Foodies take note: There’s a mighty catch to be made on the east coast of Vancouver Island, halfway between Victoria and Nanaimo, BC—and I don’t just mean what the fishermen are hauling from their boats. For thousands of years, Cowichan Bay was home to First Nations people who thrived on the area’s coves, rivers and tidal flats. The 19^th century brought European settlers, the railway and steamer service, yet the bay—perhaps due purely to the luck of geography—managed to escape the menace of boom growth.

 

Walk the pier today, and take in fishing boats swaying with the gentle tide, residents calling hello to each other from floating homes, a congenial cluster of brightly painted cafés and shops hunched along the waterfront. While you can easily lose your day here to watching the waves for whales or searching beneath them for smaller sea creatures, I’ve always believed that the way to a community’s heart is through your stomach. And if you’re going to encounter any sea creatures, why not involve a nice pinot gris in the meeting?

 

Cowichan Bay is happy to oblige, charming visitors and restaurateurs from the greater island and beyond with its inspired homegrown fare. This fall, look beyond the quaint, and you’ll discover a place where the area’s natural bounty feeds the imaginations—and lucky customers—of local farmers, winemakers, food artisans and chefs.

 

Everything tastes better with a bit of adventure thrown in. Download a map to the multiple sites of the annual Cowichan Wine and Culinary Festival and journey through meandering country and coastal roads in search of the region’s best wines, epicurean delights and plenty of homegrown entertainment. Compare cabernets as you listen to a live blues band, learn the intricacies of making cheese or watch a glassblower fashioning wineglasses.

 

Take in the area’s waterfront scenery and dining delights on a “Dip n’Dine” excursion from Gumboots Guiding tours. Set out on a relaxing four-hour canoe ride from Affinity Guesthouse Cowichan to a decadent dinner at Benito’s  (formerly Genoa Bay Café), where creative plates feature local farm and vineyard products. Scheduled and customized trips depart throughout the spring and fall for up to 18 people. 

 

If you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer, the experts at Excalibur Charters assure that fishing enthusiasts shouldn’t have any difficulty catching their dinner in what was once the “Salmon Capital of the World.” Up to 6,000 pink salmon are expected to return to Cowichan Bay this September, and all charters include an experienced guide to help you catch your share. Landlubbers can always pick up the day’s catch at Cowichan Bay Seafoods.

 

Gather organically grown veggies at Growin’ Up Country Farm & Gardens. These lovingly tended lettuces, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. find their way onto plates at local fine restaurants. At Hilary’s Cheese Company, get (no surprise) Hilary’s own locally made artisan cheeses. Pair your goat’s brie with a freshly baked loaf from True Grain Bread & Mill, where the bakers handcraft organic breads daily from stone-milled heirloom grains. If it looks like a Cowichan Bay duck and sounds like a Cowichan Bay duck, you want it. This renowned pasture-raised poultry, found on many fine menus throughout Vancouver Island, can be had straight from the source at Cowichan Bay Farm’s self-serve store. On Sunday mornings, head to Cobble Hill Market (1494 Fisher Rd, 250-743-2022) where local producers come together to offer a wide selection of farm-fresh eggs, local honey and baked goods.

 

Skip the liquor store and head up the hill—Cobble Hill, that is—where old-world techniques blend with new-world fruits for varietals as special as the area. At Glenterra Vineyards, sustainable practices produce small-lot wines with big character. Grab a bottle of Cherry Point Vineyards’ Blackberry Dessert Wine made from local berries handpicked by the Cowichan People in the first weeks of August. While you’re on the hill, be sure to stock up on artisanal balsamic vinegar from Venturi-Schulze Vineyards, the only commercial producers of ancient-method balsamic vinegar in North America. Visit Merridale Estate Cidery this Sept. 18 to 20 and, in addition to the eight handcrafted all-natural cider varieties, sample summer wrap-up festivities like hayrides, apple pressing, barbeque, live jazz and dinner theatre under the stars.