10 great wineries in the Fraser Valley to visit this summer

Raise a glass of hyper-local, award-winning wine from this dynamic and exciting wine region

Imagine a day spent strolling through vineyards, stopping in at boutique wineries for tastings, and having lunch on a sun-dappled terrace surrounded by bucolic scenery—all within an hour’s drive from downtown Vancouver. This is the Fraser Valley wine region.

With more people staying closer to home these days, now is the ideal time to discover the award-winning wineries of Langley and Abbotsford. Although the Okanagan is B.C.’S largest and most publicized destination for oenophiles, the Fraser Valley’s wine scene is dynamic and exciting. And it’s maturing and getting better with age, just like the fine wine it produces.

“For people who live in Vancouver, you can have a truly great wine experience in the Fraser Valley,” says Erinn Kredba, executive director of Tourism Langley. “It’s not that far from Vancouver, but the feel is completely different.

“You can walk through the vineyards and see the grapes,” she says. “There are traditional tasting rooms, beautiful areas to sit and relax, and patios to sit outside. This is an alternative to the

Okanagan right in your own backyard.”

More than a dozen wineries can be found in Langley and Abbotsford. The wines they produce reflect the terroir, meaning the natural environment (including soil and climate) that gives a wine its characteristic flavour.

“There are several wineries to explore right across the Port Mann Bridge,” says Chris Blanchette, manager of destination marketing at Tourism Abbotsford. “They produce wines that are unique to this region, grapes that thrive in this climate. You are tasting the best of those varieties, like Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner, Siegerrebe—wines

you wouldn’t necessarily get places where it’s really hot.”

In fact, Siegerrebe (pronounced see-gah-reh-bay) is considered by many to be the signature grape of the Fraser Valley, ideally suited to the area’s cool, wet clime.

Other varietals the region produces include, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. There are also rosé, dessert and sparkling wines. The Fraser Valley is home to wines made of fruit such as blueberries and some made with honey, for mead.

With so many wineries to explore, the Fraser Valley makes for the perfect 2020 staycation. Tasting rooms are open (with physical distancing measures in place). Pack a picnic, pick up a charcuterie board at one of your stops, or sit down to lunch amid gorgeous countryside scenery. Sip your way to summer and raise a glass of hyper-local wine.

“You can have a truly great wine experience in the Fraser Valley.”