Garry Oaks Estate Winery

We visited Gary Oaks Winery as part of a hop-on, hop-off wine tour for my bachelorette. The property is lovely, and the wines themselves were enjoyable—there’s no doubt the vineyard produces quality products.

However, our experience was overshadowed by the woman who served us. She came across as quite flippant, which was disappointing, especially during what was meant to be a fun and celebratory outing.

What truly appalled me was hearing that she told one of my party members that she would not serve another because she “looked pregnant.” First, she never spoke directly to her, which would’ve been the respectful and appropriate thing to do. Second—and importantly—she isn’t pregnant. Making assumptions about someone’s body and then denying them service based on that assumption is inappropriate and discriminatory. Even if she had been pregnant, the situation should’ve been handled with more care, discretion, and communication.

Unfortunately, this interaction left a sour note on an otherwise beautiful location. I hope the winery takes this feedback seriously and reflects on how guests are treated.

As far as “wine tasting” it barely crosses the threshold. The photo with the wine, cheeses and multiple plates seems to imply a relaxed tasting environment with nibbles, but the photo is a bit further from the actual experience. They do provide 4 tastings while standing at a “bar” - fact. Unfortunately, they leave you with the feeling that they just want your money and then want you out of the way for the next wave of visitors. There are other vineyards on Salt Spring that offer a much better experience - give this one a miss. You’re better off purchasing this wine in a liquor store - it’ll be a less disappointing experience and you can get the same wine at a similar price.

A great afternoon excursion. Beautiful vineyard views and we enjoyed the tasting room ( the lady working it was so lovely and nice and accommodating to our big group and we ended up leaving happily after procuring a few bottles for our spa excursion.) Great both red and white wines 🍷 cheers!

Garry Oaks Estate Winery has a beautiful setting and offers a nice selection of wines that are worth tasting. The vineyard is peaceful and surrounded by nature, which makes it a relaxing stop on Salt Spring Island. However, the wine tasting experience felt a bit rushed and could be improved. There was only one staff member managing everything, and instead of bringing the tasting to our table, we were asked to stand at the counter where you pay. It felt a little transactional rather than a welcoming experience.

It would have been much nicer to enjoy the tasting seated, especially given the calm atmosphere of the place. That said, the person attending was friendly and knowledgeable about the wines, and we still had a good time overall. With a bit more attention to the tasting service, this winery could easily offer a 5-star experience.

We had the pleasure of having Luke for our wine tasting. Welcome, friendly and explained the lovely wines on offer in great detail. Would recommend!

Beautiful vineyard with great wine. The tasting room is a fun place to visit when you’re on salt spring!

Delicious wine tastings

Very friendly service, light on wine explanations

Not impressed. I’ve visited so many good wineries in BC this was, quite frankly, terrible. The two staff behind the counter were not very interactive and didn’t explain the wines, just poured it. When I asked if we could try some Pinot Gris, they refused to open some. What a missed opportunity to sell some wine….
A lady came in when we were there and asked to do a tasting, and could the staff pour all four wines in separate glasses so she could sit outside - the staff refused.
For such a small winery, the staff did not seem interested in customer service or customer interaction.
I won’t go back…..

This is our second time visiting this great vineyard. It's a lovely experience with the added bonus of seeing horses and sheep. Our favorite wine was Theseus. They offer tastings of four different wines, which include one white, one rosé, and two types of red. It was a bit inconvenient for some of us who don't drink red wine since there's no choice in the selection provided: they offered Theseus instead of red wine variety. It definitely would be more fun if we could choose the type of wines that we want to taste though. However, we really enjoyed the Theseus wine, the service, and the extra perk of interacting with the horses and sheep.

We celebrated our one-year anniversary at Gary Oaks Winery, and it was an unforgettable experience. The wines were exquisite, each with its own unique character and depth. Ruth, our wine server, made our visit even more special with her warmth and extensive knowledge. She guided us through the tastings with a genuine passion for the craft, making excellent recommendations that perfectly suited our tastes. The serene vineyard setting added to the charm, creating a perfect backdrop for our celebration. Thank you, Gary Oaks Winery and Ruth, for making our anniversary so memorable. We can’t wait to return!

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Went here in August of this year but opened up the bottle of red wine last weekend with company.Very disappointing! There was so much sediment in that bottle it was undrinkable unless you wanted to sift it out.Pretty sure that’s not supposed to be in there.

Enjoyed a afternoon tasting at Gary Oaks a couple of weeks ago when we were on the island. They have a very impressive selection of award winning vintages. The service was great and tastings were very informative. For avid white wine lovers, we were surprised to find their reds rich, yet refreshing and easy on the palate.They have a variety of seating options too outside with a spectacular view of the vineyard and surrounding landscape.Definitely recommend stopping by for a visit.

Strong phone signal!

We visited two wineries while on the island and the other one we visited did not hold a candle to Garry Oaks. I had never heard of Garry Oaks before, but was impressed with the winery. The sommelier was pleasant and professional, and the wine was quite good.