BRITISH COLUMBIA'S VITIVINICULTURAL INDUSTRY
by Professor Hrayr Berberoglu.

2004


Although British Columbia ventured into vitiviniculture late in the 19th century, much later than Ontario, the industry advanced rapidly. Today this beautiful province's four designated regions produce approximately 20 percent of wine produced throughout Canada. The largest of the four regions is the Okanagan Valley located in southern British Columbia nestled in the Cascade Mountain range that runs into Washington State.

Similkameen Valley to the west of Okanagan is much smaller and dryer. Fraser Valley, further west, close to Vancouver has a few wineries and Vancouver Island along with outlying islands make up the rest. Presently there are a little over 2000 hectares under vine supplying over 90 wineries most of which are located in the Okanagan Valley. Approximately 95 percent of all grapes grown in the province originate in the Okanagan Valley.

Several Indian tribes in the Okanagan Valley form the Okanagan Nation. The Bands are Interior Salish speaking people, who have inhabited this land for thousands of years. Many of the towns and lakes in the Okanagan derive their names from the native language. There are slight variations from Band to Band ("Okanagan" in British Columbia is spelled "Okanagon" in Washington State for example) and different interpretations evolved over the centuries. There are approximately 52 separate language groups in Canada, 23 of which are in British Columbia.

The word "Okanagan" has a dual meaning: it refers to the name of the people, and how they wear their hair (gathered on the top of the head, tied with buckskin twine and adorned with feathers). "Osoyoos" means "shallow place where lakes join" or "joining of two great lakes." Skaha Lake is "Dog" Lake. Penticton means a place where people gather" and Kelowna means "Grizzly Bear." Several bands own and operate vineyards. One has even started its winery, Nkameep.

Since 1995 the Okanagan valley has emerged as North America's premium wine-growing region, which is not only beautiful but also unique, stretching 200 kilometres from Vernon in the north to Osyoos in the south.

The diversity of vines that thrive in various microclimates provides winemakers with a multitude of options to express their creative talents.

The topography consists of valleys lined with a mixture of different bedrock sources, with valley floor and lower slopes underlain with silt, sand and gravel, originating 10,000 years ago.

The northern end of the Sonoran Desert, which extends south to Mexico, runs for a few kilometres north of the 49th parallel. The region is Canada's "pocket desert" and called "Black Sage".

The climate of the Okanagan Valley is governed by the region's location in the lee of the Coast Mountain Range. These mountains, with peaks of over 2,450 metres are effective weather blocks. While the weather west of the Coast Range in Vancouver is wet, a rain shadow effect is produced east of the range in the Okanagan Valley. Rainfall is lowered to an annual average 410 mm in the north (Kelowna) and 200mm in the south (Osoyoos).

Summer months are dry and warm with rainfall usually in the form of brief showers. June is the wettest month. Short hot periods occur when dry continental air invades the area from the desert region of the southeastern United States. Temperatures can often reach 35' C or more. The average temperature during the warmest month in the south Okanagan (Oliver) is 22'C.

For comparison, the average temperature during the warmest month for Bordeaux, France is 19.6' C and annual precipitation is 786mm; and, in the Napa Valley, California, the average temperature in the warmest month is 19.0' C and the annual rainfall is 650mm.

Terroir

Vineyards have been established primarily on benches, glacial lake deposits and slope deposits. The soils were mostly deposited in the valley during the last ice age and they vary in texture and depth, which influence their water- and nutrient-holding capacity, and may influence rooting depth and availability of water and nutrients to roots.

Most of the Valley's vineyards are planted on southern or westerly slopes to take advantage of higher Growing Degree Days, aiming for 1,390 days and above.* (See note below)

The southern part of the Okanagan Valley (from Kelowna to Osoyoos) has a moderate climate suitable for grape production. A chain of pristine blue lakes fed by several rivers runs the length of the Valley, moderating intense summer air masses and chilly winter air alike. Viticulturists throughout the Okanagan depend on the water-moderated climate. Intense sunlight and minimal rainfall allow the grapes to ripen to their full maturity, while cool nights help them to retain high acidity. These climatic conditions, along with an adaptation to the Okanagan's varying soil structure and excellent viticulture practices, produce wines that are full-bodied and highly flavoured with good acidity.

Okanagan Lake is the largest body of water in the Valley. To its immediate south lie three smaller lakes: Skaha, Vaseux, and Osoyoos. The breathtaking landscape features jagged grey cliffs edging the lake, and sage and grass covered rolling hills complete with scenic orchards, vineyards, and quaint towns.

The Okanagan Valley falls in the northern hemisphere's wine-growing belt and shares the same latitude as northern German and French vineyards. While referred to as a "cool-climate" wine region, unique microclimates exist throughout the Valley. The northern tip of the Okanagan Valley is at 50'N, and the southern tip is at 49'N. Some of the latitudes of other key wine growing regions are:

Australia - Victoria : 36'S
Australia - Western Australia's Mount Barker: 34.5'S
France - Bordeaux: 45'N
France - Champagne: 49'N
Germany (North): 50'N
New Zealand (North): 36'S
New Zealand (South): 42'S
South Africa: 35'S
U.S.A. - California - Napa Valley: 38'N

While winemaking in the region dates back to 1859, the "new era," which focused on the planting of premium vinifera grapes, got underway in the 1980s and 1990s. The industry was threatened in the mid- 1980s by GATT (the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) that levelled the market advantage previously enjoyed by domestic wineries. Producers knew that ultra premium wines were their future. They responded by removing two-thirds of the planted acres to make room for more suitable premium vinifera grapes and introduced strict wine standards under the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) quality seal. The 19 existing wineries worked with growers to rebuild and to forge a new beginning - one that promoted quality over quantity.

Currently the total grape acreage for the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys is 1,777 hectares and tonnage produced in the 2003 vintage was 14,061 metric tonnes.

Principal Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon thrive in the hot, sandy soils in the southern Valley while Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir are planted in the cooler northern vineyard sites.
Cabernet Sauvignon 1,360 136
Chardonnay 2,300 230
Gewürztraminer 905 120
Merlot 2,679 308
Pinot Blanc 1,059 120
Pinot Gris 1,025 125
Pinot Noir 1,220 97
Riesling 614 89
Sauvignon Blanc 568 184
Shiraz / Syrah 269 41
Total 11,672 1,450.0
Note: totals in table do not add up to total grape acreage and tonnage reported, as the table includes only the main varieties grown (There are about 38 red varieties and 39 white varieties grown in the Okanagan Vallev).

Today in the Okanagan, there are 235 different vineyards, producing approximately 20,000 metric tonnes of grapes annually. Fifty percent of total production is white grape varieties, and the rest red varieties. As a comparison, Bordeaux, France has 114,930 hectares of vineyards and Napa Valley, California has 14,164 hectares . The province of British Columbia is home to approximately 95 wineries, and there are four distinct wine regions in British Columbia: the Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island.

The Okanagan Valley accounts for 95 percent of total production. While the region has yet to establish sub appellations, the Black Sage Bench, the Osoyoos Lake Bench, the Golden Mile and the Naramata Bench are emerging microclimates worth noting.

While international data is not broken down by region, Canada, as a country, ranks 34th in terms of global wine production. The closest New World wine region in size to Canada is New Zealand, which ranks 26th. France ranks first for world wine production, at 55.3 million hectolitres in 2002. Italy is second at 43 million hectolitres in 2002. Spain has the most area under vines in the world, and production comes in at the third highest in the world, yet is more variable each year due to scant rainfall. The United States is the world's fourth largest producer of wine at 23 million hectolitres Other rankings to note are Argentina at fifth, Australia sixth, South Africa, eighth and Chile, 16th. (2002 figures)

British Columbia's VQA standards - Vintners Quality Alliance is a set of strict national standards that govern the production of wine. The system dictates that wines bearing the British Columbia VQA seal must be made from 100 percent British Columbia grown grapes. They must remain true to varietal character and be free of faults. The standards stipulate acceptable brix levels at harvest, Designated Viticultural Areas (DVA) and labeling terminology, and Icewine production. Each wine must pass a blind tasting review by a panel of trained sensory technicians before bearing the VQA logo.

Icewine

While the Okanagan Valley has received international acclaim for its sparkling and table wines, the region is widely recognized as one of the world's leading producers of Icewine, which was first made in the Valley in 1973 by Walter Hainle. Icewine harvest can only occur after grapes freeze naturally on the vine at -8'C (- 18'F) or colder. This means that the grapes must remain on the vine until winter and as the grapes hang they continually ripen, sugar concentration grows and intense flavour develops.

The grapes are picked and pressed in a continuous process before they thaw. This ensures that the natural water portion of the juice stays within the grape skins in the form of ice crystals. The resulting low yielding nectar is highly concentrated, and the resulting wines are very popular for the deep flavours and natural sweetness they impart.

*Note: Growing Degree Days are calculated by accumulating the number of days where there is sufficient heat to encourage plant growth; for grapes, growth begins at temperatures greater than IO' C). In the south Okanagan Valley in 2003, the Growing Degree Days were at 1,682. In 2002, 1,504; and, 1,472 in 2001.

The Growing Degree Days in some other wine growing regions are as follows:
Country Region Degree Days
Australia Coonawarra 1,363
Australia Barossa Valley 1,575
Australia Margaret River 1,597
Australia McLaren Vale 1,913
France Bordeaux 1,320
U.S.A. California - Napa Valley 1,379
British Columbia's consistently fine wine producers are:

Domaine de Chaberton, Langley
Gray Monk Estate Winery
Cedar Creek Estate Winery
Calona Wines (Artists Series)
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery
Red Rooster Winery
Nichol Vineyard
Inniskillin Okanagan Winery
Osoyoos-Larose
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery
Golden Mile Cellars
Burrowing Owl Vineyards
Crowsnest Vineyards

Hrayr Berberoglu took early retirement after lecturing on restaurant management and conducting wine, beer and spirits seminars for over a quarter of a century.

Now he consults and writes to increase wine, beer and liquor awareness. He conducts seminars and would be pleased to consider your requests. To peruse the list of his published books and order please contact him at hirayrberberoglu_3@sympatico.ca

Hryar Berberoglu www.littlefatwino.com