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| Little Tribune Bay, Hornby Island |
Before I make my way over to Europe
and Morocco on the 24th of July, I had the privilege of taking a
trip to Hornby Island. When I think of my fondest childhood memories, I think
of this place. Adorned by white sand beaches, hiking trails, an orchard bakery
and a carefree spirit, I was more than happy to return following an eight year
absence. Speaking to locals, I learned that this island has over 1000 permanent
residents. They have a fully functioning community with a grocery store, shops,
restaurants, resorts, guest houses, markets, a health center and even a movie theater! This island is not necessarily simple to travel to (you need to take a
ferry to Denman Island before getting a ferry over to Hornby island) but it is
absolutely worth the trip! I warn however, that Hornby Island in dreary weather
is not nearly as desirable. There is something about the sun hitting the ocean
that gives an almost tropical blue water effect with a Canadian backdrop – truly
spectacular!
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| wine from the Little Tribune Winery |
My first wine experience on Hornby Island was not full of bubbles but the wine did have a clear effervescence. I tasted a wine labelled “bottoms up” from the Little Tribune Winery (http://www.littletribunefarmandwinery.com/wine.html) and my mouth was filled with a cool, fresh white wine with a subtle mini-bubble effect. The “bottoms up” bottle (with two bare bums on the label) is homage to Little Tribune, a nudist beach near the winery.
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| Carbrea Vineyard |
I then took a trip to the Carbrea Vineyard (http://www.carbreavineyard.com/carbrea_wines.html). They have a larger selection of wines than some of the other vineyards on the island. I was predictably drawn to the sparkling wine called “Intended Effervescence”. I only had a taste but it was fruity, sweet and delicious.
The last winery that I must mention was the Hornby Island Estate Winery (http://www.hornbywine.com/our-wines.html). They specialize in sparkling fruit wines! I was just a little excited to say the least. They had some interesting and powerful flavors such as the tantalizing cranberry chocolate sparkling wine. In the end, I opted for a bottle of the raspberry fruit wine. I decided to mix this with sparkling water, fresh lime juice and a dash of the vodka I purchased at Hornby Island’s own Island Spirits Distillery or “Phrog Distillery” (http://www.islandspirits.ca/).
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| Hornby Island Estate sparkling wine cocktails |
Even though the distillery is not sparkling wine related, sampling and purchasing the quality liquor they produce was a definite highlight of my trip. They boast (and rightfully so) distilling their liquor over 600 times! And yes, that is not a typo…over 600 times! They offer an array of inventive flavors but the almost flowery tasting gin and subtle vanilla flavored vodka won me over.
Did I mention the wildlife isn't so bad either? I ran into this little guy while exploring Whaling Station Bay.
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| Sea Otter, Whaling Station Bay |
Wonderful!
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