British Columbia wine
Encyclopedia
British Columbia wine is Canadian wine
produced in the province of British Columbia
. Wines made from 100 percent British Columbia grapes can qualify for classification under one of British Columbia's two classification systems, depending on the varietal, the wine-making techniques employed, and various other restrictions.
Originally, the British Columbia Wine Institute handled regulation and marketing of the Vintners Quality Alliance
(VQA), which is also an appellation
system. More recently, the British Columbia Wine Authority was formed by the provincial government to regulate part of the industry. It created a second classification, "Wines of Distinction", to be also from 100 percent British Columbia grapes, but with less stringent quality control. In practice, it has strengthened the VQA classification.
British Columbia is gaining recognition for its world-class premium VQA wines. Wines which are neither labelled VQA or Wine of Distinction, and from certain producers (given special rights under the 1988 Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement
), can use foreign bulk wine to produce a third category of wine which is labelled as Cellared in Canada
. Significant parts of the wine industry, and respected wine writers in Canada and abroad, are quite concerned about this practice.
There are several classifications of winery, represented by numerous organizations. The smallest are known as "farmgate" wineries. "Land" wineries are mid-sized operations.
has a mild or dry climate which is ideal for growing grapes. Within the Interior, the Okanagan
Valley in particular is known for both the high quality of its wines, and for its increasing number of respected wineries, smaller pockets such as the Creston Valley have been emerging of late, with very high quality first epoch Vinifera varietals . On the Coast, the Cowichan Valley
on Vancouver Island
and the Fraser Valley
in the Lower Mainland
are also wine-growing regions, though experimentation with vines has happened in various southerly areas of the province.
For red wine and rose
production:
For white wines:
, there are five official viticultural areas in the province which are recognized by the VQA. Wines bearing the name of a viticultural area are produced from a minimum of 95 percent of the grapes grown in the designated area.
Association of British Columbia Winegrowers, or ABCW is an association of artisan winemakers located in the Canadian province of British Columbia
. Most of the member wineries are small lot producers (less than 5,000 cases produced each year), family owned and operated. Their wines are all made from 100% BC-grown fruit. The ABCW's 57 members account for over 70% of the province's wineries.
In 2007, the ABCW created BC WineCast an audio podcast
devoted to exploring the hidden wineries of British Columbia. Each week, the ABCW Executive Director, Dr. David E. Bond, speaks with a different member winemaker about the passion behind their chosen craft.
Canadian wine
Canadian wine is produced in mainly southern British Columbia and southern Ontario. There is also a growing number of small scale producers of grapes and wine in southern Quebec and Nova Scotia. The two largest wine-producing regions in Canada are the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia and the...
produced in the province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Wines made from 100 percent British Columbia grapes can qualify for classification under one of British Columbia's two classification systems, depending on the varietal, the wine-making techniques employed, and various other restrictions.
Originally, the British Columbia Wine Institute handled regulation and marketing of the Vintners Quality Alliance
Vintners Quality Alliance
Vintners Quality Alliance, or VQA, is a regulatory and appellation system which guarantees the high quality and authenticity of origin for Canadian wines made under that system in British Columbia and Ontario. It is similar to regulatory systems in France , Italy , and Germany...
(VQA), which is also an appellation
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...
system. More recently, the British Columbia Wine Authority was formed by the provincial government to regulate part of the industry. It created a second classification, "Wines of Distinction", to be also from 100 percent British Columbia grapes, but with less stringent quality control. In practice, it has strengthened the VQA classification.
British Columbia is gaining recognition for its world-class premium VQA wines. Wines which are neither labelled VQA or Wine of Distinction, and from certain producers (given special rights under the 1988 Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement
Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement
The Free Trade Agreement was a trade agreement signed by Canada and the United States on October 4, 1988. The agreement, finalized by October 1987, removed several trade restrictions in stages over a ten year period, and resulted in a great increase in cross-border trade...
), can use foreign bulk wine to produce a third category of wine which is labelled as Cellared in Canada
Cellared in Canada
Cellared in Canada is a term used to designate Canadian wine that is produced with varying quantities of Canadian and foreign bulk wine. These wines are often sold in government-run liquor stores in sections designated as "Canadian wine"...
. Significant parts of the wine industry, and respected wine writers in Canada and abroad, are quite concerned about this practice.
There are several classifications of winery, represented by numerous organizations. The smallest are known as "farmgate" wineries. "Land" wineries are mid-sized operations.
Climate
Although Canada has a reputation for having a cold climate, much of the British Columbia InteriorBritish Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
has a mild or dry climate which is ideal for growing grapes. Within the Interior, the Okanagan
Okanagan
The Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2009, the region's population is approximately 350,927. The...
Valley in particular is known for both the high quality of its wines, and for its increasing number of respected wineries, smaller pockets such as the Creston Valley have been emerging of late, with very high quality first epoch Vinifera varietals . On the Coast, the Cowichan Valley
Cowichan Valley
The Cowichan Valley is a region around the Cowichan River and Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. There is some debate as to the origin of the name Cowichan, which many believe to be an anglicized form of the First Nations tribal name Quw'utsun.Communities include...
on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
and the Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
in the Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
are also wine-growing regions, though experimentation with vines has happened in various southerly areas of the province.
Varieties
The most prominent varieties of grapes grown in British Columbia are:For red wine and rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
production:
- MerlotMerlotMerlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
- Pinot NoirPinot NoirPinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
- Cabernet SauvignonCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
- Syrah (Shiraz)
- Cabernet FrancCabernet FrancCabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
- GamayGamayGamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...
- Marechal FochMarechal FochMarechal Foch , is an inter-specific hybrid red wine grape variety. It was named after the French marshal Ferdinand Foch , who played an important role in the negotiation of the armistice terms during the closing of the First World War. It was developed in Alsace, France by grape hybridizer...
- MalbecMalbecMalbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
- Petit VerdotPetit verdotPetit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
- ZweigeltZweigeltZweigelt is a red wine grape variety developed in 1922, at the Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology at Klosterneuburg, Austria, by Fritz Zweigelt. It was a crossing of St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch. It is now the most widely-grown red grape variety in Austria, as well as having some...
For white wines:
- Pinot GrisPinot GrisPinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
- ChardonnayChardonnayChardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
- GewürztraminerGewürztraminerGewürztraminer is an aromatic wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz, and in French it is written '...
- Sauvignon BlancSauvignon blancSauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
- Pinot BlancPinot BlancPinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
- RieslingRieslingRiesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
- ViognierViognierViognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...
- EhrenfelserEhrenfelserEhrenfelser is a white wine grape variety of German origin. It was created by Dr. Heinrich Birk at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in 1929, by crossing the varieties Riesling and Silvaner, with the identification of Silvaner being somewhat uncertain.Ehrenfelser is grown primarily in the...
- SemillonSémillonSémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...
- Bacchus
Growing regions
Based on their unique terroirTerroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
, there are five official viticultural areas in the province which are recognized by the VQA. Wines bearing the name of a viticultural area are produced from a minimum of 95 percent of the grapes grown in the designated area.
- Okanagan ValleyOkanagan Valley (wine region)The Okanagan Valley is a Canadian wine region located in the British Columbia region of the Okanagan. Along with the nearby Similkameen Valley, the approximately 4000 hectares of vineyards planted in the Okanagan account for more than 90% of all wine produced in British Columbia and after the...
- Similkameen Valley
- Fraser Valley
- Vancouver Island
- Gulf Islands
Association of B.C. Winegrowers
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Most of the member wineries are small lot producers (less than 5,000 cases produced each year), family owned and operated. Their wines are all made from 100% BC-grown fruit. The ABCW's 57 members account for over 70% of the province's wineries.
In 2007, the ABCW created BC WineCast an audio podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
devoted to exploring the hidden wineries of British Columbia. Each week, the ABCW Executive Director, Dr. David E. Bond, speaks with a different member winemaker about the passion behind their chosen craft.
See also
- Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture InstituteCool Climate Oenology and Viticulture InstituteThe Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, was established in 1996 and is a partnership with the Wine Council of Ontario and the Ontario Grape Growers Marketing Board, now the Grape Growers of Ontario...
- Ice wineIce wineIce wine is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more...
- Blasted Church VineyardsBlasted Church VineyardsBlasted Church Vineyards, located in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia is a Canadian Winery. Situated in the heart of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Blasted Church produces over 10,000 cases of wine per year. Blasted Church’s tasting room is open 7 days per week between May 1 and October 31...
- Blue Mountain VineyardBlue Mountain VineyardBlue Mountain Vineyard, located on the shore of Vaseux Lake in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia is a Canadian Winery. Situated near the bottom of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Blue Mountain produces over 12,000 cases of wine per year...
- Jackson-TriggsJackson-TriggsJackson-Triggs is a Canadian winery with vineyards in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia and the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario.In 1993 Donald Triggs and Allan Jackson founded Mississauga-based company Vincor Canada which began to produce Jackson-Triggs wine...
- Quails' Gate WineryQuails' Gate WineryQuails’ Gate Winery is a Canadian Winery located on the shore of Okanagan Lake in Westbank, British Columbia. Situated in the heart of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Quails’ Gate produces over 50,000 cases of wine per year. The entire portfolio of Quails’ Gate wines are best known for their...
External links
- Association of B.C. Winegrowers http://www.winegrowers.bc.ca
- British Columbia Estate Winery Association http://www.grapegrowers.bc.ca