Canadian Wine Offers

Canadian Wines

If you asked most people to name the drink Canada is most famous for they'd probably cite either a whiskey or beer.

They would need a lot of prodding if you wanted to elicit wine as an answer. But, given the enormous French heritage that is part of Canada, it is really no surprise that it has a very successful and thriving wine market and some wonderful wineries. In size terms, it doesn't match counterparts south of the border in the USA, and is dwarfed by the likes of California, but is large nevertheless.

What you should know about Canadian Wine

Despite being the world's secondest largest country, Canadian wine is seldom seen on the international wine stage and has relatively small production for its size. Many regions are quite inhospitable with extreme cold in the winter or wildfires and extreme heat in the summer.

Wine production is concentrated in two key provinces, Ontario (chiefly in Niagara Peninsula) and British Columbia (chiefly in Okanagan Valley). There are small amounts in Nova Scotia and Quebec but you'd be lucky to find them anywhere but locally.

As for wines styles, they are very mixed as you would expect from a country that has nearly two thousand miles of land separating its two main wine regions. Canada's most famous wine is the sweet dessert Icewine, that was brought over by German immigrants who wanted to continue their Eiswein traditions. Production in Canada is now larger than in Germany. However, despite being most well-known internationally, Icewine is only a small part of Canada's wine production. In recent years there has been a real push to diversify and premiumise their wine production, with the aim of gaining a reputation for quality on the international stage for both still and sparkling. They are succeeding.

A Brief History of Canadian Wine

It wasn't until the worst of colonial preassure and war between the French and British was over that wine production began in earnest in Canada in the early 19th Century. Some vineyard land is contested today with First Nation People's having claims to land now used for cultivating vines.

The inital vines were American varieties that were hardier against the harsh climate. French hybrids were introduced in the early 1900s, the most famous of which is Vidal Blanc that is used in many Icewines today. It has only been since the 1980s that Canadian winemakers shifted away from hybrids and began to look at the European grapes we are more familiar with, and generally better suited to wine.

At this time, the introduction of the Canadian appellation system, the Vintners Quality Alliance, and a US-Canada trade deal were instrumental in turning the focus towards quality.

Key Grape Varieties Of Canada

• Hybrids: Hybrids still make up around 40% of harvest volume, and are mainly found in Ontario. These include Vidal, Seyval Blanc and Baco Noir. Vidal makes the majority of Icewine making sweet wines with stone fruit and tropical notes such as mango and pineapple.
• Major white grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Gewurztraminer.
• Major red grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah

Major Canadian Wine Regions

Ontario

• Niagara Peninsula
• Lake Erie North Shore
• Prince Edward County

British Columbia

• Okanagan Valley
• Similkameen Valley
• Coastal regions: Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and Fraser Valley