British Columbia

Canada's Most Western Province

Canada's most western province, its coastline bordering on the Pacific Ocean. A land of diversity ranging from coastal beaches to the mountain ranges of the Rockies and Coastal Mountains. From big cities (Vancouver, Victoria) to the small charming towns of Vancouver Island coastal inlets and the interior. The province is known for tourism, ski resorts, fishing, orchards, natural wildlife, spectacular forests, and wine.

BC's total land and freshwater area is 95 million hectares, larger than France and Germany combined. Only 30 countries are larger. British Columbia occupies about 10 per cent of Canada's land surface. The Okanagan Valley in central British Columbia is the largest and oldest grape growing region in BC. The region has seen a dramatic increase in its production of red wine.

Recent years have seen the development of other areas besides the now famous Okanagan. These include the Similkameen Valley, Vancouver and the Gulf Islands, along with the Fraser Valley in the Lower Mainland of the Vancouver area.

Enjoy the wines of British Columbia. For additional information about BC Wine Standards


BC Wine Industry at a Glance (2009) Number of wineries - 164 grape wine wineries

• Five wine regions (designated viticultural areas) - Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley,


• Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands


• Number of vineyards - 710 (wineries and independent growers)


• Grape varietals produced - 60+


• Top ten varietals (by acreage planted) - Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay,
  Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah (Shiraz)


• Ratio of White to Red - 49% to 51%


• 2007 wine production - 13,394,757 litres (estimated)

wine regions (designated viticultural areas)*

Fraser Valley
Vancouver Island
Gulf Islands
Okanagan
Off the Beaten Path

We have divided the Okanagan into regions based on Climate and soil conditions

Osoyoos Lake Bench ~ The Golden Mile ~ Black Sage Road ~ Okanagan Falls ~ Skaha Lake ~ Naramata Bench

Summerland and Peachland ~ Mount Boucherie ~ Kelowna and Lake Country~Northern ~ Simillkameen Valley ~ Kootenays

Number of vineyards*

700 plus (wineries and independent growers)

Ratio of White to Red 48% to 52% ~ 2006 wine production 12,221,400 litres (estimated)*

* all information provided by The British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI). The BCWI was created by an act of the provincial legislature, the BC Wine Act, in 1990. For more information about British Columbia's Wine standards please click here

History: In 1931, Calona Vineyards opened as the first commercial winery in the Okanagan. For more on history of BC click here

Be a page Sponsor

e-mail to ask how you can be a page sponsor