THE WINE ROUTE

The heart of BC’s premier wine country is found in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys which lie between the 49th and 50th parallels, the same latitude of the famous European wine regions of Champagne and Rheingau. But the wineries of these two BC valleys are famous not from that simple geographical similarity, but for the quality of wine on par with the best of the world.

Most of these wineries offer tastings typically at a minimal charge which is often reimbursed upon the purchase of some wine. Some of the Okanagan Valley’s top dining destinations are also located at these wineries, offering a wide range of culinary delights including an emphasis on farm to table ingredients. Some also offer accommodation onsite enabling an immersive winery experience.

History

It may surprise many to know that the roots of the region’s wine industry date from the 1850s with the establishment of Father Pandosy’s Okanagan Mission, and the planting of vineyards for making sacramental wines. Prohibition, from 1918-1920, brought this to an end, with the commercial wine industry only recovering in the 1930s with the first modern-era winery – Calona Vineyards. This winery started in 1932 and remains the oldest continuously running winery in the province.

It wasn’t until the 1970s with experimental plantings of Vitis vinifera grapes that the industry embarked on the start of a journey that has brought it to the world recognised stature it now enjoys. Free trade agreements with the U.S. in the late 1980s provided further impetus to shift from the poorer quality hybrid and labrusca vines.

Another key transition for the BC wine industry was the adoption of the Vintners Quality Alliance designation which verifies wine origins, grape varietals and vintages.

One of the key things this did was to clearly differentiate wine made from bulk imported grapes and “cellared in Canada” versus those wines made from grapes grown in BC.

Another evolutionary step in BC’s wine industry was the rollout in April 2021 of the Sustainable Winegrowing British Columbia (SWBC) Winery Standard. The far-reaching standard covers everything from waste management, water and irrigation issues, carbon emissions, soil nutrition, crop spraying, to safety issues, human resources, social equity, and even succession planning. An extensive audit is required for each of the two sustainability standards – one for wineries and one for vineyards.

This is ever more important given that sustainability issues are rightly taking centre stage in an era where climate change is increasingly impacting our lives. It’s also important for wine exports, particularly to Europe.

The region now grows more than 60 grape varieties producing virtually every style of wine across the spectrum of sweetness levels, including still, sparkling, fortified and dessert wines, and even ice wines. The Okanagan Valley and Similkameen Valley account for 80 per cent of all wine produced in the province.

More recent plantings include: Sangiovese, Syrah, Tempranillo, Trebbiano, Pinotage, Malbec, Barbera and Zinfandel, all varietals typically associated with warm climates.