Bikes & Beverages 1: South Langley Wine, Cider & Mead Route

We did this loop for Mark’s birthday a few years ago, and it’s become a favourite weekend outing. South Langley is one of those areas that reminds you how rural the Lower Mainland still is once you get south of the highway: tree-lined roads alternating with open farm fields, quiet enough that you can ride comfortably and look around, rolling gently enough that you’re not working too hard between stops.

That last point matters on a route with five tasting stops. The 3% maximum grade is genuinely the right amount of effort for a day that involves wine, cider, and mead.

We ride around this area frequently on other routes — it’s good cycling country regardless of destination — but combining the farm road character with a progressive set of tastings across the afternoon makes for a very satisfying birthday-style adventure. Or any occasion, really.

Bike & Brew Details

Location: Langley

Distance: 35 km (miles)

Total Elevation: 270 m (feet); max grade 3%

Terrain: paved roads

Start/end: Campbell Valley Regional Park, South Valley Entrance

Season: April through October

Best for: Casual riders, weekend outings, small groups

Stops: Backyard Vineyards → Fraser Valley Cider → Township 7 → Festina Lente → Chaberton Estate Winery

Before You Go

Parking: Start at the Campbell Valley Regional Park South Valley Entrance on 16th Avenue. Large lot, bathrooms on site, easy to find.

Timing: Most stops open between 11 am and noon. Don’t start your ride before 10:30 am — arriving at Backyard Vineyards before they open is a waste of good morning energy.

The alcohol logistics: Someone in your group needs to think about this in advance. Options: rotate a designated driver (fair if there are enough of you), commit to half-flights and pacing, or build in enough time at the end to recover before driving (your body processes roughly one standard drink per hour — approximately 142ml/5oz wine, 341ml/12oz cider). The route is designed with riding-first in mind — you earn the drinks by doing the kilometres first.

Reservations: Several stops strongly recommend or require bookings, especially on summer weekends. Check individual winery websites before you go and book in advance where possible. Details below.

Bikes: Any bike works for this route. Road bikes are fine on all surfaces. Gravel bikes give you more comfort on the occasional rougher section. E-bikes are an excellent choice if you want to focus energy on the experience rather than the pedalling.

The Route

Start: Campbell Valley Park to Backyard Vineyards (~16 km)

The first half of the ride is the longest uninterrupted section — and deliberately so. Do the riding while the energy is high and the tasting stops are still ahead of you. Trust me on this: the desire to cover ground after three wine flights is significantly reduced.

The route through Campbell Valley Park and the surrounding farmland is the best kind of local cycling — quiet roads through a mix of forest edges and open fields, the mountains visible when the sky cooperates, the particular peace of being somewhere that still feels genuinely rural despite being 45 minutes from Vancouver.

Traffic is light through most of this section, though roads vary: some are designated bike routes with marked shoulders, others are narrow farm lanes where you share with the occasional vehicle. The area around the wineries picks up a little on weekends in summer — stay visible and give yourself room.

Stop 1: Backyard Vineyards (at km 16)

Backyard Vineyards Open: Mon–Fri 11–17, Fri–Sat 11–18

The first stop sets a good tone. Backyard Vineyards is a welcoming, relaxed spot with a lovely outdoor picnic area — sunny patches and umbrella-shaded spots around the winery buildings, exactly the right setting after 16km of farmland riding.

We ordered the charcuterie board to share — a generous spread of cheeses, crackers, nuts, and fruit that hits the spot between the riding and the tasting. This is a good moment to eat something proper before the afternoon’s sipping begins.

The tasting flights let you choose from red, white, or rosé packages — four wines per flight, with a full flight option if you want more range. The setting is casual enough that lingering feels natural.

Practical notes:

Tastings: $10–$15 per person, depending on flight
Tour & Tasting: $25/person at 1 pm daily — reservations required
Food: cheese and charcuterie boards, hummus and dip options
Reservations recommended for tastings

–> Getting to Fraser Valley Cider

From Backyard, you have two options:

Shorter route: Head south on 232nd, left onto 24th Ave, right onto 240th Street.

Longer route (recommended for cycling): Head north to 32nd Ave, right onto 240th Street. This route has a marked shoulder — better for riding comfortably, worth the extra distance.

Either way, turn right onto 16th Ave — your remaining stops are all nearby from here.

Stop 2: Fraser Valley Cider (km 24)

Fraser Valley Cider Company Open: Wed–Fri 14:30–20:00 (20:30 Fri), Sat–Sun 12:00–20:30

This is the lunch stop, and the ciders are some of my favourites anywhere.

The setting is an orchard — a lovely covered all-weather patio that works on sunny days and grey ones equally, often with live music and events running through the summer. The vibe is relaxed and genuinely fun, the kind of place where an hour turns into two without you noticing.

The food menu is the best on the route — pizza, sandwiches, appetizers, and desserts. If you’ve been pacing yourself on snacks, this is where to eat a proper meal. Book a table on summer weekends — it fills up quickly, and walk-in wait times can be long.

The ciders are the real reason to stop. They do full flights (16oz) and half flights (8oz) of four ciders, plus cider cocktails. The range spans classic dry and off-dry styles through to creative seasonal and combination flavours — and the adventurous ones are genuinely worth trying. Some favourites: winter spice (warm and cozy, excellent in shoulder season), pineapple habanero (the heat arrives after the sweetness — surprisingly excellent), elderflower (delicate and floral), and peach bellini (the one that converts people who think they don’t like cider). Their seasonal rotations are worth checking before you visit.

Stop 3: Township 7 Vineyards & Winery (km 26.5)

Township 7 — South Langley Open: Sun–Thu 11–18, Fri–Sat 11–20

Township 7 has been operating since 2000 — over 25 years, with estate vineyards in both South Langley and the Okanagan. The tasting room is small and popular, so book ahead if you can; walk-ins are welcome, but reservations take priority, and they ask that visits stay within 60 minutes to keep the flow moving.

The reason to specifically seek out Township 7 is the Seven Stars sparkling series. I’m not generally a sparkling wine person — bubbles aren’t usually my first reach — but this series has changed my position on a few occasions. The Polaris in particular: light, fresh, acidic without being aggressive, clean finish. Not the heavy champagne style that puts some people off sparkling. Worth trying even if you come in skeptical.

Basic tastings at $15/person include at least one Seven Stars pour alongside the still wines. A nice patio and picnic area with snack and cheese options for those who need something between Fraser Valley Cider lunch and the remaining stops.

Stop 4: Festina Lente Estate Winery and Meadery (km 26.5)

Festina Lente Open: 11–18 daily

Directly across the road from Township 7 — easy to do both in the same stop, or split them across a longer afternoon.

Festina Lente is the most distinctive stop on the route for its mead. If you’ve never had mead — or if your mental image of it is something overly sweet and medieval — stop here specifically to be corrected.

The meads at Festina Lente are drier than most people expect, with real complexity and flavour combinations that make them feel current rather than antiquated. Two worth trying: the mojito mead, which has genuine mint and lime character and is extraordinary over ice on a warm afternoon (order it if you’re visiting in summer — it’s the right drink for a bike ride in June); and the winter spice, which is warm, aromatic, and exactly the thing for a cold shoulder-season ride.

Beyond the mead, they produce wines and cider, and the covered heated patio means it works in any weather. On weekends from April to October, there’s a food truck on site; live music runs over the summer.

Reservations recommended, but walk-ins are welcome.

Stop 5: Chaberton Estate Winery (km 28)

Chaberton Estate Winery Open: Daily (check website for current hours)

The final stop and the most upscale of the five. Chaberton is the oldest and one of the largest wineries in the Fraser Valley — a 55-acre estate specializing in cool-climate German white varietals alongside a full range of BC VQA reds and whites.

The Bacchus Bistro on site offers a full French cuisine dining experience if the day has turned into an occasion worth celebrating properly. Tastings on the patio run $17/person for flights, or $10/person for groups under six in the boutique tasting room.

Tour options worth knowing about:

Free public tour at 1 pm daily — maximum 12 people, arrive early for a spot
Tour & Tasting ($25/person): vineyard, production, and barrel room with a private tasting of 4 premium wines. Minimum 4, maximum 12 people. April through October.
Sip & Stroll ($35/person): five wines sampled while touring behind-the-scenes operations. Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm, maximum 10–12 guests.

Disclosure: I haven’t visited Chaberton yet — it’s the last on my list to tick off. Everything above is from their current information. It’s firmly on the next South Langley ride itinerary.

–> The Ride to the Car

From Chaberton, head south on 216th Street toward 4th Avenue to loop back around Campbell Valley Park to the South Valley Entrance parking lot. A gentle, 7 km, quiet finish to the day.

Practical Tips

Pace yourself. Half flights at each stop give you more range without overloading the afternoon. Full flights at every stop add up to a significant amount of alcohol across five venues — factor this into your group’s logistics plan before you start.

Book ahead on weekends. Township 7’s small tasting room fills quickly. Fraser Valley Cider’s patio is popular. Chaberton’s tours have maximums. Backyard recommends reservations. Check all five websites before you go and book where you can — especially for June through September.

Carry water. There are limited water sources on the road sections between stops. Bring at least one full bottle and refill at the park bathroom at the start.

Dress in layers. South Langley can be warm in the sun and cool in the shade, especially in shoulder season. The covered patios at Festina Lente and Fraser Valley Cider are heated, but the ride between them is not.

This is best with a group. Not just for designated driver logistics — the charcuterie boards, the flights, the patio conversations, the shared discovery of the mojito mead. This route rewards being with people you like.