Okanagan Valley (wine region)
Encyclopedia
The Okanagan Valley is a Canadian wine
region located in the British Columbia
region of the Okanagan
. Along with the nearby Similkameen Valley, the approximately 4000 hectares (10,000 acres) of vineyards planted in the Okanagan account for more than 90% of all wine produced in British Columbia and after the Niagara Peninsula
of Ontario is Canada
's second leading wine producer. Vineyards can be found all along the 113 km (70.2 mi) Lake Okanagan and many of its neighbouring lakes, including Osoyoos Lake
, Skaha Lake
and Vaseux Lake
. The Okanagan has diverse terrain that features many different microclimates and vineyard soil types.
The history of wine production in the Okanagan dates back to the 1850s with the establishment of Okanagan Mission and the planting of grapevines to supply sacramental wines. In the early 20th century, prohibition in Canada
wiped out many of the Okanagan's earliest wineries and the commercial wine industry in the area was not revived until the 1930s. From this time, till the mid-1970s, the Okanagan wine industry was based entirely on the production of fruit wines and those produced from hybrid grapes
. The first commercial plantings of vinifera came in 1975 when the Osoyoos Indian Band
established Inkameep Vineyards (today Nk'mip Cellars).
. Several small vineyards, planted mostly with Vitis labrusca
sprang up until prohibition encouraged the uprooting and replanting with other agricultural crops. For most of the 20th century after prohibition, what limited wine production that took place in the Okanagan was mostly fruit wines made from berries, apples, cherries or even table grapes. One winery, Calona Wines founded in 1932, still remains from that period and is the oldest continuously running winery in British Columbia. Eventually the use of French-American hybrid grapes, such as Marechal Foch
and Vidal Blanc
took hold, led by the Stewarts of Quails' Gate Estate Winery.
In the mid-1970s, several growers began experimenting with plantings of Vitis vinifera
. The Osoyoos Indian band established the first commercial vineyard dedicated to vinifera varieties with plantings of Riesling, Ehrenfelser and Scheurebe. In 1976, notable German viticulturalist and grape breeder Helmut Becker visited the Okanagan and encouraged more growers to consider planting German grape varieties and provided clones of Pinot Blanc
, Pinot Gris
and Gewürtztraminer that were developed at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute and bred to withstand the cold, winter temperatures of the Okanagan. Further impetus for the planting of vinifera came in the late 1980s when Canada entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement
that opened up the Canadian markets to American wines from California, Oregon and Washington. The competition from imported wines spurred the Canadian government to implement a vine pulling scheme with grants for growers who uprooted their hybrid and labrusca vines and replaced them with vinifera.
between the 49th
and 50th parallel north
, putting it in the same latitude with the European wine regions of Champagne and Rheingau.
While not, officially, yet divided into sub-appellations
, the British Columbia Wine Institute list five sub-regions of the Okanagan-Kelowna
, Naramata, Okanagan Falls, Golden Mile and Black Sage/Osoyoos.
The Okanagan has a continental climate that is moderated by the deep Lake Okanagan. The Cascade and Coast Mountains create a rain shadow
effect shared by adjoining areas of Eastern Washington
. This leaves the Okanagan with low annual precipitation totals that range from 150 millimetres in the southern tip of the region around Osoyoos to 300 millimetres in the northern part of the region between Kelowna and Vernon. This means most vineyards require irrigation from nearby water sources Like many wine regions with continental climates, the Okanagan experiences cold winters, with temperatures that can fall as low as -25°C, and bring the risk of frost
damage to the vines. However, the last winter to cause severe frost damage in the vines was 1978.
The average temperatures during the growing season months of July and August can be very warm with daytime temperatures reaching 40°C and often staying above 30°C for several days. The region's northerly latitude allows the vines to experience longer hours of daylight than the more southerly vineyards of California receive with late June seeing daybreak around 5 am and sunlight still present as late as 10:30 pm.
, Cabernet Sauvignon
, Pinot noir
, Pinot gris
, Chardonnay
, Auxerrois
, Marechal Foch
and Cabernet Franc
. Additionally many German varieties are still found throughout the Okanagan including Riesling
, Gewürztraminer
, Bacchus, Optima
, Ehrenfelser
, Kerner
, Seigfried Rebe. In the 21st century, growers have been planting more warm climate varieties typically not associated with the Canadian wine industry. Recent plantings include Sangiovese
, Syrah, Tempranillo
, Pinotage
, Malbec
, Barbera
and Zinfandel
.
Canadian wine
Canadian wine is produced in mainly southern British Columbia and southern Ontario. There is also a growing number of small scale producers of grapes and wine in southern Quebec and Nova Scotia. The two largest wine-producing regions in Canada are the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia and the...
region located in the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
region of the Okanagan
Okanagan
The Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2009, the region's population is approximately 350,927. The...
. Along with the nearby Similkameen Valley, the approximately 4000 hectares (10,000 acres) of vineyards planted in the Okanagan account for more than 90% of all wine produced in British Columbia and after the Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
of Ontario is Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's second leading wine producer. Vineyards can be found all along the 113 km (70.2 mi) Lake Okanagan and many of its neighbouring lakes, including Osoyoos Lake
Osoyoos Lake
Osoyoos Lake is a lake located in British Columbia and Washington. Osoyoos is derived from the word suius meaning "narrowing of the waters" in the local Okanagan language ....
, Skaha Lake
Skaha Lake
Skaha Lake, historically known as Dog Lake and originally Lac Du Chien, is a freshwater lake located along the course of the Okanagan River in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. It has a surface area of approximately 20 km², with a maximum depth of 55 metres...
and Vaseux Lake
Vaseux Lake
Vaseux Lake is a freshwater lake located along th course of the Okanagan River in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The lake has the towns Okanagan Falls to the north, and Oliver to the south. The lake stage is controlled by McIntyre Dam...
. The Okanagan has diverse terrain that features many different microclimates and vineyard soil types.
The history of wine production in the Okanagan dates back to the 1850s with the establishment of Okanagan Mission and the planting of grapevines to supply sacramental wines. In the early 20th century, prohibition in Canada
Prohibition in Canada
The temperance movement reached its height in Canada in the 1920s, when outside imports were cut off by provincial referendums. As legislation prohibiting consumption of alcohol was repealed, it was typically replaced with regulation restricting the sale of alcohol to minors and imposing excise...
wiped out many of the Okanagan's earliest wineries and the commercial wine industry in the area was not revived until the 1930s. From this time, till the mid-1970s, the Okanagan wine industry was based entirely on the production of fruit wines and those produced from hybrid grapes
Hybrid grapes
Hybrid grapes are grape varieties that are the product of a crossing of two or more Vitis species. This is in contrast to crossings between grape varieties of the same species, typically Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine. Hybrid grapes are also referred to as inter-specific crossings...
. The first commercial plantings of vinifera came in 1975 when the Osoyoos Indian Band
Osoyoos Indian Band
The Osoyoos Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the town of Osoyoos in the Okanagan valley, about four kilometres north of the International Border. They are a member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance...
established Inkameep Vineyards (today Nk'mip Cellars).
History
The first vineyard planted in the Okanagan was at the Oblate Mission in Kelowna in 1859, planted by French Catholic priest Charles Pandosy and was solely intended for the production of sacramental wine for the celebration of the EucharistEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. Several small vineyards, planted mostly with Vitis labrusca
Vitis labrusca
Vitis labrusca is a species of grapevines belonging to the Vitis genus in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The vines are native to the eastern United States and are the source of many grape cultivars, including Catawba and Concord grapes, and many hybrid grape varieties such as Agawam,...
sprang up until prohibition encouraged the uprooting and replanting with other agricultural crops. For most of the 20th century after prohibition, what limited wine production that took place in the Okanagan was mostly fruit wines made from berries, apples, cherries or even table grapes. One winery, Calona Wines founded in 1932, still remains from that period and is the oldest continuously running winery in British Columbia. Eventually the use of French-American hybrid grapes, such as Marechal Foch
Marechal Foch
Marechal Foch , is an inter-specific hybrid red wine grape variety. It was named after the French marshal Ferdinand Foch , who played an important role in the negotiation of the armistice terms during the closing of the First World War. It was developed in Alsace, France by grape hybridizer...
and Vidal Blanc
Vidal Blanc
Vidal Blanc is an inter-specific hybrid variety of white wine grape, a cross of Ugni Blanc and Rayon d'Or . It manages to produce high sugar levels in cold climates while maintaining good acid levels....
took hold, led by the Stewarts of Quails' Gate Estate Winery.
In the mid-1970s, several growers began experimenting with plantings of Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
. The Osoyoos Indian band established the first commercial vineyard dedicated to vinifera varieties with plantings of Riesling, Ehrenfelser and Scheurebe. In 1976, notable German viticulturalist and grape breeder Helmut Becker visited the Okanagan and encouraged more growers to consider planting German grape varieties and provided clones of Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
, Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
and Gewürtztraminer that were developed at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute and bred to withstand the cold, winter temperatures of the Okanagan. Further impetus for the planting of vinifera came in the late 1980s when Canada entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
that opened up the Canadian markets to American wines from California, Oregon and Washington. The competition from imported wines spurred the Canadian government to implement a vine pulling scheme with grants for growers who uprooted their hybrid and labrusca vines and replaced them with vinifera.
2010 Mudslides
In June 2010, several vineyards in the southern Okanagan near Oliver were devastated by a dam failure that released 20,000 cubic meters of water, triggering a mudslide with a 180 metre wide swath of debris that extended over kilometres of vineyards and shut down the major roadway through the area. More than 16 hectares of vineyards were damaged by over 240,000 cubic metres of mud and rock.Geography and climate
The region is located 160 kilometres north from the US border with Washington state and 400 kilometres east of VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
between the 49th
49th parallel north
The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
and 50th parallel north
50th parallel north
The 50th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 50 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
, putting it in the same latitude with the European wine regions of Champagne and Rheingau.
While not, officially, yet divided into sub-appellations
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...
, the British Columbia Wine Institute list five sub-regions of the Okanagan-Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
, Naramata, Okanagan Falls, Golden Mile and Black Sage/Osoyoos.
The Okanagan has a continental climate that is moderated by the deep Lake Okanagan. The Cascade and Coast Mountains create a rain shadow
Rain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...
effect shared by adjoining areas of Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the portion of the U.S. state of Washington east of the Cascade Range. The region contains the city of Spokane , the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the...
. This leaves the Okanagan with low annual precipitation totals that range from 150 millimetres in the southern tip of the region around Osoyoos to 300 millimetres in the northern part of the region between Kelowna and Vernon. This means most vineyards require irrigation from nearby water sources Like many wine regions with continental climates, the Okanagan experiences cold winters, with temperatures that can fall as low as -25°C, and bring the risk of frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
damage to the vines. However, the last winter to cause severe frost damage in the vines was 1978.
The average temperatures during the growing season months of July and August can be very warm with daytime temperatures reaching 40°C and often staying above 30°C for several days. The region's northerly latitude allows the vines to experience longer hours of daylight than the more southerly vineyards of California receive with late June seeing daybreak around 5 am and sunlight still present as late as 10:30 pm.
Grape varieties and wine styles
Nearly every style of wine is produced across the whole spectrum of sweetness levels that include still, sparkling, fortified and dessert wines--most notably ice wines. There are more than 60 grape varieties grown in the Okanagan including MerlotMerlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Pinot noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
, Pinot gris
Pinot gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
, Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, Auxerrois
Auxerrois
Auxerrois is a historical province of France. Named after the city of Auxerre in Burgundy, it gives its name to several grape varieties:* Auxerrois Blanc is a white wine grape that is widely grown in Alsace, and also in Lorraine, Germany and Luxembourg...
, Marechal Foch
Marechal Foch
Marechal Foch , is an inter-specific hybrid red wine grape variety. It was named after the French marshal Ferdinand Foch , who played an important role in the negotiation of the armistice terms during the closing of the First World War. It was developed in Alsace, France by grape hybridizer...
and Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
. Additionally many German varieties are still found throughout the Okanagan including Riesling
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
, Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is an aromatic wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz, and in French it is written '...
, Bacchus, Optima
Optima (grape)
Optima is a white wine grape that was created by viticulturalist Peter Morio at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding in the Palatinate in 1930. Morio crossed a Riesling x Silvaner cross with Müller-Thurgau. The Riesling x Silvaner is sometimes mentioned as Rieslaner, but more often just...
, Ehrenfelser
Ehrenfelser
Ehrenfelser is a white wine grape variety of German origin. It was created by Dr. Heinrich Birk at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in 1929, by crossing the varieties Riesling and Silvaner, with the identification of Silvaner being somewhat uncertain.Ehrenfelser is grown primarily in the...
, Kerner
Kerner (grape)
The Kerner grape is an aromatic white grape variety. It was bred in 1929 by August Herold by crossing Trollinger and Riesling. Herold was working at a plant breeding station in Lauffen in the Württemberg region of Germany. This station belonged to a state breeding institute headquartered in...
, Seigfried Rebe. In the 21st century, growers have been planting more warm climate varieties typically not associated with the Canadian wine industry. Recent plantings include Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...
, Syrah, Tempranillo
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano , a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks...
, Pinotage
Pinotage
Pinotage is a red wine grape that is South Africa's signature variety. It was bred there in 1925 as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut...
, Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
, Barbera
Barbera
Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy . It produces good yields and is known for deep color, low tannins and high levels of acid...
and Zinfandel
Zinfandel
Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California vineyards. DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, and also the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in Puglia , where it was introduced in the 18th century...
.