Wines And Islands - Canada Cruise
This exclusive trip, with a very limited number of guests aboard a spacious catamaran yacht, island hops between Vancouver Island and the natural coves and harbours of remote Gulf Islands. You’ll be given an in-depth look at British Columbia’s emerging “Wine Islands” and their unique place in the Salish Sea—a wine region like no other.
Explore locally grown and crafted drops together with a diversity of wines from the Okanagan, Similkameen and other BC wine regions while on board MV Cascadia, all paired with Chef prepared meals created with local, fresh ingredients and inspired by the sea and land surrounding you.
Cruise into South Gulf Island pockets which are normally “hard to reach” by car or larger vessels and form part of the “sense of place”. See the land from a different perspective. Tender alongside ridges of rock, sandstone and soils which support the Mediterranean-style brush and arbutus trees synonymous with the area. Observe sea lions in their element. Stop to wander on a small island cay formed by a diversity of sands and imagine the geological history underlying our “Wine Islands” region.
From geology and philosophy, to aroma, construction and the pairing meals our chef creates, this is a deep journey into what shapes our wine. Augmenting the wine exploration, we’ll also take in the region’s spectacular nature with naturalist guides, as we island-hop the Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands region, anchoring in remote locations inaccessible by any other means.
The entire trip is designed to give you special experiences not available to the general public. The ethic is the same approach as our Craft Beer Cruise (going on its 14th season), but wholly customized to BC’s wine regions and winemaking ethic.
Our wine guide is Tania Tomaszewska. A banking lawyer turned wine explorer, Tania is an independent BC Wine Industry advisor and wine professional specializing in “wine journey design”. Tania creates and leads small group, private wine tasting adventures to be experienced in corporate boardrooms, private dining rooms, backyard patios and out in BC wine country. Tania has travelled extensively and lived and worked in Australia for many years before returning to her native British Columbia and re-immersing herself in our local terroirs.
Tania is passionate about where wine can take us and is thrilled to be coming back on board for our annual Wines & Islands adventure, and to sip us through the Salish Sea. Tania is WSET Advance Certified (Level 3 Wines and Spirits) and has completed the Wine Executive Program at University of California, Davis. As an “Island Girl” having grown up in Victoria, British Columbia, Tania is thrilled to be coming back onboard MV Cascadia this year, and to be part of such an exciting time for the BC Wine Industry and our “Wine Islands” as they emerge on the global wine stage. Tania loves anything related to travel, geography and pinot noir. Her motto for learning and living: “Always be tasting!”.
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Additional charges:
$200 sustainability fee per person + 5% federal tax: CAD pp
Vessel Type: Catamaran
Passenger Capacity: 24
Length: 138 ft / 42 m
Built/Refurbished: 2007/2018/2019
Cascadia is a go-anywhere, expedition style catamaran. She accommodates up to 24 guests in 12 luxurious cabins, with a crew of 10. She is unlike any other vessel offering expeditions on the British Columbia coast, having been built specifically for high-quality, boutique cruises. Light, spacious and comfortable, she is also capable of reaching the wildest, most naturally rich places on the coast. Her small size and guest numbers provide an authentic, human-scale experience that respects the carrying capacity of coastal inlets and communities.
Ship And Accommodations Find comfort and solitude in your private cabin or enjoy time in any of the interior or outdoor lounges, or the “open” bridge. Cascadia’s large windows bring the outside in, and her separate dining area becomes a sophisticated “long table” event for meals. Her decks are wide and welcoming, with seating areas on different levels.
Salon Large windows surround the salon making it a perfect place to look for whales while staying protected, chat with other guests while lounging on our comfortable sofas, or enjoy a beverage from the nearby bar.
Dining Area Enjoy our chefs’ fine west-coast influenced creations while watching the sun go down. Sit and discuss your day’s adventure with your captain, afloat in a remote natural anchorage.
Terrace Lounge And Dining Area Dine alfresco on temperate evenings, lounge with your morning coffee, or watch the world go by during the day. This area is the perfect mix of outside and inside.
Bridge of Cascadia Cascadia’s bridge is open to you. You’ll have 180-degree views from here, along with being able to learn about navigation and the vessel systems from our crew. On the port side, you may also enjoy our indoor-outdoor loveseat. You can watch the world go by from behind a protective window, but still have quick access to the fresh air and the deck for whale watching.
Top Deck & Hot Tub Lounge on a chaise, soak under the stars, or enjoy the bird’s eye view of the ship and the world around her from Cascadia’s new top deck.
Cabins All cabins have individual climate control, wardrobes and an outside location, with windows for natural light. All have ensuites. All are ‘outside’ cabins, with windows for natural light.
Kayaks, Shore Boats, Naturalist Tools Cascadia has 6 double and 2 single kayaks for paddling in coves and bays, as well as two beautiful landing craft style tenders, custom designed for our program. She carries a suite of tools for exploring the natural world, including a hydrophone for listening to whales. Her library contains books on the cultural history and nature of the BC and Alaska coast.
Inclusions
• All meals, snacks and beverages prepared from the freshest ingredients by our superb chef.
• Fine wines featured with the evening meal, and a limited amount of beer included and available throughout the trip. (Liquor is not a large part of our trips, so plan on light consumption).
• Services of our naturalist and professional crew.
• Shore excursions.
• Use of gear on board, including rubber boots, kayaks and fishing gear (with fishing licence).
• All accommodations on your vessel and, on trips with a land day, in a local lodging.
Exclusions
• Transportation to the trip’s point of origin or from the trip’s point of return for Cascadia. The exception is the flights from Vancouver to the start of the trip and return are included for Cascadia’s Haida Gwaii trips, as well as any trip that has a current Flight Promotion.
• 5% Goods and services tax (GST), on Canadian trips. There is no GST on Alaska trips.
• Any tip you wish to leave for your crew. Tipping is entirely confidential.
• Sustainability fee. As a professional eco-tourism company, it is at the core of our operating principles to work with local communities (as we are members of the local community ourselves), respect regulations, look after the planet and contribute to local opportunities. Responsible operations cost a little more. We extracted from the fare a percentage of the increased costs that go toward sustainability and added it to the list price as a sustainability fee of $200 per trip. Through this, we hope our guests share in the pride that a trip with Maple Leaf Adventures is a contribution to the sustainability of the coast, as well as being a great experience.
• Fishing licence.
Highlights
• Exclusive BC Wine Adventure: This unique voyage offers a limited number of guests the opportunity to explore the world of British Columbia wine, guided by experts and industry leaders, while cruising between Vancouver Island and the remote Gulf Islands. It's a one-of-a-kind experience on Canada's West Coast.• Diverse Wine Tasting: Onboard the MV Cascadia, guests will taste a wide variety of wines from BC's distinct wine regions, including the emerging "Wine Islands." These wines will be expertly paired with chef-prepared meals featuring local, fresh ingredients inspired by the surrounding sea and land.
• Scenic Island-Hopping: The cruise takes you to South Gulf Island pockets that are typically difficult to access by car or larger vessels. You'll get a unique perspective of the region's geology, flora, and fauna, from sea lions to unique geological formations and sandy cays.
• Passionate Wine Guide: Tania Tomaszewska, a WSET Advanced Certified sommelier, and BC Wine Industry advisor, will lead this wine adventure. Her passion for wine and extensive experience in the industry make her the perfect guide to introduce you to the BC wine scene.
Our Associates Include
