Whether you are coming and going through the Fraser Valley, or you smartly take a couple days to stay and explore, Langley’s wineries, breweries and restaurants are worthy of your attention. You may have noticed the winery signs as you drive along Highway 1; there are now seven. Each winery is unique, and there’s everything from estate wines and lunch at Chaberton Estate Winery & Bacchus Bistro, fruit preserves, walnut wine along with grape-based wines at Vista d’Oro Farms & Winery, and a full selection fruit wines of the Fort Wine Company. Many wineries offer cheese and meat plates and the vineyards make a wonderful setting for a picnic.
The ever-evolving craft beer scene hasn’t left Langley untouched, and beer lovers are bound to have visited, or at least sampled, the brews of Dead Frog Brewery. In fact it’s no surprise that the scene is thriving here given that the local University, Kwantlen Polytechnic, offers one of only three brew courses in Canada, attracting students from around the world.
Trading Post Brewing is the newest addition to Langley’s craft brew scene. Each Thursday the brewery taps a unique cask, the latest was a tropical wheat ale with kaffir lime, and there’s a collaboration brew in the works with Cartems donuts; Homer Simpson would definitely approve. The team is also opening a location this spring in Fort Langley where they will serve locally grown fare along with their eclectic brews.
Rounding out the sipping scene is a cidery, scheduled to open at the end of May. Fraser Valley Cider Company has their own orchard and is focusing on crafting cider with heritage apples that are indigenous to the region in their first releases. Plans are to incorporate other local fruits and berries into future batches.
The Langley food scene continues to flourish with a full array of both locally owned restaurants with passionate chefs creating fare with locally grown products to the popular chains that have positioned Langley as the test kitchen for new, creative concepts. Langley has been home to the beginning of many popular restaurants, for example, the Tidball Family of The Keg restaurant fame came from the city. The latest to open their doors, London Bull, from the Brown’s Restaurant group, as well as S. & L. and the Oak & Thorne, both Joseph Ricard Group products. You won’t find many menus in downtown Vancouver’s diverse and eclectic food scene where a product, wine or brew is not from Langley.
Langley also offers many quaint bed and breakfasts complimented by full service hotels, so why not spend a night or two and discover the sip trail yourself.
(pictured: Vista D’Oro)
Main Photo: Chaberton Estate Winery Patio
~ Cassandra Anderton