British Columbia Wine Growing Regions
British Columbia is the western most province in Canada ..
British Columbia has two distinct wine producing regions which produce a wide range of award winning wines. The two regions are:
- Vancouver Island located west of the Cascade Mountains
- The Okanagan Valley which is located east of the Cascade Mountains
In these two regions there are four designated Viticultural Areas (VA) these areas are:
- Okanagan Valley
- Similkameen Valleys
- Fraser Valley
- Vancouver Island.
British Columbia Climate
Okanagan Valley
The Okanagan Valley is the largest and oldest grape growing region in British Columbia.
The south end of the valley receives less than six inches of rain a year, and is believe it or not (in Canada the land of water) classified as a desert. Summer days are hot and nights are cool. The north end of the valley is also arid. It receives less than sixteen inches of rain per year.
As you can see the climate in the Okanagan Valley is extremely diverse which allows for many different varieties of grapes to be grown. Varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot Sylvaner, Optima and Ortega, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay are all grown there.
The south end of the valley receives less than six inches of rain a year, and is believe it or not (in Canada the land of water) classified as a desert. Summer days are hot and nights are cool. The north end of the valley is also arid. It receives less than sixteen inches of rain per year.
As you can see the climate in the Okanagan Valley is extremely diverse which allows for many different varieties of grapes to be grown. Varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot Sylvaner, Optima and Ortega, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay are all grown there.
Similkameen Valley
West of the Okanagan Valley is the
Similkameen Valley. The Similkameen valley's climate consists of cold
winters (with Similkamen being colder than the Okanagan Valley) and
hot, dry summers, long hours of sunshine and low humidity.
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island, located off British Columbia’s southwest coast climate consists of rainy winters and hot, dry summers.
The Fraser Valley
The Frase Valley is located in a
mesoclimate that is favours the growth grapes like Sylvaner, Optima,
Gewürztraminer and
even Pinot Noir.
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