Canada Flashcards
How many ha under vine does the country have in total?
12,500 ha
In what two regions is the majority of grapes grown?
- Niagara Peninsula (Ontario)
- Okanagan Valley (British Columbia)
What is Canada famous for? How did this style evolve? How much of production does it represent?
- Ice wine
- German immigrants
- Represents only small amount of production
What is Canada looking to build a reputation for?
High quality drys still wines and sparkling wines
Climate
What is the climate in the majority of Canadian wine producing regions and where are vineyards planted?
- Extreme continental climate
- Summer: temps can regularly exceed 30°C
- Winter: temps of below –20°C
- Most vineyards planted near lakes
Climate
What effects do the lakes have where most vineyards are located?
- During winter: reduced risk of winter freeze
- During spring: delayed budbreak (low risk of spring frost)
- During summer and autumn: extends growing season
- Risk: higher levels of humidity -> risk of fungal disease
Climate
How are vines protected from extreme temps in winter?
- Moisture from lake evaporates, meets ambient cold air and produces precipitation in the form of snow -> insulates vines
- Growers may bury their wines (expensive!)
Climate
Besides temperature and fungal diseases, what other problem regularly occurs?
- Drought (esp. in British Columbia)
- Often irrigation systems installed
Vineyard management
What is the current state of the viticulture industry and how are humid conditions managed and what training systems are used?
- Very advanced (up-to-date technology)
- Careful canopy management
- VSP as most common training system
Vineyard management
How does the length of the growing season compare to other wine growing regions?
- Significantly shorter
- Budbreak in May and harvest in August common
Grape varieties
How much of grape growing is with hybrids, where are they mostly grown and for what are they used?
- 40% (in 2018)
- Ontario
- Mostly Canadian Blends and not VQA wines
Grape varieties
What is the most important hybrid and its characteristics? (variety, type of wines, characteristics, aromas, ageing)
- Vidal
- Can withstand harsh winters
- High acidity, slow ripening and thick skins -> suitable for sweet late-harvest wines and Icewine
- Not as much aromatic complexity and ageing potential as the finest Riesling Icewines
- Some stone and tropical fruit flavours
Grape varieties
What varieties are increasingly planted?
- Bordeaux varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Franc and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon)
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Aromatic white varieties such as Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Riesling
- Some Syrah, Viognier and Malbec
Grape varieties
What kind of acidity tend most Canadian wines to have?
High acidity
Icewine
What is Canada’s reputation? What has to happen to harvest the grapes? How are they harvested?
- World’s largest producer of Icewine
- Grapes must be harvested at –8°C or below
- Some harvest by hand, many now with machine
Icewine
Comment on fermentation, aromas, and potential varieties
- Fermentation often stops naturally at 9-11% abv, leaving 200-250 g/L of residual sugar
- Often in stainless steel, sometimes oak for extra flavors
- Best have intense aromas of stone and tropical fruits
- Varieties:
- Mostly from Vidal
- Best are produced from Riesling
- Other varieties are Cabernet Franc, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay
Icewine
What is the typical price and why?
- Premium to super-premium prices
- Low yields (10% of that of still wine)
- Dehydrated grapes
- Loss, damage, rot, animals before grapes can be harvested
Icewine
What is the export by volume and value?
- 13% by volume
- 58% by value
Icewine
How is the term protected?
- Protected by Canadian Vintner Association
- Rigorous standards of production
Wine Law and Regulations
What does VQA stand for?
Vintners Quality Alliance
Wine Law and Regulations
What are the regulations for VQA wines?
- Exclusively from grapes grown in the respective province
- 100% vinifera grapes or certain permitted hybrids
- Min must weights and chaptalization limits
- Wines are tested for eligibility through sensory evaluation panel and laboratory analysis
Wine Law and Regulations
What are the regulations for single varietal or double varietal wines?
- Single: 85% of that variety
- Double: 95% of both varieties
Wine Law and Regulations
How is a large portion of wines produced? How are these wines labeled?
- With imported must or wine (at least in part)
- Labeled “International blend from imported and domestic wines”
Ontario
Where is it located and with what old world regions does it share latitude? What is the climate?
- 41° to 44°N
- Similar to Central Italy and Bordeaux
- However, significantly different climate!
Ontario
What is the area under vine?
7,000 ha
Ontario
Where are vineyards located and what are climatic influences and their effect on grape growing?
- Vineyards mainly near the Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario)
- Moderate the extreme continental climate
- Cooling influence of lakes in summer retains medium(+) to high acidity
- Long sunshine hours -> ripe fruit flavors
Ontario
What is the soil?
- Wide variety of soils (clay and sand, and to a lesser extent gravel and rocks)
- Around lakes: high concentration of limestone
Ontario
What types of wine are produced?
- Icewine (90% of Canada’s production)
- Red & White
- Some Rosé
Ontario
What are the two most grown white varieties and describe the general style of the final wines (aromas, sweetness, acidity)
- Riesling
- Citrus, peach and floral aromas
- dry to sweet
- High acidity
- Chardonnay
- Apple and citrus (cooler), stone fruit and even tropical fruit (warmer sites)
- Medium(+) to high acidity
Ontario
What is the most planted black variety, for what styles of wine is it used (oak?) and what are the aromas?
- Cabernet Franc
- Elegant, fresh wines with red plum, red berry, green pepper and herbal notes
- Usually aged in oak
- Often in Bordeaux-style blends
- Can produce excellent Icewines
Ontario
Besides Cabernet Franc, what are other black varieties grown and describe the general style of the final wines (aromas, body)
- Merlot
- Used in Bordeaux-style blends
- Dark fruit
- Soft, medium-bodied
- Medium tannins
- Pinot Noir
- Red cherry and strawberry fruit
- Medium body
- Gamay Noir
- Fresh, red fruit
- Light body (some richer, oak-aged)
Ontario
Name two significant producers
- Inniskillin
- Peller Estates
Ontario
What is the general quality and price of wines?
- Good to very good quality (some outstanding)
- Dry wines typically mid- to premium priced
Ontario
What are the three primary appellations?
- Niagara Peninsula
- Lake Erie North Shore
- Prince Edward County
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula
Describe the soil and climate and what that means for the styles of wines produced
- Wide variety of soils and microclimates
- Range of style can be produced
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula
Where are the vineyards located?
- Close to the Lake Ontario
- Up to the steep slopes of the Niagara Escarpment
- Majority of vineyards on benches and slopes
- Some on the plain
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula
What are the main climatic influences and what are the effects?
- Lake and escarpment
- Warming air flow in winter and cooling air flow in summer (cool air flows down the slopes and then warm air rises)
- Prolong growing season and reduce risk of fungal disease and frosts
- Escarpment protects the area from south-westerly winds which can be bitterly cold in winter.
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula
What is the climate on top of the ridges of the Niagara Escarpment?
- More continental
- Warmer summer temperatures and colder winters
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula - Niagara Escarpment
Where are the vineyards located?
- Benches and gentle, northern slopes of the escarpment
- NOT the land nearer the lake
- NOT the plateau on top
- BUT in between
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula - Niagara Escarpment
What is the climate and what effect does it have on the final wine?
- Altitude and cooling lake breezes
- -> coolest part of the Peninsula
- High acidity
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula - Niagara Escarpment
What varieties are grown here?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Franc
- Riesling
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula - Niagara-on-the-Lake
Where is it located, what is the climate and what are climatic influences?
- Large flat area directly at Lake Ontario
- Slightly warmer than the slopes of the escarpment
- Not as cold nights and warmer autumns
Ontario - Niagara Peninsula - Niagara-on-the-Lake
What are the main grapes and what style of wines is it better suited to than the Niagara Escarpment?
- Chardonnay
- Riesling
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Franc
- Can produce Bordeaux style red blends
Ontario - Lake Erie North Shore
Where are vineyards located, what are climatic influences and what is different to Lake Ontario in Niagara Peninsula?
- Gently-sloping shoreline of Lake Erie
- Vineyards surrounded by water
- Moderates temps
- Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes
- -> warms up more quickly in spring but cools down more quickly in autumn
- -> winter freeze is more of a concern
Ontario - Lake Erie North Shore
Where is the region located and what is the climate compared to other regions in Ontario?
- South-west of the province
- Warmest
Ontario - Lake Erie North Shore
What varieties are mostly grown?
- Merlot
- Cabernet Franc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
Ontario - Lake Erie North Shore
How do the wines compare to Niagara Peninsula?
- More fruit
- Less structured
Ontario - Prince Edward County
Where is it located, what is the climate and climatic influences?
- Most northerly appellation at the eastern end of Lake Ontario
- Surrounded by water
- Fully exposed to winter winds
- Winter freeze is a regular concern -> vines protected through burying or covering
Ontario - Prince Edward County
Where are the vineyards located, what is the soil and what effect does it have on grape growing?
- Broad limestone plateau
- Stony topsoil
- -> radiates heat at night
- -> aids ripening
Ontario - Prince Edward County
What are the most grown varieties? What are characteristics of the final wine?
- Pinot Noir
- Chardonnay
- Extremely high acidity
British Columbia
How many ha under vine does it have?
4,200 ha
British Columbia
In general, what are the two distinct areas?
- Small number of vineyards close to the Pacific
- -> cool, maritime climate
- Main area is 400 km inland
- -> sheltered from maritime influence by mountains
British Columbia
Where is it located (latitude), what is the effect on grape growing and the final wine?
- 48°-51° N
- Shorter growing season but longer days
- High diurnal range (esp. inland)
- Ripe, fruit flavours with high acidity
British Columbia
What happened to the many hybrids that were previously planted?
- Late 1980s: radical vine pull scheme
- Reduced plantings by two-thirds
- Small amount of hybrids remain (notably Vidal for Icewine)
- Significant new plantings of international varieties
British Columbia
What are the three most grown black varieties and some characteristics of the final wines (aromas, tannin)
- Merlot (most planted)
- More full-bodied with higher tannins, higher alcohol and riper fruit flavors
- Pinot Noir
- Riper and fruitier with relatively high tannins
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Intensely fruity with high tannins and acidity and considerable ageing potential
British Columbia
What are the three most grown white varieties and some characteristics of the final wines (aromas, acidity, body)
- Pinot Gris (most planted)
- Melon and pear
- Dry or off-dry style
- Medium to high acidity
- Medium body
- Chardonnay (variety of styles)
- Riper, stone fruit, medium body
British Columbia
What is the typical quality and price of VQA wines?
- Good to very good (some outstanding)
- Mid- to premium priced
British Columbia
Name two significant producers
Le Vieux Pin and Mission Hill
British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
How much plantings does it have within British Columbia? (%)
85% of plantings
British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
Describe the climate in different areas of the region
- Wide range of different climates
- Northern end: Cool (one of the most northerly wine-producing areas in the world)
- South: Hot desert conditions
British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
What are the soils and rainfall and what does it mean regarding diseases and irrigation?
- Glacial deposits of various types, particularly loams, and become increasingly sandy in the south
- 300-400mm rainfall
- Pests and diseases not a problem
- Irrigation is essential
British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
What is the key moderating influence and what is the effect?
- Lakes that moderate temperatures
- Deep Okanagan Lake in northern half (most important one)
- Smaller and less effect than great Lakes in Ontario
- Provide water for irrigation
British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
Describe the general climate (incl. effects, risks, and altitude)
- Extreme continental climate
- Short growing season but long days
- Summers can be hot (up to 40°C)
- Spring frosts are a concern -> plantings on mid-level slopes to reduce the risk
- Altitude of 300-600m -> High diurnal range
British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
Describe the varieties grown in the north and south of the region
- North
- Pinot Noir
- Pinot Gris
- Riesling
- Chardonnay
- Gewürztraminer
- South
- Merlot
- Cabernet Franc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Syrah
British Columbia - Similkameen Valley
Where is it located, what is the climate and what are climatic influences?
- At southern end of Okanagan Valley
- High mountains funnel constant winds
- Similar climate to Okanagan Valley but no lakes
- Very hot summer days
- Altitude (400-500m) causes high diurnal range with cold nights
British Columbia - Similkameen Valley
What are the main varieties grown?
- Merlot
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Chardonnay
British Columbia - Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and Fraser Valley
What is the general climate, how is it moderated and what are problems?
- Small coastal regions
- Cool, maritime climate
- Moderated by Pacific
- Mild winters (no winter freeze)
- Cooler and wetter summers
- Diseases can be a problem
British Columbia - Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and Fraser Valley
What are the varieties grown?
- Only early-ripening varieties
- Mostly Pinot Noir
Comment on export and import of wine in Canada
- Mostly importing
- EXCEPT Icewine, almost all production consumed domestically
What are the top export markets?
- China
- USA
- South Korea
- Hong Kong
- Japan
What businesses are mostly involved? What is a current trend?
- Mostly growers and estates
- Recently, growers move towards production
How is the wine brought to consumers?
- Often through Provincial Liquor Boards (e.g., LCBO, Liquor Control Board of Ontario)
- Direct to consumer shipping mostly not allowed, so tourism is very important
