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

Expansion: There are now over 175 grape wineries in BC and several licenses pending, up from just 13 in 1984.

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.

Varietals: 49% of British Columbia’s wines are white. 51% are red. In the last acreage survey conducted, 97.1% of the yield was from vinifera grapes and 2.9% from hybrids.

Organic: A technique for growing grapes without using chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides or commercial fertilizers.*

Terroir: Borrowed from the French, this term encompasses the entire environment–soil, climate, aspect–that makes a vineyard special.*


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

 
 
WINE IS GEOGRAPHY.
  Where grapes are grown, the soil they’re grown in, the weather, the air, the sun and the growing techniques all affect the character and quality of the wine.

It’s an unfamiliar concept today. We’ve come to expect standardization in products as a guarantee of quality. We’d probably all agree standardization is great when you’re buying a car. It’s tough to buy parts for a one-of-a-kind car.

But, wine thrives on regional nuance, and its finest interpretations and expressions are decidedly regional. In fact, wine is at its best when pushed to be increasingly site-specific.

The great wines of the world are the result of skilled grape-growers and winemakers working together to bring out the unique qualities of the grapes that nature provides. The Wines of British Columbia are among these great wines.



 
© 2006 British Columbia Wine Institute.  All rights reserved.