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The Olympics Meet Wine in Vancouver
Sip and swirl while watching athletes flip and twirl.
by Mike Supple
published: 17 Feb 2010 | Comments
When most people think of Canada, wine is not the first thing that pops into their heads. Unless of course they're full of fierce Canadian pride.
Contrary to what American filmmakers would have us believe, not all of Canada is a frozen ice wasteland filled with empty cans of Molson. The different provinces actually have very diverse climates, and large bodies of water, mountains and even deserts create the right climates for growing high quality wine grapes.
Of the many areas growing grapes in and around Vancouver, the two most famous - and commercially successful - are the Okanagan Valley and Vancouver Island. And of these, the Okanagan Valley is currently the reigning champion. It is British Columbia's oldest and main grape-growing region, with well over 100 wineries in operation. It has been growing in popularity over the last decade, attracting winemakers from France, Australia, California, New Zealand and more.
Latitudinally speaking (yes, that's now a word), the Okanagan Valley lies in the same area as some of the northern French and German vineyards. While these European vineyards are classified as "cool-climate," parts of the Okanagan actually get quite warm, allowing for a larger range of grapes to be grown. The warmer southern part of the valley is home to internationally famous warm- and cool-climate varieties like Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, while the northern part favors only the cooler-climate varieties like Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer.
In addition to producing classic dry wines, the Okanagan Valley is arguably the most famous region in the world outside of Germany for producing excellent icewine (or eiswein). While copied in many regions of the world and often done artificially using cryogenically frozen grapes, true icewine is expensive and difficult to make, with Mother Nature playing the key role.
Icewine harvests can only take place when the grapes become frozen solid while they are still on the vine. This occurs when temperatures reach around -18° F (-8° C for our Canadian readers). Typically this does not happen until November or December, meaning the grapes must be left on the vine to ripen at least a month longer than the grapes harvested for dry wines. This extra ripening time increases the sugar and the concentration of flavors within the grapes, but it also gives nature more time to attack the berries with diseases.
The grapes must be harvested and crushed while still frozen, so the winery equipment must be outdoors or the winery itself must be open to the freezing winter elements. Much of the water in the grapes remains frozen during the crushing, so only the highly concentrated syrupy juice is pressed out. After fermentation, the end result is a naturally sweet, rich and intensely concentrated wine.
Whether you're a sweet or dry fan, the wines of British Columbia surely have something to offer. So grab a corkscrew, put on your lucky snow pants and cheer your favorite curling team on to victory.
