1st Canadian Wine Sommelier

Championship in Greater China

Introduction to Canadian Wine

August 2017

Canada | On the World Map

Canada | Rooted in Cool

• 41 and 50 ° North

• 670+ wineries

• 1770 grape growers

• 30,000 acres

(12,150 Hectares)

• 4 main growing

regions: British

Columbia, Ontario,

Nova Scotia and

Quebec

British Columbia 48˚- 51˚

Acres: 10,260 (4,152 Hectares)

Wineries: 276 Ontario 41˚- 44˚

Acres: 17,000 (6,900 Hectares)

Wineries: 165

Quebec 45˚- 47˚

Acres: 2000 (808 Hectares)

Wineries: 138

Nova Scotia 44˚- 46˚

Acres: 800 (323 Hectares)

Wineries: 20

Canada | Wine Regions

DEFINED AS THE SUM OF THE MONTHLY MEAN TEMPERATURE OVER

10˚C (50˚F) DURING THE GROWING SEASON (APRIL 1 – OCTOBER 31).

Geisenheim, Germany 1050

Epernay, France (Champagne) 1050

Kentville, Annapolis Valley, NS 1175

Hawkes Bay, New Zealand 1200

Northern Okanagan, British Columbia 1200

Prince Edward County, Ontario 1250

Roseburg, Oregon 1250

Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia 1257

Beaune, France (Burgundy) 1315

Yakima, Washington 1426

Napa, California 1450

Niagara Peninsula, Ontario 1485

Southern Okanagan, British Columbia 1495

Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario 1528

Canada | Growing Degree Days

Canada | The Growth Cycle

ONTARIO

• Core White Varieties: Riesling, Chardonnay

• Core Red Varieties: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc,

Gamay Noir

BRITISH COLUMBIA

• Most Planted Whites: Pinot Gris, Chardonnay,

Gewurztraminer, Riesling

• Most Planted Reds: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet

Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc

NOVA SCOTIA

• Most Planted Whites: L’Acadie Blanc,

Chardonnay

• Most Planted Reds: Maréchal Foch, Léon Millot

QUEBEC

• Most Popular Whites: Seyval Blanc, Vidal,

Frontenac Gris + Blanc, St - Pepin

• Most Popular Reds: Frontenac Noir, Marquette,

Maréchal Foch, Seyval Noir, St. Croix

Canada | Main Grape Varieties

ONTARIO

• 60+ wineries producing sparkling wines

• Over 70% of production is Traditional Method

• 80% of production from Chardonnay + Pinot

Noir, with Riesling, Gamay Noir, Sauvignon

Blanc + others used for TM + Charmat Method

BRITISH COLUMBIA

• 70+ sparkling wines producers of which 50% is

Traditional Method

• Increasing production of Frizzante style wines

• Main grapes: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc,

Gamay Noir, Gewurztraminer + many others

NOVA SCOTIA

• 10 of the 20 wineries produce sparkling wine

• 6 producers making Traditional Method

• Main varieties: Chardonnay, L'Acadie Blanc,

Seyval Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir

Canada | Sparkling Wine

Canada | Nova Scotia

• 800 acres

• 100 growers

• 20 wineries

• 230,000 cases

Nova Scotia | Vineyards and Ocean

• Located at 45° latitude with soils formed and shaped by glacial

movements

• Coastal province, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean with warm

Gulf Stream influences

• No community more than 60 kilometers from open sea

• The Bay of Fundy has the largest tidal shifts in the world making

for cooling summer breezes and a large unfrozen body of water in

the winter

Nova Scotia | Tidal Bay

Tidal Bay Appellation Wine: Pairs well with seafood and ocean views

• Signature style for crisp aromatic white wines that reflect the coastal

breezes and cooler climate of the region

• Must be made from designated grape varieties,100% Nova Scotia grown,

follow viticulture standards and practices, no more than 11% alcohol and

approved by an independent blind tasting panel

- Fresh whites that are perfectly suited to pair with Nova Scotia sea food

The Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) is an appellation system

modeled on European appellation systems. Provincially regulated

standards are in place in both Ontario and British Columbia.

ONTARIO VQA

• VQA Ontario = 100% Ontario grown grapes

• VQA Ontario identifies three primary

• appellations

• Another 10 sub-appellations were created within the

Niagara Peninsula in 2005

• One sub-appellation was added to LENS in 2016

BC VQA

• BC VQA = 100% BC grown grapes

• BC VQA identifies five primary appellations

and one official sub-appellation

• Creation of additional sub-appellations is in process

Canada | VQA Wines of Origin

Canada | Ontario

1811

Johann Schiller transplants

labrusca and hybrid grape

vines on 20 acres in

Cooksville, Ontario.

1873

George Barnes opens

Niagara’s first winery, called

The Ontario Grape Growing

and Wine Manufacturing

Company, later renamed

Barnes Winery.

1890

There are 35 wineries in

Ontario, mostly based in

Essex County.

1927

The Liquor Control Board of

Ontario (LCBO) is created to

regulate distribution and sale

of all wine, beer and spirits,

and to regulate Ontario wine.

1952

Brights Wines removes 600

acres of native vines to plant

new vitis vinifera and hybrid

varieties and produces

Canada’s first vinifera wine

in 1955.

1974

The Wine Council of Ontario

is incorporated. In 1975, Karl

Kaiser and Donald Ziraldo of

Inniskillin receive the first

new winery license in almost

50 years (Inniskillin Wines).

1983

First experiential Icewines

are produced at some

wineries. The first

commercial Icewine is

produced in 1984.

1988

Ontario wineries create the

Vintner’s Quality Alliance

(VQA) to set out geographic

appellations and introduce

strict production standards

that became law in 1999.

2005

After three years of study,

VQA designates two regional

appellations and ten sub-

appellations within the

Niagara Peninsula. Currently

75 wineries in Ontario.

Prince Edward County

becomes a VQA appellation

in 2007.

2011

The annual International

Cool Climate Chardonnay

Celebration is launched in

Niagara, the first event

assembling international

winemakers for an event in

Ontario.

1978 + 1979

Early vinifera vineyards are

established by Chateau des

Charmes, Cave Spring

Cellars and Vineland

Estates.

Ontario | Wineries and Wine

• 165 VQA wineries

• Produce still, sparkling, late harvest and Icewine

• Total planted vineyards: 17,000 acres (6,900 hectares)

• Average annual production of VQA wines of origin in a typical

year: 30 million bottles (750ml)

• Total retail value of VQA wines: $400 million CAD

Ontario | Appellations

Primary Appellations

• Niagara Peninsula (with 10 sub-appellations)

• Lake Erie North Shore (with one sub-appellation)

• Prince Edward County

Ontario | Sub-Appellations

Ontario | Niagara Peninsula Ten Sub-Appellations

Ontario | The Great Lakes System Profile

Ontario | Limestone: Glacier Erosion and Mineral Rich Soil

Ontario | Niagara: Great Lakes Effect

Ontario | Niagara: Topography and Soil

Soil types in the Niagara wine growing region

Cross section of the Niagara Peninsula

» Made from grapes naturally frozen

on the vine

» Low yields: 10 Icewine grapes = 1

ml Icewine

» Most common varieties: Vidal,

Riesling, Cabernet Franc

» Small lots: Gewurztraminer,

Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon

» First made in British Columbia in

1978

» First made in Ontario in 1984 and

produced every year since

» Made in every region, 90% from

Ontario

» Average annual production ~1

million litres.

Canada | Icewine

Canada | British Columbia

• Grape growing and winemaking date back

to 1800s with sacramental wine grown in

Kelowna

• Modern industry began in early 1990s with

vine pullout and replanting scheme under

the Canada US Free Trade Agreement

• 1990s: rapid growth of wineries and

vineyards; focus switch from whites to reds

• 2000s: High local demand for BC wine led

to continued growth

• The future: Maturing vines, focus on site

(sub-appellation), varieties and quality

British Columbia | Vineyards and Wineries

PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

British Columbia | Viticultural Areas

British Columbia | White Varieties

British Columbia | Red Varieties

British Columbia | Growing Degree Days

British Columbia | Rain Shadow

• Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys lie in a rain shadow between the

Coastal and Monashee mountain ranges

• Oliver to the Canada-US border is the northern most tip of the Sonoran

Desert, extending south to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico

• Very low annual precipitation (rain and snow) ranging between 318 mm

(12 inches) in Osoyoos and 415 mm (16 inches) in Kelowna, 100 km (62

miles) to the north

• A unique climate best described as a SHORT, HOT, GROWING SEASON

with desert-like conditions

Industry Associations:

• winebc.com / winebc.org

• winecountryontario.ca

• winesofnovascotia.ca

• vinsduquebec.com

• viquebec.com

• canadianvintners.com

VQA Regulatory Bodies:

• bcvqa.ca

• vqaontario.com

Grape Growers:

• grapegrowers.bc.ca

• grapegrowersofontario.com

Canada | Resources