A Tourist's Guide to Canadian Wine
A Beginners look at Canada’s best Wines, Wineries and Regions
May 4, 2009
When you think of the world's great wine producing nations, Canada may not immediately come to mind. But with the Okanagan wine Region being set against the inspiring backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, and the Niagara Peninsula wine Region, of which the town of Niagara on the Lake is a sub appellation, and which is only minutes away from the world-famous waterfalls, the settings are just right. And there’s more to Canadian wine than fabulous surroundings, as the country is one of the world’s major producers of the rare and sought after ‘Icewine’.
The Wine Styles
Icewine
Canada is one of the world's leading producers of the rare and complex 'Icewine', which is made from grapes frozen by winter ice and snow. The frozen grapes are picked and pressed generating a small amount of juice that is high in sugar content. Thus you get a dessert style wine that, while rare and expensive, is luscious in its sweet, concentrated flavour. Canada's wine industry has made its reputation from its successful production of Icewine, and is the world's most prolific producer of the style along with Germany.
Whites and Reds
Canada’s cooler climate is idea for producing white wines such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, and they produce many complex, well-balanced whites. As for red, try the notoriously tricky Pinot Noir variety, which tends to flourish in cooler climates.
Okanagan Valley
Boasting over 60 wineries and a summer climate similar to France’s Bordeaux region, Okanagan Valley is a great place for scenic wine touring, giving tourists the best saturation of big-name wineries in Canada.
Geography: The region is located in southern central British Columbia; a few hours drive east of Vancouver and nestled in the shadow of the glorious Rocky Mountains.
Accommodation: The Okanagan region can be best experienced using either Kelowna or Osoyoos as a base. Here is a decent map of the region and its wineries.
Major wineries in the Okanagan Valley include:
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- rong style="">Ne Close to the town of Niagara on the Lake, in the Niagara Peninsula Region, there are 21 small wineries clustered close together, offering Niagara’s tourists a change of pace from the mini-Vegas that is the Falls. The area has unique climatic conditions that make it a very small parcel of land ideal for grape cultivation.Geogrch smaller than the Okanagan Valley and the surrounding wine regions of British Columbia, Niagara-on-the-Lake has the advantage of being well-positioned near one of Canada’s biggest tourist draw cards – Niagara Falls.Accom> Located only twenty-minutes from the Falls and just over an hour south of Toronto. If you wish to get away from the tourist noise of Niagara Falls, stay in the cosy town itself. Or can be an afternoon driving trip from Niagara.MNiagara include:
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