Why Villa Eyrie Will Be Your New Favourite Food and Wine Getaway

This luxury alpine resort on Vancouver Island is taking “food and wine lover’s getaway” to a whole other level

Nestled on the mountainside overlooking the Saanich Inlet, Villa Eyrie is a Lake Como-style resort that’s spared no expense to create the ultimate food and wine lover’s getaway. This luxury alpine resort is only a half-hour drive from Victoria, but you’re going to feel worlds away from those office emails after you check in at Villa Eyre and find yourself sipping rare vintages on the restaurant’s heated terrace with 180-degree views—here is just a little preview…

A best of B.C. wine cellar

From the very beginning, this new resort has been building a finely curated British Columbia-focused wine cellar featuring unique and exceptional wines that aren’t easy to find. They have five of the best B.C. rosés in their inventory, 25 of the best wines from the Okanagan and a focus on the premium bottles coming out of the local Cowichan Valley. Villa Eyrie specifically tries to source wines that aren’t sold through traditional methods, like government liquor stores, and procure precious vintages that have been looked over by other wine lists: Little Engine’s platinum series (also their pinot noirs), Checkmate’s Little Pawn 2015, Mission Hill’s Exhilaration Brut, Tinhorn Creek’s Innovation Series, A Sunday in August’s pinot gris and pet nats are just a few examples. They also like to find back vintages that are no longer available, like 1996 Summerhill Cipes Brut, the 2010 Fairview Cellars’ cabernet sauvignon and the 2012 Spearhead Cuvee pinot noir.

Custom Cowichan Valley wine tours

The Cowichan Valley is a robust wine destination with some of the rarest grape varietals (and its rolling fields of vines and rustic farms make it pretty easy on the eyes, too), and wine tours here run in all seasons, year-round. The Valley is only a 20-minute drive north from the resort and there are custom tours and special Villa Eyrie stay and tour packages available to make it a weekend you won’t soon forget.

Unique dining at Alpina Restaurant

The luxury alpine resort factor is really evident when you take your seat at the Alpina Restaurant (at 1,880 feet above sea level). Its mountain-top location affords next-level views you won’t find anywhere else, but the elevated ethos also extends to the menu as well. Their Michelin-trained executive chef infuses his German heritage and flavours from the alpine regions of Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland into a seasonal, farm-to-table menu sourced from the best ingredients mostly within a five-kilometre radius (there’s even a chef’s herb and vegetable garden right behind the restaurant). Foodies will especially love the chef’s three- or five-course tasting menus that come with note-perfect wine pairings. 

Wine dinners

The resort hosts a series of special wine dinners and tastings throughout the year, but Thursday, Oct. 24, will be Villa Eyrie’s first winemaker dinner showcasing the bountiful fall harvest. Kelowna’s Sperling Vineyards will be bringing their Vision and Heritage Series vintages to complement the culinary team’s elevated five-course dining experience. The Sperling Winemaker’s Dinner starts at 6 p.m., is $149 per person (click here for tickets) and stay-the-night resort packages that include a deluxe room, two wine dinner tickets, plus breakfast start at $549. The next wine dinner in their series will feature Burrowing Owl Estate Winery on Nov. 16th. 

Special packages for dream getaways

Villa Erie’s special one-night and weekend packages have everything you’d need for a food and wine lover’s mini retreat. The One-Night Gourmet Getaway includes a three-course chef’s tasting menu for two with wine pairings and breakfast starting at $515 per night (which also has a two-night option), while the Relaxation Retreat includes a two-night stay with two days of soothing activities you can customize to your needs (spa, wine, dine, repeat) and specially prepared healthy meals from the chef, starting at $645 per night. 

For more details about the Villa Eyrie experience or its wine and culinary packages, visit villaeyrie.com

CREATED BY BCLIVING, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VILLA EYRIE