Ripples Winery

Ripples Winery offers one of the Fraser Valley's most distinctive tasting experiences, a small family-run estate set among the gardens of Woodbridge Ponds on Tolmie Road in Abbotsford. Rather than grapes, the foundation here is blueberries: the property encompasses twelve scenic acres of chemical-free, home-grown blueberry fields, tranquil ponds and lush gardens, and the winery crafts its fruit wines from this estate harvest. Three styles of blueberry wine anchor the lineup, designed to span palates from dry to sweet, and grape wines also appear on the menu. The site is shared with New Wave Distilling, which handcrafts spirits including vodkas, gins, rums and flavoured liqueurs, so a single visit can range from fruit wine through craft cocktails. The Garden Cocktail Lounge serves handcrafted drinks, wine, craft beer and mocktails on covered and open-air patios surrounded by tropical plants and water features, and guests are free to wander the grounds and feed the fish in the extensive koi ponds.

Abbotsford sits at the heart of the Fraser Valley's farm country, less than an hour east of Vancouver, and Ripples fits naturally into the area's circuit of berry farms, dairies and farm-gate producers. The garden setting makes it a favourite for unhurried afternoons and group gatherings, and the venue also promotes itself for events, with the ponds and plantings providing a ready-made backdrop. For visitors accustomed to conventional wineries, the chance to taste estate blueberry wine a few steps from the bushes that grew it, then sample a locally distilled gin in a tropical garden lounge, is a memorable change of pace. Ripples rewards travellers looking for something genuinely different on the Fraser Valley's growing food and drink trail, especially in summer when the gardens are in full glory.