Page 22 - GBC Summer ENG 2021

King Family Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, BC. The outdoor skating rink at Wayne Gretzky Estate Winery, Niagara- On-The-Lake, ON.
between daytime peak tempera- tures and nighttime lows – known as diurnal shift. This contrast encourages complexity in wine by promoting ripening during the day, and retention of natural acidity at night. An old world example of this phenomenon occurs in the steep vineyard sites of the Mosel region in Germany, famed for some of the top Rieslings in the world. The high altitude vineyards of Argentina are also a prime new world example of the important impact of diurnal range.
There is amazing wine being produced in some fascinating places across Canada from Annap- olis Valley in Nova Scotia, to Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. Each with their own terroir and micro climates. No matter the vineyard site, our cool climate is contributing to wines with depth, character, and length.
SPARKLING WINES
One particular category of interest is the growing production of very high quality sparkling wine in Canada. The classic Champagne varietals – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier – all thrive in cool climates. Bright acidity and crisp citrus notes are characteristic of Champagne and are promoted by this cool climate. Here in Canada,
there are a great number of outstanding sparkling wines being produced with typical Champagne varietals and many others.
Some are choosing to produce traditional method sparkling wines, while others favour less expensive options such as charmat (tank method). Either way, there are many beautiful sparkling wines to be discovered across Canada, thanks in part to our cooler climate and the higher natural acidity levels we can achieve.
ONTARIO WINES
Ontario is home to two-thirds of Canadian viticulture and the Niagara Peninsula is the promi- nent region. This section of south- western Ontario has warmer summers than Burgundy and Bordeaux who all share the same latitude. Here, it is the cold winter months and risk of spring and fall frost that challenge growers each year. Fortunately, Lake Ontario is a very effective moderator that helps mitigate these environmental extremes.
Just south of Lake Ontario stands the glacial carved, Niagara Escapement that protects vineyards from cold Westerly winds and directs favourable lake effect breezes. In the spring, cool breezes help delay bud burst and protect
against early frost. After the lake warms up through summer months, warmer breezes prolong the growing season into fall. All of these factors, along with countless micro climates, soil types and vineyard aspects, allow the Niagara Peninsula to produce some extraor- dinary wines.
Look for Pinot Gris, Chardon- nay and Riesling for delicious white wines and Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for powerful reds. Winemakers also have great success with lighter bodied reds from Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir.
BRITISH COLUMBIA WINES
The second largest viticultural region in Canada is another glacial carved landscape, British Colum- bia’s Okanagan Valley. Stretching North over 150km from the United States border to Vernon, the Valley sits in the rain shadow of British Columbia’s Coast Mountains. Moisture from the Pacific Ocean pushes up over the Coastal Mountains, forms clouds, and deposits before reaching this winegrowing region. The Okana- gan sees just enough summer rainfall to keep vines alive so irriga- tion is very common.
Similar to the Niagara Penin- sula, vineyards in this region also
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