Canada Flashcards

1
Q

What is the only French hybrid allowed for VQA icewine?

A

Vidal

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2
Q

What is the VQA?

A

Vintner’s Quality Alliance, an appellation and quality control system launched in 1988.

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3
Q

Is VQA approval mandatory?

A

Yes in Ontario.

No in British Columbia.

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4
Q

What does the VQA control?

A
Varietal selection, plus some aspects of winemaking:
chaptalization
acidification
must weights
etc.
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5
Q

VQA %’s

A
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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6
Q

For a single vineyard wine approved by the VQA, what % of grapes must come from that vineyard?

A

100.00%

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7
Q

What are the requirements for estate bottling?

A

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.

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8
Q

What are the four main appellations of Ontario?

A

Lake Erie North Shore
Pelee Island (former)
Niagara Peninsula
Prince Edward County

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9
Q

What are the regional appellations of Niagara Peninsula?

A
Niagara Escarpment (west, higher elevation running parallel to the lake)
Niagara-on-the-Lake (east, between the lake shore and Niagara River)
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10
Q

What are the sub-appellations of Niagara Peninsula?

A
Lincoln Lakeshore, Creek Shores (west to east, lakeshore)
Vinemount Ridge (inland, behind Niagara Escarpment)
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11
Q

What are the sub-appellations of Niagara-on-the-Lake?

A

Niagara River (east, running perpendicular to the other four)
Niagara Lakeshore
Four Mile Creek
St. David’s Bench

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12
Q

What are the sub-appellations of Niagara Escarpment?

A

Beamsville Bench
Twenty Mile Bench
Short Hills Bench

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13
Q

What is a DVA?

A

A VQA Designated Viticultural Area, seen only in British Columbia

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14
Q

What is the largest wine region in British Columbia, by production?

A

Okanagan Valley

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15
Q

Which DVA is contiguous with Puget Sound AVA?

A

Fraser Valley

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16
Q

What was the first winery founded in British Columbia, and when?

A

Calona Vineyards, 1932

Located in Kelowna.

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17
Q

What are the major bodies of water in BC?

A

Straight of Georgia
Fraser River
Simikameen River
Okanagan Lake (HUGE), Okanagan River

18
Q

What are the DVAs of British Columbia?

A
(west to east)
Vancouver Island
Gulf Islands
Fraser Valley
Simikameen Valley
Okanagan Valley
19
Q

What are the islands of the Gulf Islands?

A
Salt Spring, Pender, Saturna
Gabriola
Hornby
Quadra
(south to north)
20
Q

What topographic feature enables viticulture in Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands?

A

The Vancouver Island Range, providing a rain shadow from the worst of the Pacific storms.

21
Q

What are the unofficial subzoes of Vancouver Island?

A

Nanaimo
Cowichan Valley
Saanich

22
Q

Major grapes in Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands

A

Pinot Noir
Pinot Gris
Ortega (white)
Maréchal Foch (red)

23
Q

What are the unofficial subs of the Okanagan Valley? Which one became an official GI in 2015?

A

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.

24
Q

In broad strokes, describe the two major areas of viticulture in BC

A

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.

25
Q

What are the authorized wine categories in BC?

A

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)

26
Q

BC: Minimum brix for Icewine, Vin de Curé, Late Harvest/Special Late Harvest/Special Select Late Harvest

A

32º for Icewine, Special Select Late Harvest, and Vin de Curé (post drying)
23º for Late Harvest
26º for Select Late Harvest

27
Q

Ontario: Minimum brix for Icewine, Botrytized/Totally Botrytized wine, Late Harvest/Select Late Harvest/Special Select Late Harvest, Vin de Curé

A

Icewine: 32º
Botrytized/Totally Botrytized: 26º / 24º
Late Harvest/Select Late Harvest/Special Select Late Harvest: 22º / 25º / 30º
Vin de Curé: 27º

28
Q

Liqueur wine requirements:

A
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.")
29
Q

Sparkling Wine Requirements:

A

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.

30
Q

Sparkling Wine dosage chart:

A
Brut: max 15g/L
Extra Dry: 15-25g/L
Dry: 25-35g/L
Semi-Dry: 35-50g/L
Sweet: 50g/L +
31
Q

Which VQA was deregulated in 2013?

A

Pelee Island

32
Q

What are the requirements for Icewine? (varietal requirements, minimum RS, winemaking techniques)

A

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)
Minimum RS: 125 g/L (Ontario), 100g/L (BC)

33
Q

What is Vin de Curé?

A

A VQA wine made from dried grapes.

34
Q

What is VQA Blanc de Noirs?

A

Still white wine made from a minimum 85% red grapes.

35
Q

What is Icewine Dosage?

A

Sparkling wine in which min. 10% ice wine is added as dosage; minimum 20g/L RS.
Ontario only.

36
Q

What is the sole appellation in Nova Scotia?

A

Tidal Bay. First vintage 2011
100% Nova Scotia grapes; must be vintage dated and approved by a tasting panel.
Minimum TA is 8 g/L; Permitted alcohol range is 9.5-11%
Primary grapes Seyval, l’Acadie, Geisenheim 318, Vidal

37
Q

Wimegrowing regions of Quebec

A
(Starting in the west, moving clockwise)
Ouest-du-Québec
Centre-du-Québec
Est-du-Québec
Eastern Townships
Montérégie
38
Q

What is the QWA? What certification did it create, and when?

A

Quebec Winegrowers Association
Created the Québec Certified Wines label in 2008; first vintage 2009. Wines must meet certain requirements in viticulture and vinification. Certification is open to all, regardless of membership in the QWA.

39
Q

Ontario: Major Natural Features

A

Lake Erie North Shore: Lake Erie, Lake Saint Clair, Detroit River
Niagara Peninsula: Lake Ontario, Niagara Escarpment
Prince Edward County: Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario

40
Q

What are the Cascades referred to as in Canada?

A

Monashee Mountains.

May also just use Canadian Cascades.