Wines of British Columbia AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

52 Pages·2016·2.94 MB·English

Wines of British Columbia
AMBASSADOR
PROGRAM
BC VQA WINE EDUCATION
LEVEL 1
Introduction 5
Learning Objectives 5
British Columbia Wine History 6
BC Wine Styles 8
Influence of Climate 8
Wine Styles in BC 9
Still Wines 9
Dessert Wines 10
Sparkling Wines 10
Fortified Wines 10
BC Wine Stats 11
Vineyard Acreage 11
Okanagan Valley 14
Similkameen Valley 14
Fraser Valley 15
Gulf Islands 15
Vancouver Island 15
Thompson Valley 15
Emerging BC Regions 15
Vineyard Acreage 16
Grape Varieties 16
Major White Grape Varieties 18
BC Wineries 19
Wine Production 22
BC Wine Law 23
Wines of Marked Quality Regulation 23
BC Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) 24
British Columbia Wine Institute 24
British Columbia Wine Authority 25
BC Wine Quality 25
BC Terroir 26
Soils 26
Bodies of Water 27
Elevation 28
Slopes & Aspect 28
Climate 28
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Geographical Indications 30
Sub-Region: Kelowna/Lake Country 31
Sub-Region: Naramata/Penticton 31
Sub-Region: Okanagan Falls 31
Official Sub-GI: Golden Mile 32
Sub-Region: Osoyoos/Black Sage Bench 32
Grapegrowing in BC 33
Sunshine 33
Water 33
Heat 33
Sustainable, Organic and Biodynamic Grapegrowing 33
Grapegrowing Hazards 34
Winemaking in BC 36
BC vs. The World’s Wine Styles 37
White Wines 37
Pinot Gris, 1114 acres 37
Chardonnay, 996 acres 37
Gewürztraminer, 735 acres 38
Riesling, 511 acres 38
Sauvignon Blanc, 394 acres 38
Pinot Blanc, 267 acres 39
Viognier, 223 acres 39
Red Wines 40
Merlot, 1564 acres 40
Pinot Noir, 1073 acres 40
Cabernet Sauvignon, 735 acres 40
Cabernet Franc, 546 acres 41
Shiraz/Syrah, 530 acres 41
Gamay Noir, 172 acres 41
Ageing BC Wine 42
Distribution of BC Wine 42
Bill C-311 43
Industry Trends 44
The Future of BC Wine 44
Glossary of Wine Terms 46
Funding support provided, in part, by the BC Government’s Buy Local Program;
delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC with funding from the
Ministry of Agriculture.
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Wines of British Columbia Ambassador Program! It is suitable
for all levels of wine knowledge and a great introduction to BC wine for those
with no wine background at all. The course covers the basics to understand BC
wine such as the grapegrowing conditions in BC, the main wine styles, the wine
regions within BC and the wine laws that affect the production of BC wine.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The following learning objectives have been set for this course:
1. Understand the history of British Columbia wine
2. Learn the style of British Columbia wines and what affects their
makeup
3. Name the British Columbia wine regions and major grape varieties
4. Understand what makes British Columbia wines unique
5. Define the key components of the BC Vintners Quality Alliance
(VQA) program
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> 1859: 1907: 1912-22: 1921:
Father Charles Earliest record of a Canadian Prohibition. Growers’ Wine
Pandosy plants vines serious attempt at Company of Victoria
at the Oblate Mission grape production uses loganberries
in Kelowna. in Salmon Arm by and then labrusca
W.J. Wilcox. grapes for wine
production.
1994: 1992: 1990: 1988:
BC wines begin to win In their first year, VQA (Vintners The General
medals and awards. sales of BC VQA Quality Alliance) Agreement on Tariffs
Mission Hill Family Wine in BC top $6 standards are put and Trade (GATT)
Estate’s Grand million CAD. into place in BC. opens the market and
Reserve Chardonnay puts pressure to
1992 wins the Avery focus on quality.
Trophy for “Best Roughly 2,400 acres
Chardonnay of labrusca and
Worldwide” at the French hybrids are
International Wine removed leaving
and Spirit Competition 1,000 acres of
in London, a premium vinifera
significant accolade. vines.
1995: 2003: 2005: 2006:
An estimated 32 Sales of BC VQA Sales of BC VQA wine Sales of BC VQA Wine in
wineries in Wine in BC top $63 in BC top $120 million BC surpass $134 million
operation in BC. million CAD. An CAD. BC VQA wines CAD. 133 wineries in
estimated 87 become the operation. Jackson-Triggs
wineries in operation. number-one selling Okanagan Estate’s Grand
premium wine Reserve Shiraz wins the
category in the prestigious Shiraz/Syrah
province for the first of the Year at the
time ahead of all other International Wine and
wine-importing Spirit Competition in
countries.An London - a first ever for a
estimated 119 wineries North American winery.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
in operation.
WINE HISTORY
Since the birth of the modern BC wine industry from signing the free trade
agreement, vast improvements have been made in understanding the unique BC
terroir and the quality of wines has improved rapidly.
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1922: 1930-60: 1932: 1962:
J.W. Hughes planted Extensive planting of Calona opens as the The first French
vineyards in the labrusca varietals. first commercial hybrids are planted
Kelowna area at what winery in the by Stewart and
is now Tantalus Okanagan. Capozzi families.
Vineyards.
1984: 1977-82: 1974: 1966:
13 wineries in Becker project - 33 The federal Total BC vineyard
operation in BC. vinifera varietals government brings in acreage reaches
proven to ripen and 4,000 vinifera vines 2,000 acres.
produce premium to experiment with
quality wines in the new varieties at 18
Okanagan - a turning different sites.
point for the industry.
2009: 2010: 2011: 2012:
Sales of BC VQA Wine Summerhill Pyramid There are now over Summerhill Pyramid
in BC surpass $166 Winery recieves the 200 grape wineries in Winery becomes the first
million CAD. 174 wineries trophy for Best Bottle British Columbia. BC vineyard in BC to receive
in operation. Fermented Sparkling VQA Wine sales exceed their Biodynamic
Wine at the $196 million CAD. Demeter Certification.
International Wine
and Spirit
Competition in
London, a first for a
Canadian Winery.
2015: 2014: 2013:
Golden Mile Bench BC now boasts over Mission Hill Family
named as BC’s first 230 grape wineries Estate Winery receives
official sub-appellation. and sales of BC VQA an International Trophy
BC VQA celebrates 25 wine exceed $220 for Best Pinot Noir under
years of excellence! million CAD. 15£ at the prestigious
Decanter World Wine
Awards. This is the first
time a Canadian Winery
has won an International
Trophy at these awards.
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BC WINE STYLES
There are many things that determine what styles of wine a region can
produce. The most important influence of possible wine styles is the climate.
Grapegrowers and winemakers then have to work with what Mother Nature
provides and attempt to make the best wine possible.
Influence of Climate
The climate for producing British Columbia wine is very unique. All of the
BC vineyards are located at the northern extremes of where grapegrowing is
possible. The vineyards are located in two main areas. About 4 hours drive
east of Vancouver are the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. The second
area includes the smaller wine regions of the Fraser Valley, Gulf Islands and
Vancouver Island.
The Okanagan Valley and neighbouring Similkameen Valley have climates
that are unique in the world. The hot, dry, desert climate is not replicated
anywhere else in the world and because of this the grapegrowing conditions
are unique. Grapegrowers have to deal with intense summer heat as well
as the risk of extreme cold in the winter that may kill the vines. Because of
this unique climate, grapegrowers can’t simply copy the techniques of other
regions but have had to learn from the ground up.
The climate is best described as a short, hot, growing season. The vine’s
budbreak occurs quite late compared to most regions in the world but the
summers are typically hot, ripening the grapes quickly before the cold winter
again sets in rapidly.
Grapes get their sugar from sunshine and warmth. The Okanagan and
Similkameen growing areas have some unique attributes:
• Sunshine - more sunshine than most wine regions in the world.
• Rainfall – very low rainfall due to desert conditions.
• Diurnal Temperature Variation – the difference between day and
night-time temperatures can be as much as 20-30°C during the
summer resulting in intensely flavoured grapes.
The naturally dry conditions from the low rainfall and low humidity make the
Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys ideal for sustainable grapegrowing and
there are an increasing number of organic vineyards.
Although the Okanagan Valley is less than 200km from one end to the other,
the climate varies considerably. As a result, different grape varieties will be
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successful in the different areas. The hotter south Okanagan is more suited
to red grapes that need a longer, hotter growing season and the north is more
suited to white varieties that need less heat to ripen.
The coastal wine regions have a more moderate maritime climate than the
interior. They are cooler during the summer and warmer during the winter.
The Fraser Valley has significant climatic variation across the region. While
there can be significant precipitation in the fall and spring, July and August
can be very dry and irrigation is sometimes necessary. There are some unique
microclimates that receive lower rainfall and these areas are better suited to
grapegrowing. Frost is not a major concern but humidity and the high rainfall
can lead to mildew and botrytis issues in the vineyard. Early ripening grape
varieties are better suited to the cooler conditions.
There are many unique microclimates on Vancouver Island and the Gulf
Islands that are suitable for grapegrowing. Vineyards in the Cowichan Valley
are generally shielded from the Pacific Ocean storms by nearby mountains and
as a result can have a long growing season with low frost risk. The summer
weather is dry enough that most vineyards require irrigation. The overall
moderate climate is best suited to earlier and mid-season grape varieties.
Wine Styles in BC
Because of the diverse grapegrowing climates, a wide variety of wine styles
are produced. The main styles produced are listed below.
Still Wines
Most of the wines we drink are classified as Still Wines. They can be white,
red or rosé and anything from dry to sweet.
White Wines – range from dry to sweet. White wines can be made from white
or red grapes. The juice is pressed quickly from the skins of red grapes to give
white juice.
Red Wines – are nearly always dry. Because the juice in most grapes is clear,
red wines get their colour from soaking the juice with the red grape skins
while the wine ferments, leaching the colour, as well as tannin, into the wine.
Rosé Wines – are usually dry or off-dry. Traditionally they are made by short
skin contact (1-3 days) with red grape skins. Some rosé wines are also made
by blending red and white wine together.
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Dessert Wines
Canada is very famous for its Icewine around the world. Icewine is a very
sweet, still wine that is made by picking and then pressing grapes that are
frozen by temperatures of -8°C (17.6˚F) or colder.
Other dessert wines are also produced. These may be labeled as Late Harvest,
Select Late Harvest or Special Select Late Harvest depending on how ripe the
grapes were at harvest time. If the grapes are affected by Noble Rot, they can
be labeled as Botrytis Affected, Botrytized or for grapes with very high sugar
content Totally Botrytis Affected.
Sparkling Wines
Sparkling wines have carbon dioxide trapped in the bottle, giving them their
sparkle. There are different methods to trap the carbon dioxide in the wine.
Sparkling wines are generally white or rosé but can be red as well. They are
usually dry or off-dry in taste.
The climate in BC is well suited to making sparkling wines. The natural high
acidity levels that the climate provides, and bright fruit flavours mean that
grapes can be harvested early and still have good flavour development.
Carbonated – wines are made by simply injecting carbon dioxide gas into a
still wine just prior to bottling, similar to making soft drinks.
Tank Method – wines are made by creating a second fermentation in
a pressurized tank. The dead yeast cells that result after the second
fermentation are then filtered out prior to bottling.
Traditional Method – wines are generally the best quality sparkling wines.
They are made by placing a still wine in a bottle mixed with some yeast and
sugar. A second fermentation takes place in the sealed bottle and the carbon
dioxide that is produced dissolves into the wine.
These wines are often aged for 1-5 years before the dead yeast is removed
and they are made ready for sale. The most famous wine in the world made by
this method is Champagne from France.
Fortified Wines
Fortified wines are made by adding alcohol to wine to increase the alcohol
content to between 17-20%. At this level of alcohol the wine is very stable
so sweetness can be preserved in a wine without the fear of re-fermentation.
The most famous fortified wines in the world are Port and Sherry. British
Columbia produces mostly Port-style fortified wines.
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