Averill Creek Vineyard
Averill Creek Vineyard was established by owner Andy Johnston, who formerly worked as an MD, and wine educator in Edmonton. By the late nineties, he was ready to dive completely into his greatest passion.
Andy proceeded to stage at several international producers including Villa Delia in Tuscany, McGuigan Wines in Australia, Château de Terride in France, and both Trinity Hill and Escarpment in New Zealand, determined to achieve the insight necessary to open a world-class Pinot Noir producing winery in Canada.
Having grown up on a Welsh hill farm, Andy’s return to his agricultural roots has brought him full circle, and proved a natural transition. Lured by its climate and its great potential for Pinot Noir, Andy ultimately settled in the Cowichan Valley, selecting and planting our site on the side of Mount Prevost in 2001.
Averill Creek Vineyards is an estate producer, growing the vast majority of our fruit, with a small percentage sourced within 2km. Our site consists of 30 acres of planted vines on the side of Mount Prevost, on a moderate southeast facing slope, just 12km from the coastline.
The property is surrounded by old-growth forest, which provides not only protection but a range of growing conditions, and hence character in the fruit, owing to varying amounts of sunlight and shade in different plots.
Averill Creek vineyard is situated on Royston-Qualicum soil: a blend of glacial stone, clay, and old-growth organics, which allows sufficient drainage and root penetration. In the vineyard, we take cues from both organic and biodynamic principles, taking both a permacultural and regenerative farming approach, with particular emphasis on soil.
To learn more about winery options in the Cowichan Valley, please visit Tourism Cowichan. For more information over award winning experiences, please visit our Victoria Wine Tours
