Sales: British Columbia VQA wine sales have doubled in the last six years to more than $182 million annually.

Terroir: The sandy soil of the Black Sage Bench near Oliver reaches 300 feet deep in places.

Fermentation: The natural process in which yeast converts sugar to alcohol.*

Awards: In 1994, Mission Hill Grand Reserve Chardonnay 1992 won the Avery Trophy for “Best Chardonnay Worldwide” at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London—the first major award win of the new era of BC winemaking.

Meritage: Rhymes with heritage. A term created in California to identify blends made with Bordeaux grape varieties.*

*Schreiner, John - British Columbia Wine Country, Whitecap Books Ltd., 2003