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WSET Level 4 - D3 > Canada > Flashcards

Canada Flashcards

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1
Q

How many ha under vine does the country have in total?

A

12,500 ha

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2
Q

In what two regions is the majority of grapes grown?

A
  • Niagara Peninsula (Ontario)
  • Okanagan Valley (British Columbia)
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3
Q

What is Canada famous for? How did this style evolve? How much of production does it represent?

A
  • Ice wine
  • German immigrants
  • Represents only small amount of production
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4
Q

What is Canada looking to build a reputation for?

A

High quality drys still wines and sparkling wines

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5
Q

Climate
What is the climate in the majority of Canadian wine producing regions and where are vineyards planted?

A
  • Extreme continental climate
  • Summer: temps can regularly exceed 30°C
  • Winter: temps of below –20°C
  • Most vineyards planted near lakes
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6
Q

Climate
What effects do the lakes have where most vineyards are located?

A
  • 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
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7
Q

Climate
How are vines protected from extreme temps in winter?

A
  • Moisture from lake evaporates, meets ambient cold air and produces precipitation in the form of snow -> insulates vines
  • Growers may bury their wines (expensive!)
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8
Q

Climate
Besides temperature and fungal diseases, what other problem regularly occurs?

A
  • Drought (esp. in British Columbia)
  • Often irrigation systems installed
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9
Q

Vineyard management
What is the current state of the viticulture industry and how are humid conditions managed and what training systems are used?

A
  • Very advanced (up-to-date technology)
  • Careful canopy management
  • VSP as most common training system
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10
Q

Vineyard management
How does the length of the growing season compare to other wine growing regions?

A
  • Significantly shorter
  • Budbreak in May and harvest in August common
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11
Q

Grape varieties
How much of grape growing is with hybrids, where are they mostly grown and for what are they used?

A
  • 40% (in 2018)
  • Ontario
  • Mostly Canadian Blends and not VQA wines
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12
Q

Grape varieties
What is the most important hybrid and its characteristics? (variety, type of wines, characteristics, aromas, ageing)

A
  • 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
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13
Q

Grape varieties
What varieties are increasingly planted?

A
  • 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
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14
Q

Grape varieties
What kind of acidity tend most Canadian wines to have?

A

High acidity

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15
Q

Icewine
What is Canada’s reputation? What has to happen to harvest the grapes? How are they harvested?

A
  • World’s largest producer of Icewine
  • Grapes must be harvested at –8°C or below
  • Some harvest by hand, many now with machine
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16
Q

Icewine
Comment on fermentation, aromas, and potential varieties

A
  • 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
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17
Q

Icewine
What is the typical price and why?

A
  • Premium to super-premium prices
  • Low yields (10% of that of still wine)
  • Dehydrated grapes
  • Loss, damage, rot, animals before grapes can be harvested
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18
Q

Icewine
What is the export by volume and value?

A
  • 13% by volume
  • 58% by value
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19
Q

Icewine
How is the term protected?

A
  • Protected by Canadian Vintner Association
  • Rigorous standards of production
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20
Q

Wine Law and Regulations
What does VQA stand for?

A

Vintners Quality Alliance

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21
Q

Wine Law and Regulations
What are the regulations for VQA wines?

A
  • 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
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22
Q

Wine Law and Regulations
What are the regulations for single varietal or double varietal wines?

A
  • Single: 85% of that variety
  • Double: 95% of both varieties
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23
Q

Wine Law and Regulations
How is a large portion of wines produced? How are these wines labeled?

A
  • With imported must or wine (at least in part)
  • Labeled “International blend from imported and domestic wines”
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24
Q

Ontario
Where is it located and with what old world regions does it share latitude? What is the climate?

A
  • 41° to 44°N
  • Similar to Central Italy and Bordeaux
  • However, significantly different climate!
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25
Q

Ontario
What is the area under vine?

A

7,000 ha

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26
Q

Ontario
Where are vineyards located and what are climatic influences and their effect on grape growing?

A
  • 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
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27
Q

Ontario
What is the soil?

A
  • Wide variety of soils (clay and sand, and to a lesser extent gravel and rocks)
  • Around lakes: high concentration of limestone
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28
Q

Ontario
What types of wine are produced?

A
  • Icewine (90% of Canada’s production)
  • Red & White
  • Some Rosé
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29
Q

Ontario
What are the two most grown white varieties and describe the general style of the final wines (aromas, sweetness, acidity)

A
  • 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
30
Q

Ontario
What is the most planted black variety, for what styles of wine is it used (oak?) and what are the aromas?

A
  • 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
31
Q

Ontario
Besides Cabernet Franc, what are other black varieties grown and describe the general style of the final wines (aromas, body)

A
  • 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)
32
Q

Ontario
Name two significant producers

A
  • Inniskillin
  • Peller Estates
33
Q

Ontario
What is the general quality and price of wines?

A
  • Good to very good quality (some outstanding)
  • Dry wines typically mid- to premium priced
34
Q

Ontario
What are the three primary appellations?

A
  • Niagara Peninsula
  • Lake Erie North Shore
  • Prince Edward County
35
Q

Ontario - Niagara Peninsula
Describe the soil and climate and what that means for the styles of wines produced

A
  • Wide variety of soils and microclimates
  • Range of style can be produced
36
Q

Ontario - Niagara Peninsula
Where are the vineyards located?

A
  • 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
37
Q

Ontario - Niagara Peninsula
What are the main climatic influences and what are the effects?

A
  • 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.
38
Q

Ontario - Niagara Peninsula
What is the climate on top of the ridges of the Niagara Escarpment?

A
  • More continental
  • Warmer summer temperatures and colder winters
39
Q

Ontario - Niagara Peninsula - Niagara Escarpment
Where are the vineyards located?

A
  • Benches and gentle, northern slopes of the escarpment
  • NOT the land nearer the lake
  • NOT the plateau on top
  • BUT in between
40
Q

Ontario - Niagara Peninsula - Niagara Escarpment
What is the climate and what effect does it have on the final wine?

A
  • Altitude and cooling lake breezes
  • -> coolest part of the Peninsula
  • High acidity
41
Q

Ontario - Niagara Peninsula - Niagara Escarpment
What varieties are grown here?

A
  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Riesling
42
Q

Ontario - Niagara Peninsula - Niagara-on-the-Lake
Where is it located, what is the climate and what are climatic influences?

A
  • Large flat area directly at Lake Ontario
  • Slightly warmer than the slopes of the escarpment
  • Not as cold nights and warmer autumns
43
Q

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?

A
  • Chardonnay
  • Riesling
  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Can produce Bordeaux style red blends
44
Q

Ontario - Lake Erie North Shore
Where are vineyards located, what are climatic influences and what is different to Lake Ontario in Niagara Peninsula?

A
  • 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
45
Q

Ontario - Lake Erie North Shore
Where is the region located and what is the climate compared to other regions in Ontario?

A
  • South-west of the province
  • Warmest
46
Q

Ontario - Lake Erie North Shore
What varieties are mostly grown?

A
  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
47
Q

Ontario - Lake Erie North Shore
How do the wines compare to Niagara Peninsula?

A
  • More fruit
  • Less structured
48
Q

Ontario - Prince Edward County
Where is it located, what is the climate and climatic influences?

A
  • 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
49
Q

Ontario - Prince Edward County
Where are the vineyards located, what is the soil and what effect does it have on grape growing?

A
  • Broad limestone plateau
  • Stony topsoil
  • -> radiates heat at night
  • -> aids ripening
50
Q

Ontario - Prince Edward County
What are the most grown varieties? What are characteristics of the final wine?

A
  • Pinot Noir
  • Chardonnay
  • Extremely high acidity
51
Q

British Columbia
How many ha under vine does it have?

A

4,200 ha

52
Q

British Columbia
In general, what are the two distinct areas?

A
  • Small number of vineyards close to the Pacific
  • -> cool, maritime climate
  • Main area is 400 km inland
  • -> sheltered from maritime influence by mountains
53
Q

British Columbia
Where is it located (latitude), what is the effect on grape growing and the final wine?

A
  • 48°-51° N
  • Shorter growing season but longer days
  • High diurnal range (esp. inland)
  • Ripe, fruit flavours with high acidity
54
Q

British Columbia
What happened to the many hybrids that were previously planted?

A
  • 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
55
Q

British Columbia
What are the three most grown black varieties and some characteristics of the final wines (aromas, tannin)

A
  • 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
56
Q

British Columbia
What are the three most grown white varieties and some characteristics of the final wines (aromas, acidity, body)

A
  • 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
57
Q

British Columbia
What is the typical quality and price of VQA wines?

A
  • Good to very good (some outstanding)
  • Mid- to premium priced
58
Q

British Columbia
Name two significant producers

A

Le Vieux Pin and Mission Hill

59
Q

British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
How much plantings does it have within British Columbia? (%)

A

85% of plantings

60
Q

British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
Describe the climate in different areas of the region

A
  • Wide range of different climates
  • Northern end: Cool (one of the most northerly wine-producing areas in the world)
  • South: Hot desert conditions
61
Q

British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
What are the soils and rainfall and what does it mean regarding diseases and irrigation?

A
  • 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
62
Q

British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
What is the key moderating influence and what is the effect?

A
  • 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
63
Q

British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
Describe the general climate (incl. effects, risks, and altitude)

A
  • 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
64
Q

British Columbia - Okanagan Valley
Describe the varieties grown in the north and south of the region

A
  • North
  • Pinot Noir
  • Pinot Gris
  • Riesling
  • Chardonnay
  • Gewürztraminer
  • South
  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Syrah
65
Q

British Columbia - Similkameen Valley
Where is it located, what is the climate and what are climatic influences?

A
  • 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
66
Q

British Columbia - Similkameen Valley
What are the main varieties grown?

A
  • Merlot
  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Chardonnay
67
Q

British Columbia - Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and Fraser Valley
What is the general climate, how is it moderated and what are problems?

A
  • Small coastal regions
  • Cool, maritime climate
  • Moderated by Pacific
  • Mild winters (no winter freeze)
  • Cooler and wetter summers
  • Diseases can be a problem
68
Q

British Columbia - Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and Fraser Valley
What are the varieties grown?

A
  • Only early-ripening varieties
  • Mostly Pinot Noir
69
Q

Comment on export and import of wine in Canada

A
  • Mostly importing
  • EXCEPT Icewine, almost all production consumed domestically
70
Q

What are the top export markets?

A
  • China
  • USA
  • South Korea
  • Hong Kong
  • Japan
71
Q

What businesses are mostly involved? What is a current trend?

A
  • Mostly growers and estates
  • Recently, growers move towards production
72
Q

How is the wine brought to consumers?

A
  • 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

WSET Level 4 - D3 (56 decks)

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