Canada Flashcards
Canada’s modern history of winemaking begins in the early 19th century, but Vitis vinifera vines were not planted on a commercial scale until the __
1970s
In the 1950s and 1960s, growers began moving away from native labrusca varieties and American crosses like Concord and Niagara to-
French hybrids
What became one of Canada’s most planted varieties by the 1970s?
De Chaunac, a red French hybrid developed by Albert Seibel but introduced to Canada after World War II by Adhemar de Chaunac
De Chaunac ended the reliance of his employer, Ontario’s Brights Wines, on native grapes and introduced a number of other hybrids from his native France, including-
Baco Noir, Rosette and Maréchal Foch
In 1951, De Chaunac oversaw the successful introduction of what?
10 acres of Chardonnay at Brights, predating Dr. Konstantin Frank’ in NY by just a few years
Brights Wines’ experimental vineyards of vinifera vines remained a small project, as-
French hybrids quickly came to dominate the Canadian wine landscape
Like the US, Canada suffered through prohibition in the early 20th century, albeit it on a __ rather than national scale
provincial
Who were the last winemaking provinces to repeal prohibition?
Ontario and Nova Scotiare in 1927 and 1929
By 1974 only __ wineries remained in business in Canada
6
The end of the moratorium in 1974 signaled the beginning of a new era of small premium production and vinifera wines, with the founding of-
Inniskillin in Niagara-on-the-Lake
Inniskillin almost singlehandedly created an international reputation for-
Canadian icewine
What is the only French hybrid allowed for VQA icewine?
Vidal
The most noteworthy icewines are produced from-
European grapes like Riesling and Cabernet Franc
In 1988, Canada signed a free trade agreement with the US, which required Canadian producers to-
refocus on quality in order to compete in their own domestic market, and, when coupled with a government-sponsored vine pull scheme, led to an even larger share in the vineyard for vinifera grapes
In 1988, an appellation and quality control system known as the __ was launched in Ontario
Vintners’ Quality Alliance (VQA)
British Columbia established its VQA standards in-
1990
What are the only areas with VQA status today?
Ontario and British Columbia
VQA standards are __enforced in Ontario, but __ in British Columbia
legally, voluntary
VQA wines from Ontario or British Columbia must be made from __% of grapes grown in the respective province
100
If labeled with a more precise appellation, British Columbia VQA wines must contain a minimum __% of grapes grown in the stated appellation
95
Ontario VQA wines require _% for appellations and regional appellations, and __% for sub-appellations (in Niagara Peninsula)
85, 100
To be labeled with a single vineyard in either province, a VQA wine must-
solely contain grapes grown in the stated vineyard
With the exception of sparkling wines, all Ontario VQA wines must be labeled with-
a vintage date and contain a min 85% of grapes harvested in that year
For British Columbia VQA vintage-dated wines, the min requirement is also set at-
85%
