The Okanagan Valley
The Similkameen Valley
The Fraser Valley
Vancouver Island
The Gulf Islands

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

Quality: The VQA designation (Vintners Quality Alliance) requires a professional tasting panel to approve each wine.

Terroir: The Okanagan Valley has five officially recognized sub-regions – Kelowna, Naramata, Okanagan Falls, Golden Mile, and Black Sage/Osoyoos.

VQA: VQA=100% BC - All British Columbia wines bearing the VQA symbol must be made from 100% BC grown grapes. The wines are screened by a professional tasting panel and wines found faulty cannot be sold as VQA wines.*

Botrytis: A fungus that attacks grape skins. In favourable conditions, it dehydrates grapes, allowing the production of intense dessert wines.*


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

 
 
HISTORY
 

Vineyards extend from Keremeos to Chopaka on the US border. Keremeos Vineyards, now called St. Laszlo, was the first winery to open in the valley in 1984.

LOCATION
 

The Similkameen Valley lies to the west of the southern Okanagan Valley; the Richter Pass connects them.

CLIMATE
 

PARC notes that the average annual number of degree days from 1998 to 2003 was 1360. The Similkameen can be colder in winter than the Okanagan Valley because of the absence of a major lake to moderate the temperature. Due to the high mountains on both sides of the valley, and the reflective action of the rock, the heat is held in the valley long after the sun sets.

The valley is arid with persistent winds that can reduce the moisture in the vines and the soil. Much of the overhead irrigation water can evaporate before touching the ground. The wind does minimize mildew, so vineyards generally don’t require frequent spraying.

SOILS
 

Various soil types, including stony, gravelly, and silty loams from glacial rock formation.
TOPOGRAPHY
 

A long narrow valley with steep mountainsides and an absence of major lakes.
PREDOMINANT VARIETALS
 

Merlot (17 per cent), Gamay Noir (14 per cent), Pinot Noir (10 per cent), Cabernet Sauvignon (5 per cent), Cabernet Franc (7 per cent), Chardonnay (13 per cent), Pinot Blanc (7 per cent), Pinot Gris (7 per cent), and small amounts of Riesling and Gewurztraminer.
 
© 2006 British Columbia Wine Institute.  All rights reserved.