Victoria Sommelier's Top Pick Vancouver Island Pinot Noir
Cowichan Valley's Averill Creek Vineyards stand up to wines from around the world

Averill Creek has caught the attention of the wine community resulting from a blind tasting recently held in Victoria. Ten sommeliers at the tasting assessed nine Pinot Noir wines, from Burgundy, New Zealand, Oregon, California, as well as Vancouver Island.

All wines tasted blind and rated by preference by the group.  Votes were taken at the end before the wines were revealed. Most votes overall went to the Averill Creek Reserve Pinot Noir. Tied for second were wines from Vancouver Island and New Zealand, and tied for third were wines from the Okanagan, New Zealand, California, Burgundy, and Oregon.

There was a bit of surprise that a tiny winery on Vancouver Island could shine so well. Said the tasting organizer Pamela Sanderson: “It was clear that we had a great line of up of Pinot Noirs and favourites were spread right across the sections. It was also clear that wines from BC and Cowichan can easily hold their own with their counterparts from around the world."