To reach Pender Island you must take a ferry, the one we were on was slightly bigger than the one pictured in the foreground. The ferry in the back ground carries cars and passengers from the Mainland to Vancouver Island. The day was perfect; the water was calm, the sky was blue and the air was warm.

If you click on the picture it will enlarge.
On the way to Pender Island there are two other Gulf Island stops, Galiano and Mayne Island. Pictured to the left is the tip of harbour entrance to Galiano Island with the mainland in the back ground.

The second stop was Mayne Island which is a very popular location for summer vacation homes and campsites.

The total trip to Pender Island takes about two hours and twenty minutes.  Morning Bay, the only winery on the Island has three vineyards, two estate and one a few minutes to the south

From the vineyards at Morning Bay you can see the Saturna Island and the vineyards of Saturna Island Winery

Although the winery used a great deal of concrete in the construction lumber from onsite trees was also used. The unique gravity-flow winery uses natural processes to nurture wines that bear the stamp of hand-craftsmanship. Designed in the style of a barn, the two-floor winery keeps primary fermentation upstairs, in the "hayloft," and barrel and bottle storage in the "manger," where sub-grade construction and concrete maintain a perfect wine-aging temperature. Wines are easily moved using gravity and kept at the ideal temperature for fermentation

Keith Watt (owner/ winemaker)  was our tour guide he strongly believes that the key to running a winery is HOSPITALITY and he certainly proved it. He was an excellent host.

Keith also believes the work area of the winery should not be hidden from view. "Let the people tasting your wines see that it is a working winery." he commented.

We also spent a pleasant time with Keith's wife Barbara and their wine shop host Susan

Keith and Barbara also believe in being involved in their community. In their barrel room and tasting area they display art work from various Island artists

They also host numerous events such as the Winestock™ music festival

Morning Bay's 20 terraces climb 200 feet up the rocky south flank of Mount Menzies on North Pender Island

Construction of the vineyard began in 2001. By fall of 2002, after building a mile of deer-fence, a mile of terrace, five miles of trellis and a million-gallon pond, 5000 grapevines began to make Pender Island their home.

In the fall of 2006, five years after planting, Morning Bay harvested its first releases grown entirely on Pender Island: a Gewurztraminer-Riesling blend, a Pinot Gris, a Shonberger-based blend, and a pinot noir-based Rose called Chiaretto. We had the pleasure of sampling these wines at a tasting held in Vancouver

Their second vineyard located on the original 25 acres
has Ortega and Schönburger  The vineyards overlook the waters between Pender and Saturna Islands