Northwest Bay PROBUS Winery Tour
Marilyn Venturi, of Venturi Schulze Vineyards, was a spirited and engaging hostess during our winery and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar production facility tour and tasting in the warm Cowichan Valley on August 18. She regaled us with the history of the winery, and of the issues facing local organic farmers in the area, while we sampled a selection of their wines, balsamic vinegars, jams and jellies.
Marilyn Venturi (nee Shulze) was educated as a Microbiologist UBC, she then worked at UBC and the Provincial Health Laboratory. She is regarded for research in her field related to wine and vinegar production, the first being an extensive and successful National Research Council project. Marilyn’s husband and business partner, Giordano Venturi, was born and raised in Spilamberto, Modena in the region of Emilia in northern Italy, the centre of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar production, and emigrated to Canada in 1967. Together with their daughter, Michelle Willcock Schulze, they make wine and balsamic vinegar from 100% estate-grown grapes in their Cobble Hill vineyard.
If you love balsamic vinegar, mark your calendar for the early September timeframe to visit the Venturi Shulze Vineyards website (click here) for information regarding the upcoming limited release of their l Legacy balsamic vinegar.
After the tour our band of hungry NWBay Probites met at the Sawmill Tap House and Grill in Chemainus. What a nice way to cap off a beautiful afternoon!
