by Tilar J. Mazzeo –
It’s been a balmy October here on southern Vancouver Island, but it’s only a matter of time before the rains come and the days get darker. It was a late grape harvest on the Peninsula – the result of a wet spring that delayed the start of the growing season by some weeks – and an unusually warm and dry October.
That means, for winemakers especially, that November is going to be a busy month in the cellars with taking the fermentations successfully through completion. The summer tourism rush is also over for the year, and the combination means that many of the Island tasting rooms are closing up until early December and the start of the holiday season in order to focus on cellar work and crafting the new vintage.
All this leaves an Islander wondering: what options are there for a rainy-season November “staycation,” with some local beer or wine tasting as part of the occasion? Well, when’s the last time you were properly up-Island, as in all the way up? If you haven’t been recently, north Vancouver Island has some great late-autumn getaway options. Here are two long-weekend getaways for beer and wine lovers in November.
Port McNeil/Cormorant & Malcolm Islands
Both Cormorant and Malcolm Islands are BC Ferries serviced from the village of Port McNeil. In Alert Bay, on Comorant Island, the U’mista Cultural Centre (www.umista.ca) is open weekdays throughout the winter and has an important repatriated potlatch collection on display. Or head over to Malcolm Island and the historic Finnish settlement in Sointula, where you can take an oceanside walk in Bere Point Regional Park and perhaps see some late-season resident orcas rubbing on the pebbles in the shallows. In 2021, a large pod came alongside the shoreline in mid-November. Or, for a slightly more demanding walk (watch the tides) stroll the beach to the historic lighthouse at Pulteney Point.
After you’ve worked up a thirst and a good appetite, head back over to Devil’s Bath Brewing Company (www.devilsbathbrewing.ca) in Port McNeil, founded by three local brothers and their mom. Beers are available by the glass, pint, growler or tasting flight, and the tap-room is a local favourite for artisan pizza. The brewery is named after another local geographical feature you may want to make part of your itinerary: the Devil’s Bath cenote, an extraordinary natural sinkhole located off the Alice Lake Loop (https://tinyurl.com/mr3mv8za). We spent a lot of time in the north Island, and the locals tell me that
I am not allowed to remind you about Mount Cain Ski Resort (www.mountcain.com) either. So consider yourself not reminded.
Tofino
Raw oysters: love them or hate them. However you feel about them, these little bivalves are a Vancouver Island tradition. If you’re an oyster fan, the Tofino Oyster Festival (www.tofinooysterfest.com) is going to be your kind of destination this November. But even if you aren’t an oyster lover (or not yet), you may still want to check out the festival. Oysters are the occasion for a whole lot of fun, and Tofino in the off-season is windswept and beautiful.
The oyster festival returns this year for three days, from November 25-27 with live music; dancing; a Mermaid ball (bring your costume); an oyster-shucking contest; and, of course, plenty of libations, with an emphasis on sparkling wines and wine pairings. Who doesn’t love a Mermaid ball?
The festival happily coincides with a pop-up winter market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 27 at the Tofino Community Hall, where you can support local artisans and get a jump on your holiday shopping. And, of course, round off your weekend with a visit to Tofino Brewing Company (www.tofinobrewingco.com), open daily, for a chance to try offerings such as their kelp stout or spruce-tree ale, both made and infused with sustainably harvested local ingredients.
The north island, of course, includes some remote or industrial stretches of road and famously spotty cell-phone coverage, so check the weather reports and use good island sense on your adventure.
