Bring an empty stomach and a big appetite: Victoria and the Cowichan Valley on nearby Vancouver Island abound with world-class restaurants, working farms, wineries, brew pubs, a cidery—and, of course, the Fairmont Empress Hotel with its afternoon tea service.

Crush Wine Tours
The Okanagan may be BC’s best-known wine region, but Vancouver Island now boasts more than 20 wineries. Crush Wine Tours (250-888-5748; www.crushwinetours.com) introduces visitors to some of them, such as Cherry Point Vineyards, one of the world’s first First Nations wineries. Request a wine and chocolate pairing, which matches Cherry Point reds and whites with sweet treats from local chocolatiers. Blue Grouse Vineyards is a sun-kissed spot nestled among the hills in the Cowichan Valley. As with many small vineyards, distribution is limited; if you find a wine you like, purchase it on the spot. Some tours stop at Merridale Estate Cidery, where you can take a self-guided tour of the orchard and look for the charming fairy villages hidden throughout. Farm tours also include cheese tastings and lunch made from local fare. All tours depart from downtown Victoria, returning several hours later, and can include a stop for lunch at La Pommeraie at Merridale Estate Cidery or Zanatta Winery. It’s heaven for oenophiles.

Travel With Taste Culinary Tours
You wouldn’t guess it from looking at her, but Kathy McAree eats for a living. The petite blonde takes groups of foodies around Victoria, Sooke, the Cowichan Valley and Salt Spring Island, sharing her passion for local food and wine (250-385-1527; www.travelwithtaste.com).
On the urban culinary walking tour, McAree leads visitors into hidden Victoria gems such as Silk Road, which sells tea, does tea tastings, offers aromatherapy and has a full spa that uses organic products. Café Vieux Montréal smokes its own meat—which some transplanted Québécois swear is better than the much-lauded smoked meat at Schwartz’s in Montréal. Elizabeth Levinson, author of An Edible Journey, and her sister, Caroline Macey-Brown opened the European-style coffeehouse Café Mela first, and it was so popular that they recently opened Mela’s Tearoom next door, which offers numerous exotic teas. The Dutch Bakery & Coffee Shop is a Victoria institution that has been run by four generations of one family since 1956. Rogers’ Chocolates is another stalwart that has been satisfying sweet tooths since 1885; try one of the famous hand-wrapped Victoria Creams, and don’t worry about rumours that the shop is haunted. The common theme running through all of McAree’s favourite stops is a commitment to quality ingredients and, where possible, local sources. Her other tours include visits with winemakers, bakers, cheesemakers and farmers. No specialized foodie knowledge is required, just a healthy appetite.

Tea at the Empress
A tasting tour of Victoria isn’t complete without afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel (250-389-2727; www.fairmont.com/empress). It starts with fresh local fruit topped with thick, sinfully rich, Chantilly cream. After the fruit come tiers of tasty tidbits. On the first tier are dainty, crust-less sandwiches, such as traditional cucumber, or more unusual fare, such as smoked BC salmon and cream cheese. On the second tier, English raisin scones nestle beside clotted cream and jam. Crowning the cakestand, chocolate truffles sit next to tarts, pound cake and shortbread cookies. And of course there’s the tea: created specifically for the hotel, the signature Empress blend mixes leaves from Assam, Kenya, South India, Ceylon and China.
The whole experience is steeped in history. Tea is served in the Tea Lobby, Harbourside Room or Library Lounge—stately rooms ornately decorated with reminders of bygone eras—and this year marks the hotel’s 100th anniversary.
More than 1,000 teas per day are served in summer, so reservations are recommended. Wise patrons show up hungry, because this tea is a meal.

Victoria is an easy day trip via BC Ferries, a seaplane or Helijet. For more information, visit www.tourismvictoria.com.

Publication Date: 7/2008