Wines of Canada - Wine Growing Regions: British Columbia

British Columbia, the most westerly province in Canada, has four designated Viticultural Areas (VA) located in two distinct wine-growing regions: the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys in the central southern part of the province along the border of Washington State, and the coastal regions of the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island.

There are approximately 5000 acres devoted to wine grapes, virtually all vinifera, expanding to 8000 by 2005, with 60 wineries, many of which are small farmgate operations.

The climate in the Okanagan/Similkameen valleys is governed by the region’s location on the lee of the Coast Mountain Range, with hot, dry summers, long hours of sunshine and low humidity. Lake Okanagan is flanked by sloping hillsides that provide extensive sun exposure for the kilometres of picturesque vineyards planted there. The water from the lake provides irrigation for most of the vineyards in the Valley.

The soil in the north is generally composed of glacial stone, fine sand, silt and clay, while the south is predominantly sand and gravel.

The coastal growing regions enjoy warm, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. As the interior region, irrigation is required for grape production.

The Okanagan Valley in central British Columbia is the largest and oldest grape growing region in BC dating back to the mid 1800s. Today the 180 km (100 mile) - long valley is planted with over 4000 acres (1500 hectares) of premium grape varieties. The 40 wineries located in the valley produce 95 percent of the province’s wine.

The south end of the valley, which receives fewer than six inches of rainfall a year, is the only classified desert area in Canada. Summer days are hot and nights are chilly providing a diurnal cooling that enables grapes to ripen sufficiently yet maintains balanced levels of acidity. The north end of the valley, also arid, receives fewer than sixteen inches of rainfall per year.

Because of the wide variation in climate in the Okanagan Valley many different kinds of grapes are grown here. In the southern Osoyoos growing region near the USA Border, red Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot do exceedingly well. The further north in the valley, the cooler the temperatures become, providing beneficial growing conditions for German grape varieties such as Siegerrebe, Sylvaner, Optima and Ortega, while in the central areas, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay do well.

The Okanagan Valley, ideal for fine wine growing, is also one of the most important tourist destinations in British Columbia.

To the west of the Okanagan Valley through the Coast Mountains is the high desert cattle country of the Similkameen Valley. The valley follows the picturesque Similkameen River and is surrounded by steep terrain. Only two wineries are located in this VA, with 195 acres of vines planted along the river’s edge, but it holds great promise for future vineyard development.

Vancouver Island, situated off British Columbia’s southwest coast, is the province’s newest wine-growing region. An hour’s drive north of Victoria, these hillside vineyards wind along country lands that link communities steeped in British Columbia’s colourful history.

Most of the 135 acres of grapes are planted in the southeast near the city of Duncan serving ten small wineries.

There is currently only one grape winery in the verdant Fraser Valley, about an hour-and-a-half drive east of Vancouver, near the USA border. It is the most southerly winery in BC, and benefits from a mesoclimate that is conducive to the cultivation of such grapes as Sylvaner, Optima, Gewürztraminer and even Pinot Noir.