Wine Regions - British Columbia

Previously considered a producer of mediocre wines, British Columbia is now being recognized as a center of fine wine making.

British Columbia wineries date back only 140 years when Father Pandosy planted the first vineyards at the Obelate Mission near Kelowna. The first commercial vineyards and a winery that sold to the general public was established in 1926.

The primary wine-growing region in this Canadian province is comprised of the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys in the south-central area of British Columbia.

Although the total land and freshwater area of British Columbia is larger than that of France and Germany combined, with approximately 5,500 acres under cultivation on fewer than 100 wineries, the area is dwarfed in comparison to France, Italy, or even Spain.

The Okanagan Lake which occupies a large portion of the valley floor moderates the heat in this semi-arid desert region. From of glacial stone soil of fine sand, silt and clay in the north, to the south's sand and gravel come Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc as well as the German Siegerrebe, Ortega and Sylvaner. Merlot and Chardonnay top the list as most commonly planted wine grape varieties, but Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris are grown as well.

But with a climate determined by the region's proximity to the Coast Mountain Range which produces dry, hot summers, with ample hours of sun and low humidity, vintners have ideal conditions for producing award winning wines. And they certainly do.

The wineries of the Okanagan Valley produce 95 percent of British Columbia's wine. With only six inches of annual rainfall in the south and sixteen in the north, this is no easy feat. Especially for vineyards that, on the average, are less than 10 years old.

Fruity, crisp whites are often in the German off-dry style, but there are many in the French tradition also. Red wines have progressed in recent years with the Pinot Noir producing an enviable medium-bodied drink from this finicky grape. Despite its small area of cultivation, British Columbia boasts a range of dessert wines, as well, with flavors of plum, raspberry, blueberry and others.

Always unorthodox, British Columbia includes among its exports a highly regarded German-style ice wine made from grapes which are picked and crushed while frozen. For 200 years a German specialty, Canada has now become one of the world's leading producers of this unusual drink.

White wines produced here include the honeyed Riesling with a citrus aftertaste and the Gray Monk Pinot Gris, a recent favorite. Their early ripening Merlot with hints of plum and coffee aftertaste won't disappoint the lover of red wines, nor will the later Cabernet Sauvignon from the Similkameen Valley.

Even tiny Vancouver Island, a relative newcomer in viticulture, is getting into the act and experimenting with Ehrenfelser, Siegerrebe, Muscat and other exotic varieties. Most of the island's 135 acres are planted on hillside vineyards that serve 10 small wineries. Be watching for great things in the near future.

See the International Wine Club