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It has been four years since we last visited the wineries of the Fraser Valley.
At that time there were only three wineries in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia;
Andrés Wines(B.C.)Ltd, Columbia Valley Classics Winery, and Domaine de Chaberton.
There are now a number of new wineries within the township of Langley that have either
recently opened or are currently under new construction-a testament to this productive and fertile
region!
Our destination will include stops at Township7 Vineyard & Winery,
Domaine de Chaberton, Glenugie Vineyard and The Fort Wine Co. Estate Winery. Each of these fine
wineries can be reached by travelling east from Vancouver on Highway #1 towards Langley.
Continuing further along Highway #1 into Abbotsford one will also find Avery Fine Wine Boutique,
owned by David and Liz Avery (Opening later this year).
On this particular day, we chose to take the back roads in order to avoid the congestion of city
traffic and enjoy a more scenic route through lush farm lands. To access this route, start by heading
south on highway 99, then take the 8TH AVE. EASTBOUND EXIT (last exit befor the US-Canadian border
crossing).
Township7
Our first stop was the quaint five-acre vinyard of Corey and Gwen Coleman. Both Corey and Gwen eaned their experience working for various wineries in the Okanagan Valley before staring their own winery here in Langley. The perfect team, Corey takes the role of winemaker and Gwen manages marketing and sales.
The vineyard is located near Campbell Valley Region Park on 16th avenue in Langley. Look for a large sign near the entrance on 211th street which provides clear directions for access. Upon arriving in the parking lot we were promptly welcomed by Gwen and cheerfully steered towards the wineshop. Along the way, we walked by rows of newly planted vines. These vines are still too young for production Grapes for wine production are bought from various vineyards in the Okanagan Valley.
The hightlight of a vineyard visit is the gracious hospitality and of course the
tasting of the wines. As Gwen poured the glasses, we continued to enjoy our discussions
and explore the gift shop.
The winery produces
an unoaked Chardonnay, barreled Chardonnay, Merlot and Seven Stars.
Seven Stars is made in the traditional french way, using
50% Chardonnay grapes and 50% Pinot Noir.
Being a collector of hats, I happily purchased a Township 7 hat. We also purchased a few bottles of table wine to take home with us. My wife was very impressed with the Merlot as was John Schreiner, noted author (his latest book ICEWINE), who described it as having a full vivid berry flavour .
Township 7 Website
Wines of Canada Winery listing
It was time to move on to Domaine de Chaberton
