Let’s Go Do Something…With Viranlly!

Vancouver influencer @Viranlly is a professional culinary and menswear photographer who has worked with some of the biggest names in food, drinks, and fashion.  You can find him checking out the latest restaurants in Vancouver and beyond or creating a new cocktail recipe at home (all while looking extra fabulous, of course). We invited him out to Abbotsford to check out our dining scene, wineries, and shopping: keep reading to find out more about Viranlly’s day in Abby and what surprised him about our cultivated city.

We started our day in West Abbotsford, grabbing a coffee and doing some shopping at Highstreet Shopping Centre. Highstreet brings the future of urban lifestyle shopping to the Fraser Valley with an extraordinary open-air retail, dining, and entertainment experience. The 600,000 square foot centre features anchor tenants Sephora, Walmart Supercentre, London Drugs, H&M, Old Navy and Cineplex VIP Theatres as well as an array of dining options. After picking up some stylish new clothes it was time to continue on to taste the flavours of Abbotsford.

Always on the hunt for his new favourite wine, Viranlly explored the Mt. Lehman wine region in Abbotsford. Three wineries: Singletree, Mt. Lehman, and Seaside Pearl are close together which makes traveling between each one with a designated driver a breeze. Wander amongst the barrels at Mt. Lehman Winery, sample unique varietals inside the chapel style tasting room of Seaside Pearl, or enjoy a warm summer day in the picnic area at Singletree. “So Abbotsford is a very unexpected destination, it’s filled with a lot of surprise!” Did you know that in Abbotsford you can find unique varietals such as Siegerrebe and Petite Verdot, as well as more well known styles like Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir?

Next we headed to Historic Downtown Abbotsford for some more shopping and dinner on a patio. “There’s so much to see in Abbotsford, from local wineries, to farms, locally owned boutiques and coffee shops and bakeries in the Downtown area.”  Stopping at Montrose + George General Store was a must: a locally owned boutique that combines community spirit with a fresh take on merchandising. Here you can find unique clothing, accessories, apothecary items, and decor with friendly and welcoming staff.

For dinner it was Nine. Downtown Kitchen + Lounge. With two patios, one in the front (great for people watching!) and one in the back, it is a perfect option for a date night or to catch up with a friend or two. Try their incredibly unique handcrafted cocktails, like the Essendene Sour, and don’t forget to order a brick oven pizza. The fun vibes at Nine will make you want to stay all night!

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