Canada
Despite it's colder climate,
the forecast for Canadian wine country is very promising. It isn't too
cold for vineyards, if they're planted in the right place.
The cold winters, northern
latitude, and erratic frost and thaw cycles of spring make it necessary
to plant the vineyards near large bodies of water, which serve to moderate
the temperature extremes. The vineyards of Ontario benefit from the
location near Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and those in the west, ing
British Columbia depend on Okanagan Lake and the Pacific Ocean.
Ontario is Canada's largest
wine producing region, with three distinct growing areas; the Niagara
Peninsula, the north shore of Lake Erie, and Pelee Island. Ontario also
has Canada's longest wine history, dating back to 1886.
British Columbia's main wine
growing area is the Okanagan Valley, which produces 90 percent of the
area's wine. This area benefits from the rain shadow of the Cascade
Mountains, and the dry arid winds from the United States. Wine is also
produced in the Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island.
Canada's best known white
wines are Chardonnay, Riseling, and Gewurztraminer. Red wines include
Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Gamay. Canada's
specialty, however, is ice wine, where the slow-ripening, super-ripe
grapes are left on the vine until frozen. The grapes are then pressed,
and the ice discarded, which leaves a drop or two of concentrated sweetness
from each grape. The wine's natural sweetness is balanced with a clean
acidity.
