Vintners Quality Alliance
Encyclopedia
Vintners Quality Alliance, or VQA, is a regulatory and appellation
system which guarantees the high quality and authenticity of origin for Canadian wine
s made under that system in British Columbia
and Ontario
. It is similar to regulatory systems in France (AOC), Italy (DOC
), and Germany (QmP). The VQA system allows for sub-appellations, by which the grapes for wines are sourced from extremely specific geographical locations with different soil and climate. This is in accordance with the concept of terroir
.
In addition, there are other classifications of wine in Canada. British Columbia has a category known as "Wines of Distinction" which must also be 100 percent of British Columbia origin. Cellared in Canada
is a completely separate category.
grape variety and approved hybrid varieties
. In British Columbia, VQA wines are made primarily with vinifera grapes, while Ontario uses a range of vinifera varieties and notably permits the use of Vidal, particularly in the production of some of Canada's icewines.
VQA wines may be made with grapes from relatively small agricultural yields per vine (which increases quality), they meet specific sugar or brix
levels at harvest, and the use of additives is regulated. There are also standards regulating the use of certain types of packaging and closures. To receive the VQA designation, wine must undergo testing by the regulating bodies. There is no standard location on the bottle for the VQA logo.
There are no sub-appellations in the province of British Columbia.
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...
system which guarantees the high quality and authenticity of origin for Canadian wine
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...
s made under that system in 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...
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. It is similar to regulatory systems in France (AOC), Italy (DOC
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...
), and Germany (QmP). The VQA system allows for sub-appellations, by which the grapes for wines are sourced from extremely specific geographical locations with different soil and climate. This is in accordance with the concept of terroir
Terroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
.
In addition, there are other classifications of wine in Canada. British Columbia has a category known as "Wines of Distinction" which must also be 100 percent of British Columbia origin. Cellared in Canada
Cellared in Canada
Cellared in Canada is a term used to designate Canadian wine that is produced with varying quantities of Canadian and foreign bulk wine. These wines are often sold in government-run liquor stores in sections designated as "Canadian wine"...
is a completely separate category.
Requirements
In addition to the requirements regarding sources of grapes, VQA wines may be made from Vitis viniferaVitis 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....
grape variety and approved hybrid varieties
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...
. In British Columbia, VQA wines are made primarily with vinifera grapes, while Ontario uses a range of vinifera varieties and notably permits the use of Vidal, particularly in the production of some of Canada's icewines.
VQA wines may be made with grapes from relatively small agricultural yields per vine (which increases quality), they meet specific sugar or brix
Brix
Degrees Brix is the sugar content of an aqueous solution.One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution and represents the strength of the solution as percentage by weight . If the solution contains dissolved solids other than pure sucrose, then the °Bx is only approximate the...
levels at harvest, and the use of additives is regulated. There are also standards regulating the use of certain types of packaging and closures. To receive the VQA designation, wine must undergo testing by the regulating bodies. There is no standard location on the bottle for the VQA logo.
Ontario appellations and sub-appellations
Total production for Ontario appellation wines is approximately 20,000 tonnes.- Regional Appellations:
- Regional Appellation - Lake ErieLake ErieLake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
North Shore - Regional Appellation - Pelee Island
- Regional Appellation - Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County WinePrince Edward County Wine is produced in Prince Edward County located in south eastern part of southern Ontario, the most southerly part of Canada. Prince Edward County was designated as the fourth and newest Designated Viticultural Area in Ontario in 2007...
- Regional Appellation - Niagara PeninsulaNiagara PeninsulaThe 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...
(includes all appellations below, Canada's largest)- Collective sub-appellation - Niagara EscarpmentNiagara EscarpmentThe Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...
(includes the 3 sub-appellations below)- Sub-appellation - Short Hills BenchShort Hills BenchThe Short Hills Bench is a sub-appellation of the Niagara Peninsula .-Flora and fauna:A Carolinian Climatic Zone, the Short Hills Bench has been acknowledged for its unique soils, topography and climate by the governing body of wine production, the Vintners Quality AllianceOntario and by the...
- Sub-appellation - Twenty Mile Bench
- Sub-appellation - BeamsvilleBeamsville, OntarioThe community of Beamsville is part of the town of Lincoln in the province of Ontario in Canada. It is located along the southern shore of Lake Ontario and lies within the fruit belt of the Niagara Peninsula...
Bench
- Sub-appellation - Short Hills Bench
- Collective sub-appellation - Niagara-on-the-LakeNiagara-on-the-LakeNiagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
(includes the 4 sub-appellations immediately below)- Sub-appellation - Niagara RiverNiagara RiverThe Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
- Sub-appellation - Niagara Lakeshore
- Sub-appellation - Four Mile Creek
- Sub-appellation - St. David’s Bench
- Sub-appellation - Niagara River
- Sub-appellation - Vinemount Ridge
- Sub-appellation - Creek Shores
- Sub-appellation - LincolnLincoln, OntarioLincoln is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. The town's administrative and commercial centre is in the community of Beamsville.-Geography:...
Lakeshore
- Collective sub-appellation - Niagara Escarpment
- Regional Appellation - Lake Erie
British Columbia appellations
(total production for 2006 20,000+ tons)-
- Regional Appellation - Okanagan Valley
- Regional Appellation - Similkameen Valley
- Regional Appellation - Fraser ValleyFraser ValleyThe Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
- Regional Appellation - Vancouver IslandVancouver IslandVancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
- Regional Appellation - Gulf IslandsGulf IslandsThe Gulf Islands are the islands in the Strait of Georgia , between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada....
There are no sub-appellations in the province of British Columbia.
Regulatory
- British Columbia Wine Institute (the regulatory role is being transferred to the new British Columbia Wine Authority, which will be a government body).
- Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario www.vqaontario.ca, is a regulatory agency of the Province of Ontario that administers the Ontario VQA Act.
Other organizations
- B.C. Grape Growers Association (represent independent growers).
- Association of B.C. Winegrowers (represents smaller and fruit wineries).
- Grape Growers of Ontario (represent growers and negotiate the prices of grapes).
- Ontario Wine Producers Association