UMTravels

Out of the condo by 10:15 to make a 10:45 pickup at the ferry terminal — which didn’t happen until 11:15 when this huge black “luxury van” pulled up. It turns out that we are the only two people on the tour today — they could have sent a town car — but this pimped out airport rental car shuttle is outfitted in black leather trimmed in leopard print, a big screen TV, neon and strobes under the seats, and racks of wine glasses and coolers of bottled water.

First stop was Cherry Point Vineyards. Helene found a fruit port that she liked, along with a white that reminded her of a German wine from years before.

Next was the Oceanfront Grand Resort for a 3-course wine-paired lunch — they swapped out the crab cake for a roasted garlic bulb for the none shellfish eating Helene. Food was good, they had fresh tulips on the table for us (and no one else). Construction noise was a bit annoying, but considering the whole tour is costing us $84 each, the lunch is MUCH better than I was expecting. Wines from Blue Grouse, Zanata, and Glenterra — all whites, but it’s lunch, so that’s OK.

After lunch the next stop has a seriously cute guy manning the counter — yes, you will have to wait until I get home to see pictures. The winery: Godfrey Brownell. Good reds, locally grown, which is surprising since I didn’t think it got hot enough on Vancouver Island.

Next was the stop I wasn’t looking forward to — the fruit winery. Silverside. I actually (as did Helene) liked the Wild Blackberry Wine, but I picked up a bottle of the Blueberry Vinegar.

And the final stop was  Merridale Cider Works. What excited me was that they are putting in the island’s first distillery so they can make eau de vie, calvados, and other lovely distillates. The cider wasn’t that bad either.

Free glasses (3) rounded out the tour, and a ride back to the WorldMark topped it off — I hope Helene tipped well.

Email, blog, and working on the lamb for dinner are up next. Think it’s going to be an early night with all that wine and food in me.