Words Richard Hope
This time of year is great for a walk up to Phyllis Park in East Victoria. Just off Arbutus Road, Ten Mile Point drops away in front of you and the water opens up. The San Juans sit out to the east, and on a clear afternoon Mount Baker perches majestically on the horizon. It’s also somewhere my wife and I like to have a picnic overlooking the stunning view. And inevitably, that got me thinking about wine.
September is a good month to pay attention to what is in the glass. Two winters ago a cold snap took out almost the entire Okanagan grape crop, and wineries spent a season borrowing fruit from over the border just to keep the lights on. Then 2025 came good. The wines from that recovery vintage are landing on shelves now, and while you are drinking them, the 2026 grapes are coming in. Island fruit ripens later than the Okanagan, so if you drive up to Cowichan this month, people will be working.
It is also a good time to eat local, so here are a few menu ideas.
Small Plates
Manila clams from Baynes Sound, steamed open in a pan with a bottle of Sea Cider from up the road in Saanichton. Garlic, a knob of butter, parsley thrown in at the end. Serve with bread on the table so nobody wastes the sauce at the bottom of the bowl. While people wait, put out two cheeses, one hard and one blue, and Salt Spring Island is a good place to start.
From home: Sea Star Ortega from Pender Island. Originally a German variety, Ortega ripens early, giving
a light white wine. Best served chilled.
From away: Albamar 2024, a deeply refreshing Albariño from Galicia in northwest Spain. Grown in sight of the Atlantic and made for shellfish.
Mains
Salt Spring lamb, a butterflied leg on the barbecue. Rest it for 10 minutes, then carve. Make a quick sauce with the resting juices, a splash of stock and a handful of blackberries. Thyme and salt, roast potatoes, done.
From home: Averill Creek Pinot Noir. Island Pinot sits on the lighter side, so it goes very well with lamb.
From away: a Chianti from Tuscany. Sangiovese is dry and savoury with plenty of acid, perfect for the berry sauce.
Dessert
Basque cheesecake, and I would use Nigella Lawson’s version from Cook, Eat, Repeat. No crust, no water bath and you take it out of the oven while the middle still wobbles worryingly. She serves hers with a licorice sauce. Blackberries do the job too, if you have any left. The original comes from La Viña in San Sebastián, where they have been making it for about
30 years.
From home: Venturi-Schulze Gran Solera from Cowichan. Nutty and caramelized, perfect with the cheesecake.
From away: Tokaji Aszú, five puttonyos. Apricot and honey with a real streak of acid running underneath. Small glasses, and it will keep in the fridge for a week or more.
Digestif
Maybe, after dinner, it’s time for a digestif out in the late evening air.
From home: Esquimalt Vermouth, made from mead rather than wine. An unusual approach, and a rare one.
From away: a Calvados from the Pays d’Auge. Apple brandy in September makes a certain amount of sense, and a decent one is far gentler than people expect.
