Canada Flashcards
Only French hybrid allowed for VQA icewine
Vidal
VQA
Vintner’s Quality Alliance
- Ontario VQA - 1988, Enforced, 85% from stated Appellation (100% for Sub-Appellations Niagara Peninsula), 85% Vintage, 85% Variety
- British Columbia VQA - 1990, Voluntary, 95% from stated Appellation, 85% Vintage, 85% Variety
- Only 2 areas with VQA status
- 100% grapes from Province
Is VQA approval mandatory?
- British Columbia - NO
- Ontario - YES
What does the VQA control?
-
Varietal selection, plus some aspects of winemaking:
- Chaptalization
- Acidification
- Must Weights
- etc
VQA %’s
- Vintage: 85%
- Varietal: 85%
-
Location: 100% in province
- 95% for BC VQA areas
- 85% for Ontario VQA areas
- 100% for sub-appellations (in the Niagara Peninsula)
VQA
Single Vineyard
% of grapes
100%
Estate bottling
Requirements
- 100% from the vintage
- From land owned or controlled (min 10 yr lease) by the winery
- Produced and bottled at the winery, which must be in the same GI as the vineyard (smaller than BC)
- For fortified estate bottled wines, distillate must be produced on the estate
Ontario
3 Viticultural Areas
N to S
- Prince Edward County
- Niagara Peninsula
- Lake Erie North Shore
Pelee Island - former, deregulated in 2013; included in South Islands sub-appellation w/in Lake Erie North Shore VQA in 2016
Niagara Peninsula
2 Regional appellations
-
Niagara Escarpment
- W, higher elevation running parallel to the lake
-
Niagara-on-the-Lake
- E, btwn the lake shore and Niagara River
Niagara Peninsula
Sub-appellations not included in a regional appellation
- Lincoln Lakeshore, Creek Shores (W to E, lakeshore)
- Vinemount Ridge (inland, behind Niagara Escarpment)
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Sub-appellations
- Niagara River (E, running perpendicular to the other 3)
- Niagara Lakeshore
- Four Mile Creek
- St. David’s Bench
Niagara Escarpment
Sub-appellations
- Beamsville Bench
- Twenty Mile Bench
- Short Hills Bench
DVA
- VQA Designated Viticultural Area, seen only in British Columbia
British Columbia
Largest wine region by production
Okanagan Valley
DVA contiguous with Puget Sound AVA
Fraser Valley
1st winery founded in Britsh Columbia
Calona Vineyards
- 1932
- Located in Kelowna
Major bodies of water in BC
- Straight of Georgia
- Fraser River
- Similkameen River
- Okanagan Lake (HUGE)
- Okanagan River
Canada
4 Winemaking Provinces
- British Columbia
- Ontario
- Quebec
- Nova Scotia
Canada’s organic farming capital
Similkameen Valley
- According to Wines of Canada
Norman Hardie
Producer’s Location
-
Ontario
- Prince Edward County
L’Acadie Vineyards
Producer’s Location
Nova Scotia
Vignoble de la Bauge
Producer’s Location
Québec
Nichol Vineyard
Producer’s Location
British Columbia
The unofficial wine regions of Laurentides, Lanaudière, and Montérégie surround which major Canadian city?
A. Montréal
B. Toronto
C. Ottawa
D. Vancouver
E. Halifax
Montréal
Nova Scotia’s only official appellation
Tidal Bay
Okanagan Valley GI
4 subzones
- Golden Mile GI 2014
- Okanagan Falls GI 2018
- Naramata Bench 2019
- Skaha Bench 2019
Okanagan Valley GI
2 unofficial subzones
- Kelowna (N)
- Black Sage/Osoyoos (S)
Vancouver Island GI
2 unofficial subzones
- Nanaimo (N, red)
- Saanich Peninsula (S, yellow)
(Cowichan Valley GI est 2020, Center )
Gulf Islands GI
2 unofficial subzones
- Gabriola
- Saturna Island
British Columbia
10 GIs
- British Columbia GI
- Fraser Valley GI
-
Gulf Islands GI
- Unofficial: Gabriola, Saturna Island
- Kootenays GI 2018
- Lillooet GI est 2018
-
Okanagan Valley GI
- Golden Mile GI 2014, Okanagan Falls GI 2018, Naramata Bench 2019, Skaha Bench 2019
- Unofficial: Kelowna, Black Sage/Osoyoos
- Shuswap GI 2018
- Similkameen Valley GI
- Thomson Valley GI 2018
-
Vancouver Island GI
- Cowichan Valley GI 2020
- Unofficial: Nanaimo, Saanich Peninsula
British Columbia
4 GIs est 2018
- Kootenays GI
- Lillooet GI
- Shuswap GI
- Thomson Valley GI
Ontario
“Special Select Late Harvest”
Min. Brix
30°
- Table Wine and Wine: dependent on variety and appellation, between 17-20°
- Icewine: 32° (after pressing)
- Botrytized Wine: 26° (after pressing)
- Totally Botrytized Wine: 34° (after pressing)
- Late Harvest Wine: 22°
- Select Late Harvest Wine: 25°
- Special Select Late Harvest Wine: 30°
- Fortified and Liqueur Wine: 18°
- Vin de Curé: 27° (after drying)
Kelowna and Black Sage are unofficial viticultural regions in which appellation?
A. Niagara Peninsula
B. Okanagan Valley
C. Prince Edward County
D. Vancouver Island
Okanagan Valley
- Naramata granted GI in 2019, previous unofficial
Gabriola and Saturna Island are unofficial sub-regions of which DVA?
A. Okanagan Valley
B. Similkameen Valley
C. Fraser Valley
D. Vancouver Island
E. Gulf Islands
Gulf Islands
T/F: VQA sparkling wines must be vintage dated.
False
What is the only French hybrid allowed for VQA icewine?
Vidal
What is the VQA?
Vintner’s Quality Alliance, an appellation and quality control system launched in 1988.
Is VQA approval mandatory?
Yes in Ontario.
No in British Columbia.
What does the VQA control?
Varietal selection, plus some aspects of winemaking: chaptalization acidification must weights etc.
VQA %’s?
Vintage: 85%
Varietal: 85%
Location: 100% in province.
95% for BC VQA areas
85% for Ontario VQA areas, 100% for sub-appellations (in the Niagara Peninsula)]
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For a single vineyard wine approved by the VQA, what % of grapes must come from that vineyard?
100%
What are the requirements for estate bottling?
100% from the vintage, from land owned or controlled (minimum 10yr lease) by the winery.
Produced and bottled at the winery, which must be in the same GI as the vineyard (smaller than BC).
For fortified estate bottled wines, distillate must be produced on the estate.
What are the four main appellations of Ontario?
Lake Erie North Shore
Pelee Island (former)
Niagara Peninsula
Prince Edward County
What are the regional appellations of Niagara Peninsula?
Niagara Escarpment (west, higher elevation running parallel to the lake)
Niagara-on-the-Lake (east, between the lake shore and Niagara River)
What are the sub-appellations of Niagara Peninsula?
Lincoln Lakeshore, Creek Shores (west to east, lakeshore)
Vinemount Ridge (inland, behind Niagara Escarpment)
What are the sub-appellations of Niagara-on-the-Lake?
Niagara River (east, running perpendicular to the other four)
Niagara Lakeshore
Four Mile Creek
St. David’s Bench
What are the sub-appellations of Niagara Escarpment?
Beamsville Bench
Twenty Mile Bench
Short Hills Bench
What is a DVA?
A VQA Designated Viticultural Area, seen only in British Columbia
What is the largest wine region in British Columbia, by production?
Okanagan Valley
Which DVA is contiguous with Puget Sound AVA?
Fraser Valley
What was the first winery founded in British Columbia, and when?
Calona Vineyards, 1932
Located in Kelowna.
What are the major bodies of water in BC?
Straight of Georgia
Fraser River
Simikameen River
Okanagan Lake (HUGE), Okanagan River
What are the DVAs of British Columbia?
(west to east)
Vancouver Island
Gulf Islands
Fraser Valley
Simikameen Valley
Okanagan Valley
What are the islands of the Gulf Islands?
Salt Spring, Pender, Saturna Gabriola Hornby Quadra (south to north)
What topographic feature enables viticulture in Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands?
The Vancouver Island Range, providing a rain shadow from the worst of the Pacific storms.
What are the unofficial subzoes of Vancouver Island?
Nanaimo
Cowichan Valley
Saanich
Major grapes in Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands
Pinot Noir
Pinot Gris
Ortega (white)
Maréchal Foch (red)
What are the unofficial subs of the Okanagan Valley? Which one became an official GI in 2015?
Kelowna/Lake Country
Summerland/Peachland
Naramata/Penticton
Okanagan Falls (southernmost subregion on the Lake)
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver/Black Sage Road
Osoyoos
Golden Mile Bench became the first official sub-GI in 2015.
In broad strokes, describe the two major areas of viticulture in BC
Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, and Fraser Valley have heavy coastal influence, and a long, cool growing season. Soils are sandstone and limestone based, and grapes are often planted on hillsides to avoid the fertility of the lower elevations.
Simikameen Valley and Okanagan Valley are distinctly continental, dry, and desert-like. Soils are glacier mosaics, and frost and drought are major concerns. Simikameen is the coldest in the winter.
In VERY general terms, the west might be compared to Oregon in terms of grape varieties, and the east to Washington in both varieties and climate.
What are the authorized wine categories in BC?
BC “Wine of Distinction” - includes still and sparkling table wines, fortified/solera wines, and liqueur wines.
BC “VQA” Certified Wines - includes the above, plus icewine/late harvest, vin de curé (straw wine), meritage (2+ BDX varieties, max 90% ea)
BC: Minimum brix for Icewine, Vin de Curé, Late Harvest/Special Late Harvest/Special Select Late Harvest
32º for Icewine, Special Select Late Harvest, and Vin de Curé (post drying)
23º for Late Harvest
26º for Select Late Harvest
Ontario: Minimum brix for Icewine, Botrytized/Totally Botrytized wine, Late Harvest/Select Late Harvest/Special Select Late Harvest, Vin de Curé
Icewine: 32º
Botrytized/Totally Botrytized: 26º / 24º
Late Harvest/Select Late Harvest/Special Select Late Harvest: 22º / 25º / 30º
Vin de Curé: 27º
Liqueur wine requirements:
Dry: max 30 g/L Medium Dry: 30-65 g/L Sweet: 65 g/L + ABV 14.9-20% Min. 18 Brix at harvest MAY NOT BE FORTIFIED Basically, it's high alcohol table wine (like in the US anything over 14% is technically "dessert wine.")
Canada Sparkling Wine Requirements:
Min. 3 atmospheres (2 for Effervescent Wine)
Traditional method must spend 9mos on the lees; Vintage dated traditional method must spend 12mos on the lees.
Transfer method is authorized for wines bottled at more than 1.5L.
Canadian Sparkling Wine dosage chart:
Brut: max 15g/L Extra Dry: 15-25g/L Dry: 25-35g/L Semi-Dry: 35-50g/L Sweet: 50g/L +
Which VQA was deregulated in 2013?
Pelee Island
What are the requirements for Icewine? (varietal requirements, minimum RS, winemaking techniques)
Must be produced from vinifera or Vidal blanc.
Must be naturally frozen on the vine, and harvested at no more than -8º C
No cryo-extraction or concentration allowed.
Sussreserve is allowed: max 15%, and the minimum must weight must equal the wine. (Ontario only)
Min RS for BC/Ontario: 100g/L
Min RS for Quebec: 125g/L (Vins de Glacé du Quebec)