Up to 1988, the year the Free Trade Agreement with the U S A was signed, the industry turned out light, off dry, somewhat fruity wines of no consequence. They were meant for the unsophisticated palates who consumed a lot of wine indiscriminately. To this day, British Columbians are the second largest per capita wine drinkers, following the inhabitants of Nunavut.

Ontario’s average per capita wine consumption is 11 liters. More or less representing the Canadian average.

British Columbia has five main grape growing regions - Okanagan Valley (95 per cent of the production occurs here on approximately 3000 hectares of vineyards); Similkameen Valley just west of Okanagan, Vancouver and Fraser Valley, Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.

Modern British Columbian wines are clean, crisp, lively, medium- to full bodied, and well balanced. They have a fine underlying acidity that renders them appealing and most suitable for food.

The range of grape varieties is staggering. There are 64, and more are being planted for experimental purposes. Chardonnay, pinot gris (pinot grigio, grauburgunder), pinot blanc (weissburgunder, pinot bianco), auxerrois, riesling, sauvignon blanc, semillon, viognier, rousanne, marsanne, siegerrebe and bacchus are some of the whites preferred by growers.

Cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, syrah, zweigelt, pinot noir, petite verdot, malbec and zinfandel make up part of the red grape varieties planted.

British Columbia, in particular the Okanagan Valley, used to be a major apple growing region, but inexpensive Chinese imports started forcing apple farmers to uproot their old-established orchards and plant grapes. Growers have a better opportunity to generate more profit by planting grapes due to the value-added advantage of this luscious fruit.

The Okanagan Valley stretching from the 49th parallel north to Vernon follows the contours of the lake. The vineyards are on both shores, and by all accounts, the most beautiful anywhere. In the northern part of the valley white grapes thrive, whereas in the desert-like climate in the south the grapes varieties do very well.

In Osoyoos, just a few kilometers north of the U S border, Vincor (now owned by Cosmopolitan Wines) with Groupe Taillan from Bordeaux established the Osoyoos – La Rose vineyard, with the objective to producing the best red wine in the country. So far four vintages have been marketed and all meet or exceed expectations. The management decided to keep prices reasonable to allow access by moderately wealthy wine consumers.

All this demand has pushed land prices to unprecedented heights. In 1993 the cost of an acre of vineyard land was $ 3,000.00 today it has escalated to $ 150,000.00. Still, many well-heeled Albertans continue to buy land and property to cash in in the near future.

Presently, there are 130 wineries, and more are being planned. The British Columbia ministry of agriculture seems to favour viticulture over other fruit due to the value-added advantage of grapes.

Pinot gris, once considered to be second rate, has the best potential in the Okanagan Valley. The wines are fruity, layered, offer excellent mouth feel, and finish long, providing yields were restricted and the wine was made with care.

Burrowing Owl, Cedar Creek, Gray Monk, Gehringer Brothers, Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards, Lake Breeze Vineyards, Lang Vineyards, Sandhill Wines, King Family 2004 pinot gris wines are particularly recommended for those who live in British Columbia or Alberta.

It is sad that British Columbia wines are difficult to find in Ontario. The selection is very limited which may be a function of local demand and supply, or due to provincial trade barriers. If you ever travel to Vancouver and can spare two days, I urge you to take a trip to Okanagan, look around, taste some of the fabulous wines, and buy a few bottles.

Along with increased interest in wine, better restaurants are opening in small towns making it even more enticing to experience this remarkable region.

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