OH CANADA, IT’S OUR TIME TO SHINE
Confident growers have allowed us to find our mojo in the vineyards and wineries
The Vancouver International Wine Festival turns 39 this year, and in tune with the nation’s 150th birthday the 2017 festival will celebrate Canada as its theme country.
It’s quite an honour for Canadian producers who were not a part of the first few festivals (mostly because there wasn’t all that much going on in Canadian wine back in 1979.) All of that has changed over the last four decades.
A large part of the rise of Canadian wine can be attributed to the festival and its role in developing a strong culture of wine in B.C., and after decades of welcoming the world of wine to Vancouver, local producers find themselves in the middle of one of the most diverse wine markets in the world.
Over the last decade, Canadian wine producers have taken on the role of explaining winemaking from the vineyard to bottle for locals, further enriching the story of wine and ensuring its future.
A total of 76 wineries from British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia will attend the festival, and almost one third are making their festival debut. They will all be in the tasting room and many will take part in more than 20 special events, including winery dinners, seminars, an opening wine party, and a gigantic grazing lunch featuring every one.
In many ways the timing for our producers is perfect. Aided by a warming planet and a confident young cadre of wine growers wanting to make wines with a sense of place, we have finally begun to explore the real potential of Canadian wine.
There are now more than 700 wineries across the country with around 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) under vine, and what is really interesting is many new vineyards now fall outside the traditional or historically planted areas such as the Niagara Peninsula or Okanagan Valley.
What we are is different. We are true cool climate. We are 3,200 miles (5,000 km) wide. We are a mix of cultures, and our vineyards lands are as varied as any in the world.
In the tasting room this year you can meet growers from the Gaspereau Valley in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward County, Niagara Peninsula, Okanagan Valley, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, and more — and you can expect no two places to be alike. We are beginning to abandon the love affair with making wine the same way they do in France or Italy or California, and the results have been stunning.
Here in B.C., Kamloops, Lillooet, Shuswap and Thompson Valley are all growing grapes, hoping to be the next Okanagan.
In general, Canadian wines are more transparent, fresher and food friendly than they have ever been, and I have every reason to believe these changes will be permanent as we move forward. In many ways we have found our mojo in the vineyards and the wineries, and the next decade will be one of refinement and adventure for many Canadian producers.
For the moment Chardonnay, Riesling and sparkling wine lead a long line of whites although we suspect Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne will find a home somewhere in the west while the most talked about reds are Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Franc, with some recent hope for Merlot.
Certainly you will have the opportunity to taste just about everything made in the country during festival week and it’s our time to shine.
It’s not all Canada at the festival. The weeklong show will host winery principals representing 181 wineries from 16 countries spread across 55 events over eight days. Attendance will reach upwards of 25,000 attendees and participants.
The heart of the festival remains inside the International Festival Tastings room at the Vancouver Convention Centre, where 775+ wines are available for sampling, with an additional 170 wines available at trade tastings.
Ticket holders have the added opportunity to shop at the onsite B.C. Liquor Store and buy just about any wine served at the show.
The ancillary events including a gala dinner and auction; wine seminars; and food and wine dinners at city restaurants and hotels all week (many are already sold out).
For an up-to the minute guide of tickets and events still available log onto vanwinefest.ca
See you in the room.