A New Chapter For Vancouver Island Wine
UNSWORTH VINEYARDS | COWICHAN VALLEY
A sense of place
For over a decade, Unsworth Vineyards has been shaped by a simple belief that Cowichan Valley is capable of producing wines of genuine character, elegance, and sense of place.
Long before Vancouver Island wines began receiving international attention, the Turyk family helped establish Unsworth as part of a young and ambitious wine community rooted deeply in Cowichan Valley’s agricultural and culinary culture. From the beginning, the vision was never simply to build a winery, but to create a gathering place that reflected the landscape, hospitality, and spirit of the region itself.
“These recognitions feel meaningful not only for Unsworth, but for Cowichan Valley wine as a whole.”
Today, that vision continues through a new chapter in partnership with Barbara Banke and Julia Jackson, whose shared belief in family-owned wineries, sustainability, and cool-climate viticulture has helped support the continued evolution of Unsworth while remaining deeply connected to the values and identity that shaped the winery from the beginning.
This spring, that evolution received meaningful international recognition as the 2023 Saison Vineyard Pinot Noir and 2023 Chardonnay were each awarded 95 points and Gold medals at the International Wine Challenge in London, with the Pinot Noir additionally receiving the Canadian Red Trophy. The Decanter World Wine Awards gave the 2023 Saison Vineyard Pinot Noir a Gold Medal with a score of 95 points.
Recognition Beyond our Shores
2023 Saison Vineyard Pinot Noir
International Wine Challenge:
95 points, Gold Medal, Canadian Red Trophy
“...this savoury red has real lift and length to it.”
95 points, Gold Medal
“Delightful red cherry, berry and floral perfume flecked with lively basil tones. Redolent and refined with delicate oak and neatly nestled tannins. Bright and long.”
Decanter World Wine Awards:
2023 Cowichan Valley Chardonnay
International Wine Challenge:
95 points, Gold Medal
“Crystalline acidity and vibrant mid-palate intensity.”
A Distinct Coastal Landscape
Great Pinot Noir regions are rarely shaped by extremes; they are defined instead by balance, moderation, and consistency over time.
Cowichan Valley exists within a uniquely tempered coastal environment shaped by mountain rain shadows, marine influence, and some of the most moderate year-round growing conditions in Canada. Protected from climatic extremes yet refreshed continually by proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the region offers a long, measured growing season capable of preserving freshness, acidity, and precision in the vineyard.
For generations, farmers in the Cowichan Valley have understood the rhythm of this landscape intuitively. Increasingly, winegrowers here are discovering that the region’s potential is not experimental, but deeply connected to the natural consistency of place itself.
Hospitality at the Heart of the Experience
At Unsworth, wine has always been intended as part of a broader hospitality experience — one shaped by conversation, seasonality, and a strong connection to place.
Throughout the summer, the Tasting Room will continue to feature the 2023 Saison Vineyard Pinot Noir across a series of curated experiences, offering guests the opportunity to discover the wine within the context of the landscape and hospitality that helped shape it. Alongside guided tastings and seasonal flights, the winery continues to evolve as a gathering place for both visitors and the local community.
Central to that experience is a hospitality philosophy rooted equally in warmth and knowledge. The Tasting Room team brings a deep understanding of wine and viticulture to each tasting, while maintaining an atmosphere that feels personal, relaxed, and genuinely welcoming — whether hosting seasoned collectors or first-time visitors to Cowichan Valley.
The spirit of hospitality extends beyond wine alone. Various seasonal events permeate our calendar; from the return of Dumpling in a Box Dim Sum Pop-Ups to hosting events as part of the Cowichan Wine Festival, Unsworth continues to embrace the creativity, hospitality, and sense of community that increasingly define Vancouver Island’s food and wine culture.
The Next Chapter of Hospitality
This summer, The Restaurant at Unsworth will reopen as the next evolution of the winery’s hospitality experience. Alongside our new Culinary Garden, Unsworth will increasingly shape our vision of seasonality, sustainability, and a deeper connection between vineyard, kitchen, and landscape.
The Culinary Garden is a living extension of the restaurant itself. Designed to supply herbs, flowers, and seasonal produce directly to the kitchen, the garden reflects an ongoing commitment to thoughtful hospitality rooted in the rhythms of Cowichan Valley.
While the next chapter of the restaurant continues to take shape, the guiding philosophy of creating experiences that feel warm, personal, and deeply connected to place remain core. Unsworth and the broader Cowichan Valley are where wine, food, and hospitality exist naturally alongside one another.
Come See For Yourself
We would like to extend a warm welcome to visit us here in the Cowichan Valley. To experience Vancouver Island hospitality and coastal wines at their finest. To explore one of the most exciting wine regions in the world. To be a part of the next chapter in BC and Canadian wine.
