Garry Oaks Winery on Salt Spring Island

Garry Oaks Winery is located on a 4 hectare terraced vineyard overlooking the Burgoyne Valley on Salt Spring Island. It began in 1999 when Marcel Mercier and Elaine Kozak purchased a 100 year old farm and began converting it from sheep to wine. The winery gets its name from a stand of rare Garry Oaks on the property.

I don't know where the Garry Oaks are, nor would I know them to see them. My dilemma, shared by countless others I'm sure, might be a potential marketing opportunity for the winery.


It's all rather unpretentious, which is a good thing. The wine tasting room is simple  yet stylish and the tastings are always good natured.

The wines are interesting. Prism, a blend of Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay, is acceptable, though a wee bit on the sweet side. A red, the Zweigelt, an Austrian varietal not often seen in North America,  is okay too, probably best decanted once or twice.The Pinot Gris is highly acceptable, rich, clean and fruity without overpowering. It is easily our favourite from this winery.



When on Salt Spring we always seem to stop at Garry Oaks Winery, sample and buy. There are sheep in the field next door, which attract attention from tourists, and on this occasion from Jeem, thinking only of a nice rack of lamb to go with  the Zweiglet.





Photos by Jim Murray. 
Copyright 2014.

Rendezvous Patisserie on Salt Spring Island

It is a bit off the beaten track. In fact, if you don't know about this patisserie on Salt Spring Island you probably won't stumble upon it, unless you happen to be visiting the popular pub Moby's on the Upper Ganges Road and even then you might miss it.

Among the assortment of boats and repair shops, sits a little piece of fine French pastry making.

Rendezvous Patissierie is small and unpretentious. Arriving in Canada from France in 2004, Brigitte and Bruno Gonzalez settled on Salt Spring. French pastries followed fairly quickly and Brigitte began selling her pastries at Salt Spring's popular Market on Saturdays and Tuesdays.







The shop opened sometime thereafter. It is not necessarily a place to sit and enjoy a coffee and pastry, though some do; the coffee is limited to a thermos carafe of drip coffee. The pastries are fabulous and include tarts, meringues, canneles and some savouries too.

The croissants are rich in butter and melt in your mouth as they should. They might well be the best croissants I've ever tasted. It's worth it to buy an assortment  of pastries and take them back to the "resort" to eat by the lake. With a good book and a nice bottle of French wine, wouldn't you agree?











Photos by Jim Murray.  Copyright 2014.

Mistaken Identity Vineyards on Salt Spring Island

Mistaken Identity Vineyards is the third winery to take root on Salt Spring Island. Nearest to the town of Ganges, it's more or less across the road from one of our favourite sources of provisions on the island; The Country Grocer (local produce, local owners, you know the drill).





In the past I have not much liked the wines from this winery, but having tried, and enjoyed their Pinot Gris at the Seaside Restaurant, we went for a tasting during the last week of August.









Melanie was our charming host for an assortment of pours, and Summerdale (the dog) was never far away. This is a simple and unpretentious kind of place, with a deck and yard to picnic and sip your wine, while looking at the vineyard. It is surely a more interesting place than Salt Spring Vineyards, which seems to be an afterthought in wine making at best and a ten percent plaything at worst.






The winemaker at Mistaken Identity is Jesse Cooper, recently from the brilliant Black Hills Estate Winery in the Okanagan, and from time well spent at a winery in France of all places. It might be a bit early to say for sure, but the wines of Mistaken Identity are beginning to take on a rather noticeable identity, at least by my standards.





The Pinot Gris is luscious and fruity with a crisp, citrus flavour, and it is clearly my favourite. The reds show signs of potential merit.

Mistaken Identity, and Jesse Cooper, are worth a look. Something good is happening here and I hope it continues.










If you are interested, as I would be if I had the money, it appears Mistaken Identity Vineyards is for sale. Not sure why it's for sale, but the asking price is only $2,100,000. It seems a bargain given the price of things on Salt Spring Island.

Does that price include Summerdale I wonder? More importantly, does it include Jesse and Melanie?

Photos by  Jeem. Copyright  2014 by Jim Murray.