Wineries in BC

History: In 1859, Oblate missionary Father Charles Pandosy planted the first vineyard at the Oblate Mission near present-day Kelowna.

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

More awards: Jackson Triggs - Okanagan won the 2006 Rosemount Estate Trophy for Best Shiraz/Syrah of the year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London, England. A first for a North American Winery since they began awarding the trophy in 1994!

Geography: Lake Okanagan, at 144 kilometres long and 3.5 kilometres average width, is the source of much-needed water for irrigation for vines in the Okanagan Valley.

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