The flavor of sugarplum in wine of British Columbia
Discover the of British Columbia wines revealing the of sugarplum flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province, located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The diversity of landscapes here – from rainy islands to desert-like valley floors – means that a wide variety of Grapes are planted here. They include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
While volumes are lower than those of the province of Ontario, British Columbia is home to a rapidly growing wine industry.
This is mostly located on the Southern edge of the province aLong the international border with the United States.
North to south, the province of British Columbia is longer than California and larger than Texas. However the entire wine industry occupies the southernmost 250 kilometers (150 miles) of the province, in a Select few regions where the macroClimate is favorable to premium viticulture.
The British Columbia wine authority recognizes Designated Viticultural Areas (DVAs) in the province:
Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands have, as one would expect, the most maritime climates
Okanagan Valley and Similkameen Valley on the USA border, have climates which are more continental in character
Fraser Valley is located just west of Vancouver city and reaches inland from the coast, and transitions between the two climate types
In addition there are a number of regions were recognized as Geographic Indications in 2018.
They are often bracketed together under the "emerging" banner:
The Kootenays in the southwest corner of the province, where Pinot Noir is the main grape
Lillooet, in the Cariboo Chilcotin region and west of Kamloops, whose first Vineyard was planted in 2004
Shuswap, north of the Okanagan Valley, has around 40ha (100 acres) of vineyards, planted to cool climate varieties
Thompson Valley, inland and further north, is at the limit of cool climate winemaking. Riesling, Marquette, Maréchal Foch and Chardonnay are the main varieties
Most viticulture in British Columbia takes place in the Okanagan Valley, nestled between the Cascade and Columbia mountain ranges where Harsh weather systems from the west and north do not often reach. This long, narrow valley is considered to be Canada's only desert, and the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot do well here, particularly in the south around Osoyoos. The region's few lakes serve to moderate temperatures here, and Warm days followed by cool nights give rise to a distinctively Bright style of wine.
Canada’s wine community is mourning the sudden loss of beloved Ontario winemaker Paul Pender. Passing away at the age of just 54, Pender died ‘unexpectedly under tragic circumstances’ on 4 February, 2022, as announced by sister wineries Tawse and Redstone. Before becoming director of viticulture and winemaking at Tawse and Redstone, he was a carpenter. When he developed an allergy to the dust and solvents, he went back to school to study winemaking at Niagara College in 2004. Pender’s interns ...
In the second part of this series, Decanter’s editorial team members highlight the wines they are looking forward to tasting at the upcoming Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC on Saturday 18th June 2022. Tina Gellie – Content Manager and Regional Editor (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand & South Africa) Burrowing Owl, Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 2019 In 2016, while on a press trip to British Columbia’s Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, I had the pleasur ...
Tina Gellie, Content Manager and Regional Editor (Australia, South Africa, New Zealand & Canada) It was a big year of Decanter travel for me, heading to Napa and New York in June, South Africa in October and most recently a week each in Margaret River and South Australia. These trips have formed the basis of my festive selections. Christmas lunch on North Stradbroke Island (reunited with my family after four years, no thanks to Covid) always starts with oysters, followed by a bucket of prawn ...