Unsworth Vineyards

Had a lovely lunch at the vineyard about a week before Xmas. My second time there. My lunch companion had the burger which she loved and especially noted the natural flavour of the beef- definitely from a local farm! My own lunch was spaghetti carbonara and it had a great smokey flavour and the pasta was perfectly firm as it should be. The server was delightful and added ti the pleasant experience. I must say that the lemon tart that we each had was one of the most delicious tarts I had EVER eaten in my life. As a lemon lover I never pass up a lemon tart. Normal tarts are quite acidic and have meringue but this tart was so beautiful to look at. The custard was creamy, the pastry just yielded to the slightest touch of my fork and it was presented on a smudge of sesame paste! On top was a sprig of basil and dehydrated raspberries. It was heaven! I still think of it weeks later! Yes, that’s the tart below and I hope the photo does it justice.

'This is always our first stop after arriving on Vancouver Island. We love the delicious wines, ambience and scrumptious food.

Delicious, high quality wines, a great setting, and beautiful views! As a Certified Sommelier from Ontario, my wife and I have made the effort to visit wineries in many wine regions around the world, and our experience at Unsworth was among the best, most comprehensive tasting room experiences we've ever had anywhere!

Lovely venue the food was wonderful and excellent wine, although the rose we chose would have been better if it was chilled.

Had an excellent lunch at the vineyard restaurant, which is located in an historic building, and has a lovely patio adjacent to the vineyard. Food was delicious, with a minor quibble about the pasta cost being rather high, given the smallish portion. Wines were great, and it was lovely to discover Vancouver Island-specific grape varieties.

My father and I had a very delightful lunch meal yesterday! He had the beef burger and I enjoyed a tasty tenderloin steak. The server was very attentive and helpful. My only "complaint" is that there were 4 groups in a small closed off room, made it hard to hear our own conversation. I understand it was a very windy, rainy and cold day, and the idea to close the door was to keep the warmth in, which indeed, it did! I would go back to this restaurant in a minute. The outside area is beautiful and it is not far from Mill Bay and Duncan. The restaurant is down a rural road, which is quaint and charming.

After wine tasting at Unsworth Vineyard we booked a late lunch. From the moment we walked in it felt inviting. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable, the food was prepared to perfection and the views lovely. So glad we decided on this gem to introduce visiting friends to the Cowichan area. Superb!

We had an awesome last minute birthday dinner that grew to a large number within hours of the reservation. Unsworth was uber accommodating and made it all work for our large group. We had a separate indoor setting with a fantastic view of the farm. We had some yummy starters (focaccia with the BEST whipped cheese along with a couple of great charcuterie boards) and our first glass of Unsworth wine. This was followed by incredible entrees and the yummiest desserts! Be sure to try their homemade ice cream or sorbets! Wow!
This was the first time many of us had eaten at Unsworth and we will be back. Great venue, awesome wine, food and ambience.

If you get a chance, get winemaker Dan Wright to talk about the grapes, the vineyards and the layering of the wine. Yesterday I had the privilege to learn about Unsworth's Pinot Noir and the terroir and was totally intrigued. It's more complex than I realized, and the results …well, truly taste-tastic!

A good time to visit. The wines have been getting better every year! Perfect pairings with west coast cuisine. Many local restaurants carry their product for all to try.

Gorgeous vineyard setting with a heritage house as the dining room. Food is delicious and service is personal. It is the top choice for a romantic meal in the local scene. I love that they hire and train youth from the valley to be mentored by their professional servers and kitchen staff. It shows their commitment to the community.

We enjoyed the vineyard tour that took us right to the loaded vines. Their wine is very good. Patio is not very big and indoor seating is small. Apparently expansion is in the planning stage. Restaurant nearby in an older house looks wonderful for a special occasion.

Nice place to hang out for a wine tasting - Mostly hybrid varietals which are great to discover!
The girl who hosted us was very nice and helpful, the atmosphere is lovely - we didn't eat but they offer some food if needed.
Overall, nice experience and great discoveries, thank you team!

Beautiful property, elegant tasting room and restaurant. 5 star Guest service, food and wine alike!

Arrived at 1PM with my wife and adult daughter. We had heard good things about their lunch but were turned away as the earliest opening was 2: 45pm. Disappointed we went to the wine tasting to be told it was going to get busy and they weren't certain they could accommodate us. It was mentioned we could do a stand up in the corner and someone should be able to see to us shortly. It didn't get that busy and we eventually were attended to buy a nice young lady. However, $20 each for a tiny tasting of 5 wines seems a bit steep. The wines were okay but nothing to write home about. Later we went to Enrico winery where we were treated wonderfully. I do not recommend Unsworth Vineyards at all.

We came in after driving for quite a while and it was like 60% empty and they said that they are full and wanted a reservation. Very disappointed

I recently dined at Unsworth Vineyards for the second time. My first experience was wonderful. The second time, unfortunately not so much. The positives: the food is very good. I had the clam chowder bowl and the fungi pizza. Both spot on. Well done kitchen staff. Areas of improvement: service. The service needs to be improved at an establishment that would like to be considered a “fine dining experience” as the prices replicate restaurants of that quality. Issues that stood out: the food brought out to my table was for another customer. The food runner, however, did not bring it back to the kitchen and served it to the other customer. This is a food safe issue and needs to be addressed. In addition, another server brought an unopened bottle of wine and did open nor fill our glasses. We eventually did it ourselves. Again, this is only an issue as the price of the bottle and food warrant this type of service. Again, enjoyed the food and scenery and will likely come back to this establishment.

Classy style, beautiful location, and our server (Liam) was very knowledgeable and accommodating of our group.

Karen and Caroline are exceptional hosts and servers. What a true delight.

This is my 4th visit and outside of a perfect visit remains the only disdain is the hostess for the restaurant. I repeatedly have issues with this girl who really needs to get a different job. Her sneers and general indifference continue to be among my and my guests comments. The rest of the place is 10/10 but the hostess REALLY needs to go. She sets a super bad vibe for the entire energy of the establishment.

We had a great evening out at Unsworth Restaurant. The ambiance is very relaxing and options to sit outside or inside with lovely views. Amazing wines, food and service. Staff are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The food is very flavourful and well presented. Pizza is great, a favorite next to the clam chowder. Definitely recommend going if you are in the area!

We did wine tasting yesterday as a part of the Cowichan Valley wine festival tour. Our server Patricia (Trish) was absolutely amazing. She knew all the answers to any questions we had and made our experience that much more. The winery and all the tastings were lovely.

Went on a Monday to the pizza hut for charcuterie and some wine. The atmosphere is lovely, they have an area protected from the wind and heaters to keep you warm. Would recommend for a quick visit to try some wine and have some food. Service is very good

We are surprised find this hidden vineyards that’s just 2 min drive from our Shawnigan Lake Airbnb stay. We called in last minute for table of 3 and the waiter was able to make arrangements to accommodate us! Super nice staff!
The wine tasting area is beautiful, and the restaurant food taste amazing with great prices.
The pizza was so good!

The restaurant at Unsworth Vineyards is where we go to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and special occasions. Actually, we don't need an occasion-when we go out, this is where we go. The food, service, and wine are the best in the Cowichan Valley. The restaurant itself is beautiful and elegant and the property is gorgeous. If you can, time things so that you can do a tasting in the wine shop first. Unsworth is taking precautions during COVID 19 including separate serving tables and face shields. It is a place where I feel safe going out. The number of tables is reduced to keep patrons physically distant so you should probably make a reservation.

The atmosphere, food quality/portion size, and service was excellent. Definitely worth the drive.

I have now been to Unsworth Vineyard a few times with different people and it never dissapoints. I am not a red wine lover and I love every one of their wines including the sparkly varieties. Their restaurant is phenomenal and never dissapoints.

Went to try the pizza patio last weekend. Pizza was decent, though limited options. The service was okay. Try the ice cream sandwich if they still have it - it’s enough for two and delicious! After lunch we headed over to wine tasting (apparently you can go there and just have the pizza brought over). Agree with other reviewer who noted the service at the tasting bar could be better and more genuine.

The grounds are very pretty and the staff friendly. Most importantly, the wine is excellent. We enjoyed a bottle of their 2017 Pinot noir that was really excellent.

The seasonal pizza was the tastiest pizza I have ever had. Atmosphere and view on the patio was amazing. Will come back with the kids as they have bocce and croquet set up in the yard. Thoroughly enjoyed the Riesling and the ice cream sandwich exceeded expectations!

Amazing experience. Did the wine tasting, 4 wines. Sparkling white, Pinot Gris, Rosé & Pinot Noir. All very tasty. Grounds are well kept & vineyard views are beautiful. Also had lunch, Risotto & Clam Chowder.excellent. Highly recommend a visit here. Great Island winery.

Fantastic experience! I loved their wines and the pour sizes for a tasting are generous.

The location is beautiful.

We ended our tasting with lunch on the pizza patio and it was delicious!

My wife and I had a very pleasant wine tasting in the tasting room followed by a delicious lunch in the restaurant. The Pinot Noir is made in a very Burgundian, Cote de Beaune style, which is what I seek, so this 2017 is possibly my favourite Vancouver Island red. I'd also recommend the 2018 Pinot Gris, which I think will be fabulous with a year's aging. Very crisp and clean. Finally, service in the restaurant was excellent, and the meals tasty. We will return!

Beautiful patio and delicious food and wine. We especially loved the halibut and clams. The staff were very friendly and responsive in regards to making and changing our reservation times and in giving wine pairing recommendations while we dined.

Beautiful location, property and store located in the heart of the Cowichan Valley. Did a sampling and tried 5 various wines. Very nice tastes.

Sit outside in the sun, on their patio overlooking a large pond with waterfalls.

The food is excellent. Always love their menus. It changes seasonally. Great service. But best of all is their wines. Awesome!

Fun place! Nice restaurant, fun wine tasting room, superb personalities - Jessica and Scott were top notch! Delicious wine, good chocolate.

Favourite winery on the island. Great wines, super nice staff. Nice patio to sit by the pond and waterfall. Attached restaurant is also worth checking out. Only downside is the smell from the farm across the street can some days be very pungent!