6409 Oldfield Rd, Saanichton, BC V8M 1X8
Symphony Vineyard was a small family-operated agricultural business in Saanichton on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula. Its Oldfield Road property became known for orderly vineyard rows, a timber visitor building, shaded lawns, mature evergreen trees, and pastoral views across the Oldfield Valley.
The Symphony name is no longer used for the business. The property transitioned to new owners and reopened as Neighbourly Wine Co. in 2024. The land remains active, but visitors researching Symphony Vineyard should understand that current signs, contact details, operating schedules, and business information now appear under the Neighbourly name.
The property is part of the Greater Victoria agricultural region rather than the Cowichan Valley. It may be considered when regional routes are developed for a Victoria wine tour, subject to current operating arrangements, group access, and itinerary planning.
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Not a Cowichan Valley vineyard
Symphony Vineyard was located in Central Saanich, north of Victoria.
The property belongs geographically to the Saanich Peninsula, a rural area characterized by:
- Working farms
- Forested hills
- Orchards and market gardens
- Country roads
- Small agricultural businesses
- Coastal air and moderate temperatures
- Views across valleys and cultivated land
A farm connected to the Brooks family
The property’s agricultural history began decades before Symphony Vineyard opened.
Members of the Brooks family had farmed this part of the Oldfield Valley since the late 1950s. The farm originally covered approximately 30 acres and supported crops suited to the Saanich Peninsula’s mild coastal environment.
Strawberries were grown during its earlier years. The farm later became known for loganberries, which were supplied to an Island winery during the 1960s and 1970s.
Over time, the original property was divided and reduced to approximately ten acres. Even after that change, the remaining land retained its rural character and connection to the Brooks family.
This history made Symphony more than a newly planted vineyard. It represented another chapter in the agricultural use of a long-established Saanichton farm.
Lamont Brooks and Pat George
Symphony Vineyard was developed by Lamont Brooks and Pat George.
Lamont was the second generation of his family to manage the Oldfield Road farm. He and Pat both had professional backgrounds in geology, physics, earth sciences, and the energy industry.
After spending years working away from Vancouver Island, the couple returned to the Saanich Peninsula in 2003. They began considering how part of the existing family land could support a new agricultural business.
Their scientific backgrounds influenced how they approached the property. Establishing a vineyard on coastal Vancouver Island required practical observation of:
- Soil conditions
- Drainage
- Seasonal temperatures
- Rainfall
- Sun exposure
- Coastal wind
- Plant performance
- The differences between Island and interior climates
The project began on a small scale but gradually developed into a full family-run business.
Planting the vineyard
Lamont and Pat planted approximately 2.1 acres in 2004.
The cultivated area occupied a gently sloping part of the property below the main visitor building and lawn. Rows were arranged across the valley-facing land, allowing the vineyard to remain visible from several areas around the estate.
The small size was intentional. Symphony was developed as a boutique operation rather than an estate designed for large-scale production or heavy visitor traffic.
Working with a compact vineyard allowed the owners to observe the plants closely and adapt their farming methods to local conditions.
The property’s appearance remained balanced between cultivated land and the older features of the family farm, including mature trees, open grass, neighbouring fields, and established rural buildings.
Opening Symphony Vineyard
Symphony Vineyard officially opened to the public in June 2012.
The opening followed several years of agricultural work and small-scale production. By the time visitors began arriving, the property had developed:
- Cultivated vineyard rows
- A timber visitor building
- A small parking area
- Grass patios
- Picnic spaces
- Shaded seating
- Landscaping
- Views across the Oldfield Valley
The business operated for approximately 12 seasons before its transition to Neighbourly Wine Co.
Although relatively small, Symphony became part of the Saanich Peninsula’s network of farms, vineyards, gardens, food producers, and independent hospitality businesses.
Why was it called Symphony Vineyard?
The Symphony name reflected the family’s interest in music.
The former owners compared the agricultural year with a musical composition made up of several movements. Spring brought new growth, summer was a longer period of development, autumn introduced harvest activity, and winter created a quieter stage of rest and preparation.
Music also became part of the property’s community identity. The lawn and picnic areas were occasionally used for small performances and seasonal events.
This connection helped distinguish Symphony from businesses named only for their location or founding family. The name connected the changing rhythms of the farm with the owners’ personal interests.
A timber building with a rural character
Symphony’s visitor building was constructed with a strong timber appearance.
The structure used:
- Exposed wooden framing
- Vertical timber siding
- A steep roofline
- Broad entrance doors
- Stone-edged planting beds
- Brick and gravel surfaces
- Large openings connecting the building with the grounds
Its scale suited the small farm. Rather than dominating the property, the building sat among mature trees and landscaping near the upper part of the vineyard.
The natural materials helped the structure fit the Saanich Peninsula setting. Timber, stone, grass, and surrounding trees created a visual connection between the building and the agricultural land below it.
The same building continues to support the property’s newer business identity.
Views over the Oldfield Valley
The property’s elevated lawn provides broad views over the vineyard and surrounding valley.
From the upper grounds, visitors can see rows descending across the gentle slope. Beyond the vineyard are farms, rural buildings, trees, and sections of the wider Oldfield Valley.
Tall evergreens frame parts of the view. Their trunks create natural openings through which the cultivated land can be seen, while their branches provide shade over portions of the lawn.
The scenery feels pastoral rather than dramatic. There is no single mountain or ocean viewpoint dominating the property. Its appeal comes from the layered combination of:
- Vineyard rows
- Grass lawns
- Mature trees
- Neighbouring farmland
- Rural buildings
- Low forested hills
- Open Vancouver Island sky
Grass patios and shaded garden areas
Symphony used its lawns as informal patio and picnic areas.
Wooden tables and chairs were arranged beneath mature trees overlooking the cultivated rows. The layout retained the feeling of a family garden rather than a formal commercial terrace.
Visitors could move between sunny sections of lawn and shaded seating beneath the evergreens. Garden plants, shrubs, and older farm vegetation added colour and softened the edges of the property.
The newer business has preserved this outdoor character. The garden remains an important part of the site’s visitor identity, with picnic seating, blankets, and casual spaces spread across the grounds.
A property shaped by gradual change
The Oldfield Road farm has moved through several agricultural periods:
- A family farm established during the 1950s
- Strawberry cultivation
- Loganberry production during the 1960s and 1970s
- A gradual reduction in the original property size
- Vineyard planting in 2004
- The opening of Symphony Vineyard in 2012
- A transition to new owners
- The opening of Neighbourly Wine Co. in 2024
Each stage changed the business without completely removing the history that came before it.
The current property still retains the vineyard, building, lawns, trees, and rural setting associated with Symphony. The business name and leadership have changed, but the site’s agricultural continuity remains visible.
Transition to new ownership
The former Symphony owners eventually decided to retire.
They wanted the property to remain an active vineyard and sought successors who would understand the value of the farm, its community relationships, and its small-business character.
Mic Silvestri and Jonny Bernard became involved with Symphony before taking over the operation. Working alongside the previous owners allowed them to learn about the vineyard, understand the property’s seasonal requirements, and meet returning visitors.
This gradual transition helped preserve knowledge that might otherwise have been lost during a conventional sale.
The Symphony name was later retired, and Mic and Jonny introduced Neighbourly Wine Co.
Why the name changed to Neighbourly
The current owners selected the Neighbourly name because of the welcome they received on the Saanich Peninsula.
They described the former Symphony community as supportive of nearby farms, local businesses, and the people working behind them. The new name was intended to reflect that sense of connection.
This approach can also be seen in the current business model. Neighbourly works with nearby vineyards and small agricultural producers rather than presenting the Oldfield Road property as an isolated estate.
The name change therefore represents both new ownership and a wider focus on regional collaboration.
The property today
Neighbourly Wine Co. now operates from the former Symphony Vineyard site at 6409 Oldfield Road.
The current business farms approximately two acres at the historic Oldfield Valley property and also works with neighbouring vineyards across the Saanich Peninsula.
The site continues to include:
- Vineyard rows
- The timber visitor building
- A garden and lawn
- Picnic areas
- Mature evergreen trees
- Shaded seating
- Rural valley views
- A small parking area
- Connections with nearby agricultural businesses
Although Symphony Vineyard is listed as permanently closed in older travel directories, the property itself is not abandoned. It remains active under the Neighbourly name.
Seasonal character of the property
Spring
New growth appears across the vineyard and neighbouring farms. Rain keeps the lawns bright green, while fresh foliage fills the trees surrounding the property.
Summer
The vineyard reaches its fullest appearance. Mature trees provide shaded areas across the lawn, and the contrast between the cultivated rows and surrounding farmland becomes especially clear.
Autumn
The leaves across the vineyard and nearby deciduous trees change colour. Seasonal farm work becomes more visible, and the shape of the rows stands out against the surrounding grass.
Winter
Reduced foliage reveals the structure of the property. Trellises, pathways, rooflines, tree trunks, slopes, and neighbouring farm boundaries become easier to see.
Visitors comparing different travel periods can read the seasonal guide to Victoria wine country.
Symphony’s place in Saanich agriculture
Symphony was one of several small businesses that helped reintroduce vineyard agriculture to the Saanich Peninsula.
The former owners worked in a climate where much of the established vineyard research came from warmer regions. Coastal farmers often had to conduct their own trials and share information about what performed successfully under Vancouver Island conditions.
Symphony also leased and farmed vineyard land at the former Starling Lane Winery property beginning in 2013. This connection placed the business within a wider network of Saanich agricultural sites.
Neighbourly continues that regional approach by farming the Oldfield Road vineyard while working with additional small Peninsula properties.
What made Symphony Vineyard distinctive?
Symphony stood out because of its small scale, family history, and continuity of agricultural use.
Notable features included:
- A Brooks family farm dating from the late 1950s
- Earlier strawberry and loganberry production
- A former 30-acre farm later reduced to approximately ten acres
- Approximately 2.1 acres planted in 2004
- A public opening in 2012
- Ownership by Lamont Brooks and Pat George
- A timber visitor building
- Grass patios overlooking the vineyard
- Mature evergreen trees and shaded picnic areas
- Views across the Oldfield Valley
- Music-inspired branding and occasional performances
- A deliberately small, family-operated business model
- A gradual transition to new owners
- Reopening as Neighbourly Wine Co. in 2024
These characteristics give the former Symphony property an important place in the agricultural history of the Saanich Peninsula.
Visiting the area through a planned route
The former Symphony property may be considered as part of a private Saanich Peninsula itinerary under its current Neighbourly name.
Individual stops remain dependent on:
- Current business availability
- Advance arrangements
- Group size
- Vehicle capacity
- Seasonal schedules
- Private events
- Travel conditions
- The practical flow of the itinerary
The property should not be presented as Symphony Vineyard when confirming a current visit. The active business name is Neighbourly Wine Co.
General information about how Sip Happens selects properties and develops its itineraries is available in the wine tour FAQs. Groups interested in a tailored regional route can also review the private and custom tour information.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Symphony Vineyard still open?
Not under the Symphony name. The former Symphony property is now operated as Neighbourly Wine Co.
When did Symphony Vineyard close?
The business transitioned gradually to new ownership and completed its change to Neighbourly Wine Co. before the new company opened in spring 2024.
Is Neighbourly Wine Co. the same property?
Yes. Neighbourly operates from the former Symphony Vineyard site at 6409 Oldfield Road in Saanichton.
Is Symphony Vineyard in the Cowichan Valley?
No. The property is in Central Saanich on the Saanich Peninsula near Victoria.
Who founded Symphony Vineyard?
Lamont Brooks and Pat George established Symphony on part of the Brooks family farm.
When was the vineyard planted?
Approximately 2.1 acres were planted in 2004.
When did Symphony open to visitors?
Symphony Vineyard opened in June 2012.
What was grown on the farm before the vineyard?
The Brooks family previously grew strawberries and later loganberries on the property.
How large was the original family farm?
The Brooks farm once covered approximately 30 acres. The remaining property was later described as approximately ten acres.
How much of the current property is planted?
Neighbourly states that it farms an approximately two-acre plot at the Oldfield Road property.
What does the property look like?
The site includes vineyard rows on gently sloping land, mature trees, grass patios, gardens, a timber building, and views across the Oldfield Valley.
Why was it called Symphony?
The name reflected the former owners’ interest in music and their comparison of the agricultural year with a composition made up of several movements.
Who owns the property’s current business?
Neighbourly Wine Co. is operated by Mic Silvestri and Jonny Bernard.
Is the property included on every Victoria itinerary?
No. Stops depend on current availability, group requirements, scheduling, route logistics, and advance confirmation.
