A vineyard on an island.
Rooted in the Sea
Sage Hayward Vineyards is found on Saturna in the Southern Gulf Islands, between Vancouver and Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia. Nestled between sheer cliffs and ocean currents, our vines enjoy unique climatic conditions tailored to their special growing requirements. –
The first vines were planted here in 1995, rooted in dense soil, a complex of sand and mudstone resting on clay permeated with ancient marine sediment. These rich compounds infuse our terroir with a hint of the Salish Sea.
Sage Hayward Vineyards is a family-run vineyard, winery, and bistro shaped by passion, perseverance, and a deep love for Saturna Island. Every vine we tend, every bottle we craft, and every guest we welcome is part of our ongoing story — one rooted in care for the land, a commitment to excellence, and a belief in the simple sharing good wine in a beautiful place, all rooted in the sea.
The Feral Goats
On Saturna Island
One of our favourite parts of Saturna Island History is the feral goats that call the island home. How the goats actually got here has long been contested. Refugees from a shipwreck? Escapees from a farm? Perhaps they were domestic goats left to roam free range the mountainous landscape on purpose many years ago.
The goats have flourished and are regularly found at Sage Hayward Vineyards. These rugged goats are tough and adaptable while at the same time beautiful and endearing, all attributes that our family admire.
OUR WINEMAKING
In harmony with land and sea
From day one, we’ve been committed to organic farming practices, preserving the pristine natural state of this unique landscape. By working in harmony with the island’s thriving flora and fauna, we allow our terroir to shine through in every bottle.
Our passion for winemaking, paired with Saturna’s maritime soils and heat-reflective cliffs, enables us to craft high-quality, distinctive coastal wines that truly capture the essence of this extraordinary place.
Saturna’s cool maritime climate provides ideal conditions for Vitis vinifera varieties such as Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Pinot meunier, Gewürztraminer, and Chardonnay. From these vines, we hand-pick select fruit to craft Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and Pinot noir Rosé, with future releases of traditional method sparkling wines and single-vineyard Pinot noirs and Chardonnays on the horizon.
As we nurture balance and vitality in our vineyards, our focus remains on elevating wine quality and refining our distinct coastal style. With careful dedication, we are building a core portfolio that truly reflects our cool-climate terroir and marine-influenced soils.
Our History
A Common Question
Everyone asks us this question and no, the truth is that we weren’t. We were looking to preserve a very special piece of land. Special to us, because our family has been coming to this unique little corner of paradise for decades. When we heard it was up for sale, we worried that someone else without connections to Saturna might buy it for its commercial or development value alone. When we look at this land, we see cliffs, goats, raptors, otters, mink and, yes, vineyards filled with generations of memories-not just for our family but for our friends and neighbours who make up the whole Saturna community.
Don’t get us wrong, we are very passionate about wine and have assembled an elite team that shares our values about excellence in farming, wine making and working with nature. The truth is that with its unique maritime soil and heat reflective cliffs this property delivers incredibly high quality and unique coastal wines.
Taming the chaotic tangle of growth
When we took over, the vineyards had been left fallow for nearly a decade. The original winery ceased operations in 2012 and the vines, left to their own devices, had sprawled over the trellises and down into the rows. Native plants filled in any space the vines left available, from delicate Queen Anne’s Lace to horrendous thickets of bramble, as the unintended rewilding progressed.
There was a glimmer of hope, though: one of the four fields had been largely reclaimed. Sea Star Wineries on neighbouring Pender Island had purchased the property in 2017 and hired Tyler Cox to remediate the vineyards. He concentrated his efforts on Falcon Ridge field, planted primarily with Pinot noir, and tamed the chaotic tangle with armaments like a flail mower mounted with heavy chains and a steel-toothed hedge trimmer. But before he was able to complete the Herculean task, circumstances forced Sea Star to list the property.
It all came together
We ventured into the vines before we put in an offer. Tyler showed us the ropes and we started suckering in the late July heat, pushing past heavily armed blackberry vines and thistles to reach the base of each trunk and chop off its untidy nest of shoots. The prospect of restoring the property to its former glory shimmered before us. We already loved the place, but now as we spent time in the fields we felt something else – a mission, maybe? A responsibility? Would any other buyer see what we saw and dream what we dreamt?
We decided to move to the next level. Tyler introduced us to Michael Bartier (Bartier Bros. Vineyard & Winery in Oliver, BC), whose philosophy is to farm your vineyard as a 200-year project, take good fruit into the cellar, and make sure the terroir – not the winemaker’s manipulations – ends up in your glass. Feeling we had met a kindred spirit, we asked him to come to Saturna and help us make a decision about the property. He spent hours walking through the fields, talking to Tyler, tabulating strengths and weaknesses, and troubleshooting what lay ahead. His final, unforgettable words to us: “I envy you the opportunity.”
We bit. On August 12, 2020 we took over the reins. And if we thought we knew very little going in, we quickly discovered we knew absolutely nothing! But we wanted to learn, Tyler was willing to give us hands-on instruction, and Michael stayed on as a consultant to help us with, well, everything. A whole world opened up for us as we started to tackle three different business initiatives simultaneously: a grape farm, a winery, and a bistro. And in the process, each of us gravitated toward a particular orbit: the lawyer put on rain gear and headed out into the fields to prune, shoot thin, tie down, sucker and – most importantly – drive a tractor; the engineer maintains the equipment, manages renovation projects and – most importantly – drives the other tractor better than his brother; the business consultant keeps us on track with planning, organization, and decision-making that reflects our shared values; and the museum curator drafts website content. Together we try to ensure we all have the most fun possible in any given endeavour.
Our Wine Selection
OUR FAMILY
A legacy grown on Saturna
Sage Hayward Vineyards is proudly family-owned and operated, a partnership of two brothers and their wives – a dynamic team blending four perspectives with a shared commitment to quality and care in everything we do.
The Hayward family’s connection to Saturna Island stretches back over 30 years. Gord and Bettianne Hayward first came to Saturna in 1989, building a retreat that soon became a gathering place for five children, their families, and a growing circle of friends. Summers, holidays, and celebrations all found a home here, with the vineyard becoming a favorite backdrop for milestones both big and small.
In 2019, Geoff Hayward, one of the brothers, chose to spend his final months here after an ALS diagnosis. His daily visits to the vines and the sea beyond deepened our family’s bond with the land. Today, Lake Geoffrey, at the foot of Falcon Ridge Vineyard, stands as a tribute to him, alongside the resting places of both Geoff and his father, Gord, in Saturna’s cemetery.
Upon acquiring the property in August 2020, we inherited a vineyard that had been left fallow for nearly a decade.
As a family-led partnership of two brothers and their wives, we bring four unique perspectives, bound by a shared vision and unwavering loyalty. With the support of our extended family and the Saturna community, each person plays a role in shaping the future of our vineyard.
There’s a saying that you plant vineyards for your grandchildren—a sentiment that guides every decision we make, ensuring this land thrives for generations to come.
Our vision for this land extends beyond winemaking—it’s about protecting a place that holds deep sentimental value for our family. This special corner of Saturna, where we’ve spent decades, is more than a vineyard; it’s a landscape rich with memories, shaped by its cliffs, wildlife, and community.
Experts in every field
Maxime Legris
Winemaker and Viticulturist, GM
Gabriel Ouellet
Vineyard Foreman
Koshi Hayward
Hospitality Operations and Inventory Manager
Chef Lee Yarrow
Head Chef
