East off the old island highway on the northern outskirts of Comox on Vancouver Island you will find the delightful 40 Knots Winery. With hospitality to spare the team offered us complimentary samples of that day’s wine sampling list – a pleasant change from some more well known Canadian western and eastern wineries that charge for every sample.
We arrived at 5:10 pm on a Sunday but even though they were scheduled to close at 5:30, they still took us through all the wines we asked about, including a couple we saw that weren’t on the chalkboard. We didn’t feel rushed or unwelcome in the least.
For my palate, their crisp & light whites far outshone their reds…at least the ones available when we visited. I personally found the Syrah very underwhelming although they claimed it was popular. They were talking about a Pinot Noir that would hopefully be ready by fall that tweaked my interest. Again, my guess is a lighter Pinot Noir will be a better choice from this winery than the wines made with more complex grapes.
The ambiance outdoors was lovely – just what a winery should be. They offer minimal food (warmed baguette and a few other snacks), but are happy to serve you a bottle of wine while you eat your own picnic on their patio. There is even rumours they will be offering live music events soon. All events can be found on their website: https://www.40knotswinery.com/ and they are set up for you to order wine online too.
I treated myself to a couple bottles of their White Seas. A refreshing yet dry Pinot Gris blend with a clean, crisp feel – perfect for summer patio sipping! I can’t wait to open one on my back deck one warm summer evening after we get the kids to bed. Cheers ‘til next time!
2016 White Seas, 40 Knots Winery Comox Valley, BC 4/5 glasses
Whole Family Canada 