C
anada’s grape growing
and winemaking history
is certainly not one that
rivals any country in
Europe or the likes of
Australia, South Africa or
Chile. We are a young
wine producing country,
but our wines are beginning (slowly!) to make a
splash in international waters. Ontario is
the country’s largest region by volume,
producing approximately 80% of all
wine, but British Columbia’s wine country,
more specifically the Okanagan Valley,
is starting to emerge as a force to be
reckoned with. With over 130 wineries
spread across the 250km valley, there is
much to see and taste on a visit to this
visually breathtaking region.
On a visit to the Okanagan last fall,
I finally had a chance to see the region
first hand and taste A LOT of wines.
The region’s more than 8000 acres are
spread across a long, narrow valley that
is flanked by the Coast Mountains to
the west and the Monashee Mountains to
the east. This topographic feature
contributes to the region’s low average
annual rainfall. In fact, the Osoyoos
sub-appellation at the very southern point
of the Valley is classified as having near
desert-like conditions.
Although the region’s latitude is at the
northern most point of what is considered
typical for most wine regions in the northern
hemisphere (around 49° to 50° north), it is
remarkably warm during the summer
months – averaging above 30°C most
days. The warm days are contrasted by
very cool evenings – usually 15°C or
more difference between daytime and
nighttime temperatures – which is essential
for retaining the grapes’ high acidity.
The northern latitude also results in longer
sunshine hours during the summer months
that are critical for photosynthesis and
phenolic ripening.
The varied terrain and terroirs have meant
that certain varietals excel in some places
where others do not. The northern
Okanagan Valley, around Kelowna area,
is cooler and has a shorter growing
season, and the Pinot varietals, as well as
Chardonnay and Merlot tend to do well
there. As you move south through the
Valley to Penticton and the Naramata
Bench, where the average temperatures
are warmer and the vineyards are sloped
closer to the lake, you tend to see more
Bordeaux varietals in addition to the
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. As you reach
Oliver and Osoyoos, red grapes are king
with late-ripening varietals like Syrah and
Cabernet Sauvignon being favoured. On
a visit to the Okanagan Valley, one will
undoubtedly find a style of wine to
suit their palate.
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