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

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

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

Acreage: British Columbia currently has an estimated 9,100 acres under vine, up from just 1,000 acres planted in 1989.

Hybrid: Grape varieties developed, typically by crossing European varieties with native North American varieties. The plant breeder’s objectives include developing varieties that ripen early, resist disease or are winter-hardy.*

Sales: British Columbia VQA wine sales have doubled in the last six years to more than $155 million annually.


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

 
 
HISTORY
 

Winemaking began around 1920 with wines produced from loganberries by the Growers’ Wine Company. The first modern commercial vineyard began in 1970, just south of Duncan.

A provincial government-funded trial, named the Duncan Project, assessed about 100 different varieties between 1983 and 1990, and identified Pinot Gris, Auxerrois and Ortega as promising varieties.

The Zanatta winery opened in 1992 and was the first of the modern wineries. 

SUB-REGIONS
 

There are wineries spread over the southern half of Vancouver Island. Several wineries are in the Cowichan Valley, close to the town of Duncan. There are also producers close to Nanaimo, as well as in the Saanich Peninsula, with some close to the city of Victoria.

CLIMATE
 

Several areas have local climatic conditions conducive to grape growing. Wineries in the Cowichan Valley are generally shielded from Pacific Ocean storms by nearby mountains, and have a long growing season with low frost risk. Although there are high amounts of precipitation from November through April, the summers are dry enough to require irrigation in most vineyards.

PREDOMINANT VARIETALS
 

Several wineries source grapes from the Okanagan Valley. Varieties planted on Vancouver Island include Pinot Noir, Merlot, Gamay, Ortega, Muller-Thurgau, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and many others.

 
© 2006 British Columbia Wine Institute.  All rights reserved.