet with their daughter Michelle Schulze who is an integral part of the winery as she is vineyard manager and assistant winemaker

Also in Cobble Hill and served by the same geological and climate advantages is Cherry Point Vineyards (http://www.cherrypointvineyards.com ). Cherry Point has won a number of wine awards from the Northwest Wine Summit and the All Canadian Wine Championship for its wines including: Pinot Gris (2007), Ortega (2007), Forte Brut (2004 & 2005), Siegerrebe (2006), Coastal Red (2006) Gewurztraminer (2006) and their Cowichan Blackberry, Solera Blackberry. A highlight of a visit to the Cherry Point Vineyards is a delicious meal in their lovely Bistro featuring vineyard views, fresh local ingredients and of course – a delightful glass of their award winning wine.

Bistro at Cherry Point Vineyards Photo by Elizabeth Fagin

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