Duncan

Damali Lavender Farm Opening

There's an amazing farm developing at the corner of Telegraph & Hutchinson Rd in Cowichan. Six hundred lavender plants were planted in 2005 and another six thousand in 2006 as well as a 2 ½ acre vineyard, a fig orchard, olive trees and a sizeable vegetable garden.

Damali is the project and dream of three partners DAvid & MArsha Stanley and ALIson Philp, hence the acronym DAMALI. This word was subsequently found to be an Arabic word meaning ‘beautiful vision’ and their vision is quickly becoming a reality.

The five different varieties that were planted have thrived and produced much more lavender than had ever been imagined so a steam distillation system (still) was purchased in the summer of 2006 and the partners have been extracting essential oil throughout the summer & fall. Since then they have been kept busy building a Provènce themed shop while making and packaging a variety of products such as soaps, bath salts, dried flowers, pure essential oils, spritzes, culinary lavender, comfort bags, eye pillows, and much more to tantalize the senses. They invite lavender lovers everywhere to come and see, smell, touch and taste on weekends starting at Easter and then in the summer during the week as well. For more information visit www.damali.ca

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Cowichan Wine & Culinary Festival

The Cowichan Wine and Culinary Festival committee members have big dreams as they aim to bring food & wine lovers everywhere to the Cowichan Region September 29th to October 1st. This is the second year for the festival and is building on the tremendous success of last years event. Visitors are encouraged to pick up a map from one of the regions Visitor Centres or participating venues and then sip and taste their way through the Cowichan Region.

There is an exciting new list of events at this year's festival and many of the activities are free to the public, others have fees ranging from $10.00 to $100.00 per person including several winemaker’s dinners, BBQs and dances.

This years festival features an event presented by the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce. The 'Gala at the Grand' a Cowichan culinary extravaganza will be held on Saturday, September 30th at the Oceanfront Grand Resort in Cowichan Bay. It will feature demonstrations by Cowichan culinary celebrities and chefs as well as local food producers and gatherers. Tickets will include a souvenir wine glass, 'tapa’ style tastings and local wine pairing, appetizer buffet, wild food identification, locally made ice cream and chocolate sampling, and interactive displays. There will be live entertainment, dancing, a silent auction and grand door prize “Decorative Dining Cowichan Style”, a table setting for four created by Cowichan artisans for the ultimate dining experience.

This year the wine shuttle will be expanding service to include pick-up points from Sidney to Qualicum and doubling the number of buses running throughout the 2 days.

“This is a celebration of food, wine and the tremendous sense of community that exists in the Cowichan Region,” says Tanya Smith, Festival Director.

For a complete schedule of Cowichan Wine & Culinary Festival events visit www.wines.cowichan.net

Culinary Cowichan

Food and drink are without a doubt two of my favourite things and one of the best ways to enjoy them is by touring the vineyards and farms of the Cowichan Region on beautiful southern Vancouver Island. With over a dozen vineyards and the only estate cidery in BC, Cowichan is the second largest wine region in the province and becoming well known for it's character and culinary delights. The vineyards are all fairly small and the growers and vintners are generally available to spend time talking to visitors about their craft. The quality and variety of foods grown and produced in the area is one of the main reasons that world class chefs are making this area their home. You can take part in culinary workshops, demonstrations and gourmet pot luck dinners held in many homes and commercial kitchens. Local chefs can often be found sharing their craft at local festivals and events throughout the year. Culinary retreats and accommodations with fully equipped gourmet kitchens are springing up throughout the region for guided or self catered culinary enjoyment. A scenic wine tour will take you past diverse farms to collect seasonal fruits and vegetables, visit the cheesemaker and organic bakery in historic Cowichan Bay and buy fresh fish & seafood straight from the fishermen. Learn about wild mushrooms and have a guide take you into the forest in search of these elusive delicacies. You can even visit local potters and glass makers along the way to collect your dinnerware for a truly authentic Cowichan feast. After a bountiful day of gathering you can bet that dinner is going to be great ! http://www.visit.cowichan.net