Spirited Sips Along the Circle Farm Tour

Come for the farms, stay for the libations. The Fraser Valley, with its vibrant landscapes and farms aplenty, is also abundant with breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries. Uncover hidden gems and support small, family-run businesses as you sip your way through the self-guided Circle Farm Tour. So, grab your designated driver and let’s get started.

Abbotsford

There’s always something to do when you explore this cultivated city with a country heart. In addition to seasonal events, street art, and cultural activities, Abbotsford (or “Abby”) is also home to a meadery, a cidery, and a handful of wineries. This is a fruitful stop for tastings, especially if you’re keen to try berry wine and unique grape varietals like Siegerrebe and Petite Verdot. With so many great drink hotspots on the roster, you may even want to book a tasting experience with Beyond Bubbles Tours.

Find out what the buzz is about and begin your tour at Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm & Meadery. While they celebrate all things bees with artisan honey, educational tours, workshops, candles, the pièce de résistance is their mead—a honey wine described as “the nectar of the gods” in ancient Norse mythology.

Onwards to Apple Barn + Estate Cidery at Taves Family Farms, a third-generation farm where hard cider awaits. While you’re there, meet the farm animals (the iconic goats have inspired Billy’s Best Apple Cider) and enjoy seasonal experiences like the sunflower garden, fruit picking, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, and a corn maze.

Did someone say berry wine? Yes, and the acclaimed blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry wines at Maan Farms Country Experience & Estate Winery feature two pounds of berries in every bottle. There’s plenty of farm fun to be had year-round, including goat yoga, barnyard adventures, sunflower blooms in summer, a haunted maze in the fall, and Mamma Maan’s home cooking all year long.

Grab a glass of blueberry wine, a charcuterie board for yourself, and a “barcuterie” for your pup at Ripples Winery & Woodbridge Ponds. While visiting, you can explore the gardens, which feature rippling koi ponds (get it?) and bucolic country views.

Wine lovers will enjoy this tasting trifecta of neighbourly vineyards: Singletree Winery, Mt. Lehman Winery, and Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery each have their own signature offering to explore. Book a custom gathering in one of Singletree’s two Di Vine geodesic domes, wander through the wine barrels at Mt. Lehman, or sip a flight in Seaside’s chapel-themed tasting room.

Meanwhile, Restaurant 62 boasts a fresh, seasonal menu that transports diners from pasture to plate (and vineyard to glass). Their drink menu features a great selection of BC wines, craft beer, and cocktails.

See the Abbotsford Circle Farm Tour for details.

Chilliwack

Pair your adventure-filled trip to Chilliwack with craft beverage tastings and down-to-earth vibes. After a day spent exploring the outdoor playground and farms of CHWK (an affectionate nickname), stop in at one of the Circle Farm Tour locations for hearty bites and a pint of beer or cider.

Sample seasonal specials and old favourites at Farm House Brewing, a family-friendly brewery that serves up pizzas, charcuterie, and beer marshmallow S’mores for dessert. The farm dog, Monty, might even greet you for head pats and tail wags.

Every beer has a story at Old Yale Brewing. The craft brewery presents a four-season beer lineup, including the Sasquatch Stout, inspired by legends about the elusive human-like creature who reportedly lives in the wilds of the Fraser Valley.

Field House Brewing, located in historic Downtown Chilliwack’s Wooly Dog Alley, is all about good beers, good eats, and good times. Their brews are a burst of flavour, with creative combos like raspberry rhubarb and lemon gin, to name a few. Just around the corner, you’ll find a cozy pub-like atmosphere at Bricklayer Brewing, which features an ever-changing rotation of taps and enticing beer cocktails (hello, beergarita).

Stop by Chilliwack’s newest orchard, Lake Bottom Cider, which debuted in 2021 after two brothers breathed new life into an old orchard. Their exciting line-up of ciders includes traditional apple with a few seasonal specialties like rhubarb and blueberry.

See the Chilliwack Circle Farm Tour for details.

Langley

The charming Township of Langley is steeped in history. And, with an agricultural bounty at its doorstep, this is must-see stop in the Fraser Valley Wine Region and a great place to order farm-fresh cuisine. Let the Township of Langley’s Circle Farm Tour guide you to spirited sips.

Head north in the Township of Langley for artisan spirits and berry wine. Roots and Wings Distillery, Langley’s first craft distillery, has it all: gin, whiskey, vodka, and absinthe. Swing by “The Drinkery” tasting room to sample the goods and glean secret cocktail recipes. The Fort Wine Company, just down the road, is known for its blueberry and cranberry wine. Berry wine kin Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery, is a bustling farm with a wine tasting room, waffle bar, market, and berry picking fields.

Backyard Vineyards Winery, which specializes in bold reds and bubbly sparkling wines, offers a cozy, yet sophisticated tasting room and spacious backyard. Nearby, Festina Lente Estate Winery makes  honey mead with a modern twist (think mojito mead paired with a slice of pizza).

Across the street, you’ll find Township 7 Vineyards & Winery and its trailblazing Seven Stars sparkling wine. Stop for a glass of rosé or order French-inspired cuisine and dine al fresco at the Fraser Valley’s oldest winery, Chaberton Estate Winery and Bacchus Bistro.

Venture down the road and you’ll come to Vista D’Oro Farms & Winery, overlooking Campbell Valley Park and Golden Ears Mountain Range. You can grab provisions at the farmgate shop, then sample flagship 2008 D’oro fortified walnut wine, among others. The family-run Glass House Estate Winery, whose name pays tribute to six decades in the greenhouse industry. Pick your favourite or try a flight of fruity whites, aromatic reds, bubbles, and rosé.

Not to be outdone by its vineyard neighbours, the Fraser Valley Cider Company is a great place to enjoy a leisurely glass of traditional cider in an orchard setting.

See the Langley Circle Farm Tour for details.