West Coast Wine
British Columbia Wine 101. According to the BC Wine Institute, there are 929 vineyards in BC, and over 80 grape varieties — some of the top white varieties include Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer; and the top reds are Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon — being produced in one of the official wine regions (or “geographical indications”) of the Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Thompson Valley, Shuswap, Lillooet, and the Kootenays. BC wine is regulated under VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) regulations (governed by the BC Wine Authority), where wines must meet origin, vintage and varietals standards to be designated as BC VQA (similar to Ontario’s VQA system).
Canada’s Wild West by the FT’s Andrew Jefford is about a few of BC’s growing wine regions, including the “spindly, topographically chaotic” Okanagan Valley, the “giddy experimentation” taking place in The Similkameen Valley, and the “increasingly sought-after vineyard location” of Vancouver Island. On the difference between BC and Ontario wine, Jefford says:
There is a quietness, gentleness and restraint about the Ontario style, whereas that of the Okanagan (source of 84 per cent of BC wine) is bright, colourful and dramatic, particularly for the Syrah-based red wines produced in its southern end, adjacent to the US border. It makes most sense, indeed, to see them as wines of the North American west coast: they share the unshackled exuberance of California and Washington state more than the European-style nuance and inflection that characterises Ontario’s seam of inspiration.
Jefford lists a selection of his top BC producers, including the sometimes-available-at-the-LCBO Osoyoos Larose and Quail’s Gate in the Okanagan Valley, as well as bubbly by Bella Wines; Little Farm, a small producer of low manipulation natural wine in Similkameen Valley; and Averill Creek, Emandare Vineyard, and Rathjen Cellars of Vancouver Island, all low intervention wineries previously featured in past Crushable wine packs (a monthly wine club focused on Canadian boutique wines). British Columbia is one of the few provinces that permit inter-provincial wine delivery (the others being Manitoba and Nova Scotia). I recently ordered from…
Rigour & Whimsy is an Okanagan winery from husband and wife team Costa and Jody Gavaris, whose approach to wine growing centres on regenerative farming: they believe that responsible agriculture involves building topsoil and minimizing external inputs and disturbances to the rich microbiome of the soil. Their wines have been described as “unique, characterful, honest, unapologetic and delicious” and I recently ordered their #SharkWeek Sample Pack of some of their newest releases. I am particularly excited to try their new flagship wine, the 2018 Roussanne Marsanne, and the 2019 Hyperdrive, a blend of Pinot Blanc and Viognier. In Ontario, their wines are imported by The Living Vine.
Non-BC and Mostly 🍊 Wine News. The NYT’s Eric Asimov wrote There’s More to German Wine Than Riesling, recommending 12 wines, including one from Enderle & Moll — where Sven Enderle and Florian Moll farm organically in Münchweier, Baden (imported by Groupe Soleil in Ontario) — whose Müller-Thurgau I recently enjoyed (purchased at Boxcar Social), and whose Weiss & Grau (Pinot Blanc/Pinot Gris) was the first skin contact I ever had (at Dandylion). Speaking of first skin contact wines, Rosewood Estates released their first one called Pure Imagination, as did Therianthropy with the release of Mouflon, a Viognier, Riesling, and Marsanne blend; while Hidden Bench Rachis and Derma’s Skin Fermented Chardonnay is now available for pre-order.
