Island Wine & Cheese Tour

Gulf Islands Wineries & Artisan Goat Cheese

Gulf Islands Wine & Cheese Tours

Embark on a unique private boat charter exploring the stunning Southern Gulf Islands and indulging in exquisite local wines and artisanal cheeses. Let Birds of a Feather Marine guide you through sparkling waters to charming island wineries accessible only by boat.

Your Bespoke Island Wine Adventure

Design your perfect day trip! Some of our past clients have used the occasion to propose and get engaged. Our private charters offer the flexibility to visit several acclaimed wineries nestled on Pender Island, Saturna Island, and Salt Spring Island. Typically, a day tour allows for comfortable visits to two wineries of your choice.

Imagine cruising through scenic passages, spotting marine wildlife , and docking directly at beautiful vineyards for tastings and tours. We provide the captain and comfortable marine transport aboard our boat; you savor the experience (and the wine!).

Featured Southern Gulf Island Wineries

Discover the unique terroir and award-winning wines of these easily accessible gems:

Sea Star Vineyard & Estate Winery (Pender Island)

Explore terraced vineyards overlooking the Salish Sea. Sea Star benefits from Pender Island’s unique microclimate, producing crisp, aromatic wines with elegant flavours. Learn about their hand-tended vines and meticulous process.

Location: 6621 Harbour Hills Dr, Pender Island, BC
Website: seastarvineyards.ca | Phone: 250-629-6960

Sage Hayward Vineyards (Saturna Island)

Nestled between cliffs and ocean, this 60-acre vineyard cultivates classic European varietals like Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Enjoy tastings and their excellent on-site bistro (check seasonal availability). They are committed to environmental stewardship, protecting local wildlife habitats.

Note: Planning to open for the 2025 season on May 9th! Confirm hours before visiting.
Location: 8 Quarry Road, Saturna Island, BC
Website: SageHaywardVineyards.com | Phone: 250-791-0380

Garry Oaks Estate Winery (Salt Spring Island)

Overlooking the beautiful Burgoyne Valley, Garry Oaks produces award-winning, classically inspired wines. Visit their terraced vineyard, walk the labyrinth, and taste their small-lot creations. Check their tasting room hours (often Fri-Mon in summer).

Location: 1880 Fulford-Ganges Road, Salt Spring Island, BC
Website: GarryOaksWinery.com | Phone: 250-653-4687

A Perfect Pairing: Salt Spring Island Cheese Company

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company

A visit to Salt Spring Island Cheese Company offers a delightful immersion into the world of artisan goat cheese, making it an essential stop on any Gulf Islands tour. Step onto their picturesque farm, where you can wander the grounds, meet the resident animals, and gain a unique insight into the cheesemaking process through viewing windows into the production facility (Farm Shop & Café open seasonally, typically July-Labor Day). The welcoming Farm Shop provides the perfect opportunity to sample their wide array of handcrafted cheeses, allowing you to taste the freshness and quality born from traditional methods and pure, natural ingredients right at the source. It’s a charming and educational experience that connects you directly with the island’s rich agricultural heritage.

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company specializes in exquisite, handmade goat cheeses renowned for their exceptional taste and beautiful presentation. Using only 100% pure goat milk, sea salt, dairy culture, and rennet, they craft a diverse selection including creamy Chèvre in various flavours (like flower, chili, and lemon), tangy Feta, and unique soft-ripened cheeses such as Juliette. Beyond the cheese counter, their Farm Shop is a treasure trove of local delights, offering accompaniments like chutneys, jams, crackers, and honeys, alongside other artisanal goods, making it easy to assemble the perfect picnic or find delicious souvenirs to complement your wine discoveries.

Location: 285 Reynolds Rd, Salt Spring Island, BC
Website: saltspringcheese.ca | Phone: 250-653-2300

Important Note on Costs: Our tour rates cover the private boat and experienced captain for your marine transportation. Guests are responsible for all additional costs, including wine tasting fees, meals, snacks, cheese platters, and any required on-island transportation (e.g., short taxi rides from the dock to a winery where needed)

On Saturna Island no other transportation is needed as we pull up right to their docks. Wine tastings are $15/person

On Pender Island the taxi is approximately $20 each way and the wine tasting costs are $16 / person

On Salt Spring the taxi will cost $30 to reach the winery (15 minutes), another $30 to reach the cheese factory from the winery about 15 minutes, and another $30 to return to the boat.

taxi costs $90
winery tasting costs $10/person – often waived if you purchase wine

There is an alternative to the taxi on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays where this hop on hop off bus service for $60 also includes multiple other optional spots to visit including:

Salt Spring Island Cheese & Goat Farm
Salt Spring Brewing Co.
Garry Oaks Estate Winery
Ciderworks & Salt Spring Apple Co.
Island Bees Honey Apiary (seasonally)
Sacred Mountain Lavender Farm (seasonally)

NB. fees for tours & tastings are not included in our marine transportation, nor the hop-on hop-off bus tour.

We only go to 2 of the islands on our trip – you choose which ones.

Hundreds of 5 Star Reviews from our B&B and Marine

    
 
 
         
   Chris B 
 
 
 
 Verified Best B&B on the island!
What an amazing piece of property, stayed 2 days and can’t speak highly enough Of Dieter and his wife, from the delicious homemade breakfasts, too the island hoping boat tour. Highly recommended! If you go, make sure to order some of his wife’s homemade muffins to go, they will change what you think a muffin is supposed to be!! 😁
  
 
        
   Codi H 
 
 
 
 Verified Amazing stay and chartered tour!
Had an amazing stay for our friends birthday weekend! Dieter and Paphada are awesome hosts and maintain a beautiful property. Breakfasts were fantastic, Paphada's muffins are 10/10! We also did the private boat charter and Dieter took us to Saltspring and Pender for some exploring, we had an amazing day on the water and shopping/eating on the islands. Thank you so much for the laughs and the stories, and the memories that we'll hold dear forever! Can't wait till next time!
  
 
        
   Jo G 
 
 
 
 Verified Magical Getaway!
This was the perfect getaway. The location is so serene with such tranquil grounds. The breakfasts were so special. Birds of a Feather is so clean and our room was so special. We can't say enough about our wonderful hosts. All recommendation were spot on. We can't wait to return again. In fact we booked our next stay before leaving!
  
 
        
   Resort57384523341 
 
 
 
 Verified Boat Charter September 2024
We booked Dieter for a boat charter. We were very impressed with Dieter's professionalism, courtesy and kindness. We were spreading our mother's ashes at sea and he ensured the entire experience was special and memorable. The marina was lovely and his boat was impeccable and felt luxurious. Thank you so much Dieter!
  
 
        
   Thomas G 
 
 
 
 Verified Bucket list to beautiful Vancouver island
Superb,comfortable room- Suite #1.Private outside deck(where we ate many of our meals)overlooking huge lagoon and Pacific Ocean.Could see all the way to Victoria.Wildlife everywhere-geese,ducks,otters,raccoons,deer- even a cougar.Sat out on end of 50 ft pier and watched sun come up daily.In a quiet residential neighborhood with multimillion Redburn estate next door.Hosts warm and friendly- fresh baked muffins daily.Could recommend more strongly.
  
 
        
   Susann P 
 
 
 
 Verified Beautiful BB
We were allowed to enjoy for 5 days the hospitality, prudence, the comprehensive service, the warm-hearted friendliness, the cleanliness throughout the house, the beautiful room overlooking the lagoon and the large terrace dsvor. With a delicious breakfast every day started perfectly, 2 times Dieter and Phapada even gave us the great joy of a German breakfast with everything that goes with it. Dieters have tips on beautiful trails in the wonderful surroundings our time at Birds of a Feather made perfect. Thank you again for the wonderful time with you, stay healthy and be greeted warmly by us. TS
  
 
        
   kyla w 
 
 
 
 Verified Really nice time
Lovely space! The owners were responsive and friendly. The location was great and having the ability to use boats to explore the lagoon made for a really nice afternoon. It was also quite and restful. I would recommend for anyone looking for a nice place to stay outside of Victoria
  
 
        
   Stephanie W 
 
 
 
 Verified Awesome day trip to the wineries!
We just finished our wine tour with Dieter and I must say that we were very impressed! Dieter went out of his way to make our day perfect even when the weather didn't cooperate. He took us out for a delicious lunch and made excellent suggestions on what to do and where to eat for the remainder of our holidays. He was professional, personable and you could tell he genuinely cared for our experience on the island. All in all, we highly recommend! Dieter.... We'll see you in Thailand!
  
 
        
   Jeri C 
 
 
 
 Verified Lovely respite
We are so very appreciative to Peter for being so accommodating! Our stay was beautiful and peaceful. We loved watching the storm roll in over the Juan de Fuca Strait from his lagoon side seating. A truly beautiful place and a beautiful stay!
  
 
        
   Erik A 
 
 
 
 Verified Private Boat Charter
Today I had a private boat tour booked with Birds of a Feather Marine Tours. I wanted to go back to an Island I hadn't been to for 30 yrs and wanted to take my family to the place I had so many fond memories of. The whole experience was a pleasure from booking, the actual boat (new Axopar) and the trip itself. Dieter made us feel welcome, he Captained his boat well and was even telling us about some of the wildlife we encountered along the way. He had to wait while we toured the Island and had lunch which I'm sure wasn't overly exciting for him for the couple hours we were there but he never rushed us or made us feel like we needed to go. My boys got bored early as expected so I asked Dieter to show us some wildlife on the way back. We were able to spot porpoises, a sea lion, plenty of seals basking on rocks, bird life, we went through some neat passages, past some beautiful scenery and enjoyed some fun times on the water. My wife usually gets motion sick (my biggest concern was her not really enjoying the day because of it) but on the Axopar, that boat is so smooth it cuts through the water that well. We did spend quite some time fighting the wind and waves, crossing other boats wakes and she said she never felt nautious once. Unfortunately the whales eluded us today, that wasn't the purpose of the journey, but would have been the icing on the cake. Thank you Dieter for a great trip and helping make new memories while bringing back plenty of old ones.