Viticulture in Canada

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grapes in British Columbia
Vineyards on Lake Okanagan in British Columbia

The wine in Canada is about since the 19th century in four of the ten provinces of Canada operated. Around 990,000 hectoliters of wine are produced on around 9,580 hectares . The main growing areas are in the provinces of Nova Scotia , Québec , Ontario and British Columbia . In addition, commercial viticulture is also occasionally operated in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island .

history

The legend of Vinland

After the colonization of Iceland and Greenland by the Normans from Scandinavia , Vinland , the wine country, was discovered by chance around the year 1000 . According to the Icelandic saga , Leif Eriksson , son of Erik the Red , decided to explore the newly discovered area. Wheat, wild vines, game and fish were found there. The land was almost frost-free. Where exactly Vinland was can no longer be traced; however, it was very likely on the east coast of Canada. According to archaeological finds, it could possibly have been at L'Anse aux Meadows . Around 1075 Adam of Bremen reported in his story Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum that the King of Denmark , Sven Estridsson , told him about excellent wine from Vinland. It is possible that the Northmen were Canada's first winemakers . This assumption is also supported by climate research, as there was a short warm period during this time of the early Middle Ages.

The Modern Age

Modern viticulture in Canada is relatively young. Johann Schiller, a corporal of German descent from the Rhine region, is considered the very first winemaker . Schiller planted the first vines on the Credit River in Ontario , west of Toronto , in 1811 . He cultivated the wild grape variety Vitis labrusca , which he found on this river, on an eight hectare vineyard. The disadvantage of the American wild grape is the unpleasant taste, the so-called Fox tone , which does not occur in Vitis vinifera , the wild grape known in Europe. Viticulture was therefore not a great success. Attempts to plant European varieties in North America in general failed because of the phylloxera that has always existed there . In the period that followed, several international solutions to the phylloxera problem in European grape varieties were tried out. For example, crosses of wines from Vitis vinifera (i.e. all grape varieties known in Europe) with Vitis labrusca were carried out. The resulting new breeds are summarized under the umbrella term hybrid vines or interspecific crosses . In France in particular, considerable efforts were made to address the Europe-wide phylloxera infestation, which was first observed in 1863. The motivation in Europe was to secure the vineyards and not so much to optimize the taste, as was aimed at on the American continent. The French results are summarized in a large family of grapes, the Seibel family . All Seibelreben have a classification number (e.g. Seibel 4986 for the hybrid variety Rayon d'Or ). Another attempt was the finishing of American rootstocks with European noble varieties by grafting . In the course of many years of efforts, refinement on American documents has proven to be the better way to obtain phylloxera-resistant and high-quality grape varieties.

In 1866 the first wine-growing business was established on the island of Pelee in Lake Erie . Three landlords from Kentucky planted eight hectares of vineyards with the Isabella grape variety . The results were encouraging, so that in the next 25 years another 40 wine-growing businesses, 35 of them in Ontario alone, were founded.

Viticulture today

Prohibition was introduced in Canada in 1916 . Thanks to the skillful work of the wine lobby , wine was exempted from the ban on alcoholic beverages. In Ontario alone, 57 wineries had successfully survived the prohibition experiment and were licensed. After the not very successful efforts to combat alcohol through prohibition, the Liquor Board System was introduced in Canada . These were state sales outlets that were exclusively responsible for the sale of all alcoholic beverages.

Today red , rosé and white wines as well as sparkling wines are produced in Canada . The wines are predominantly made dry, with a small proportion of sweet and dessert wines . The largest wine-growing regions are the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The vast majority of wines are white wines, but the trend is following a fashion towards red wines. While in 1994 the amount of white wine produced was approx. 43 million liters, almost three times greater than the amount of red wine (14.3 million liters), the ratio of the two amounts to each other was 45 million liters of red wine and 51.7 million liters of white wine almost balanced in 2004. There is no end in sight to this trend.

Despite a small share of total production, Canada is the world's largest producer of ice wines , called icewine here . They are very popular in their own country; the median price for a 37.5 cl bottle is 40 to 45 dollars. The German immigrant and winemaker Walter Hainle produced the first ice wines in 1973 in very small quantities. In 1978, the first wines of this type were commercialized in Canada. Canadian ice wines achieved great success in international competitions in Bordeaux , Brussels , Verona and London . In 1991 a Canadian ice wine, the Inniskillin Vidal Icewine, prevailed against 4,000 competitors at the VinExpo wine fair in Bordeaux in 1989 and won the Grand Prix d'Honneur. While around 25,000 bottles were sold from the 1992 vintage, four years later there were already 120,000 bottles. Since 2002 the sales figures have remained relatively constant at 435,000 bottles of 0.375 liters each.

Ice wine fields in winter at Niagara Falls

Canada is predestined for the cultivation of ice wines, as the transition period from dry autumn to cold winter with temperatures of −8 ° C to −13 ° C recurs every year with a high degree of constancy. In Germany, it is sometimes difficult to keep healthy grapes until the first strong frost. On the other hand, in Germany you usually have to harvest at night in order to bring the harvest to the wine press at the required low temperature of −7 ° C or colder.

Export figures

Unlike Californian or Chilean wines, wines from Canada are so far little known in Europe. Canadian producers are keen to increase their exports to the EU and Asia.

country Lot 2002 Lot 2003 Lot 2004 Lot April 2005
United States 483.965 1,210,611 1,644,552 242,500
Taiwan 766.047 884.319 319,969 25,872
Japan 141.153 301,625 134,380 103.151
China 50,481 102.288 164.979 31,188
total 2,009,281 2,915,114 2,543,956 468.101

Source: Canadian Vintners; All information in liters

In the statistics currently available (mid-2005) from the Canadian Vintners Association , export figures are available in 56 countries. Germany , Switzerland and Austria occupy positions 15, 17 and 43 in these statistics, respectively. For Germany, the authorities determined an annual amount of approx. 10,000 liters, Switzerland imported approx. 4,500 liters per year, while imports in Austria amounted to only approx. 500 liters.

From this modest amount, it can be concluded that sales in German-speaking countries are still handled by a few specialist dealers.

Climate for viticulture in Canada

Although the majority of Canada's vineyards are between the 41st and 45th parallel and thus geographically at the same altitude as the Italian Chianti or the French Languedoc , all regions have a cool wine-growing climate. The continental cold in winter as well as inconsistent weather in early spring and at the end of the harvest season in autumn are responsible for this. In the growth phase of the grapevine relevant for viticulture from April to October, an average temperature (i.e. day and night temperatures averaged) of max. 16 ° C reached (comparison: all wine-growing regions in Germany as well as Champagne , Chablis , Burgundy also have a cool wine-growing climate. Bordeaux and the northern Rhône have an intermediate climatic area (mean temperatures of 16 to 18.5 ° C), while southern France, wide Parts of Italy and Spain have a warm wine-growing climate (average temperatures of 18.5 to 21 ° C). The duration of sunshine, on the other hand, is up to 2400 hours per year due to the southern location. As a comparison: in the German wine-growing region Mosel-Saar-Ruwer the average sunshine duration is 1390 hours / year; in 2003, with the so-called summer of the century, this value was 1877 hours.

Wine Legislation in Canada

In 1988 the province with the largest wine-growing area in Canada, Ontario, introduced a system for classifying quality wines. The Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA for short) is based on the French and Italian quality systems of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC for short) and a Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC for short). In 1990 the province of British Columbia adopted the system. Compliance with the criteria is monitored by two regulatory authorities, the Wine Council of Ontario (WCO) and the British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI).

Criteria:

  • For VQA wines, 100 percent of the grapes must come from the respective growing area.
  • In the case of a province designation, both hybrid grapes and Vinifera grapes (i.e. European grape varieties) may be used. The grape variety named on the label must be at least 75% in the wine. The label then says Product of Ontario or Product of British Columbia.
  • If the name refers to a specific area within a province, only Vinifera grapes are permitted. The grape variety named on the label must be at least 75 percent in the wine. If the vintage is given, at least 90 percent of the wine must come from this vintage.
  • VQA wines are tasted by a six-person jury. Recognized wines are allowed to use the VQA designation on the label. Alternatively, the black VQA seal can be applied. Wines that do very well in the tasting are allowed to carry the golden VQA seal.

Grape varieties

Many internationally known grape varieties are grown in Canada , including the red varieties Baco Noir , Cabernet Franc , Cabernet Sauvignon , Gamay , Merlot , Pinot Noir and Syrah as well as the white varieties Chardonnay , Chenin Blanc , Gewürztraminer , Pinot Blanc , Pinot Gris , Riesling , Sauvignon Blanc , Sémillon and Viognier . The grape variety most commonly used for ice wine is Riesling, which is well suited in this climate to develop sweet wines with corresponding acid peaks. The regional grape varieties Lucie Kuhlmann , Maréchal Foch , Aurore , Chancellor , Joannès-Seyve 23-416 and Vidal are also quite widespread .

The lists of varieties approved for commercial cultivation provide a more complete overview. This also includes the varieties selected only for trial cultivation.

White Wine Glass.jpg Approved white grape varieties White Wine Glass.jpg
Red Wine Glass.jpg Approved red grape varieties Red Wine Glass.jpg

Source:

See also: grape variety , list of grape varieties

Wine regions in Canada

Wine-growing regions in Canada
Location Pelee Island in Lake Erie

Ontario

The climate in the wine-growing regions of Ontario is considerably tempered by the water masses of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario . With 6070 hectares, Ontario is  by far the most important wine-growing province in Canada. Around 90 wine-growing businesses offer around 5300 direct and indirect jobs. The following regions are distinguished in Ontario:

Niagara Peninsula
The growing areas can be found between Hamilton and Niagara Falls and on the south bank of Lake Ontario. New areas are still being developed moving northwest towards Toronto . On the US side of the Niagara River , the designation of origin Niagara Escarpment AVA follows .
Pelee Island
The small island in Lake Erie is Canada's southernmost land mass and offers a long, frost-free time. The isolated island location also benefits the wine, as the water of Lake Erie significantly softens the temperatures, especially during autumn. Since the 1980s, efforts to grow wine have been intensified.
Lake Erie North Shore
The region was the earliest and most active in Canada through the late nineteenth century. After a long period of lethargy , the number of winemakers in the Designated Viticultural Area who are trying to restore their old success is growing.
Prince Edward County
The newest growing region in Ontario has a growth phase similar to that of the Niagara region, but with slightly colder winters. The vineyards of this peninsula on the northern shore of Lake Ontario benefit from the balancing effect of the lake on the micro-climate.

The Royal DeMaria Vineyards winery on the Niagara Peninsula is likely to produce by far the most expensive wines in Canada. The estate has been offering award-winning ice wines in limited editions for a number of years at prices between 1,000 and 4,000 euros. For the Chardonnay Icewine of the 2000 vintage, marketed from 2006, the estate expects a price of around 20,000 euros per 0.375 liter bottle. The edition is 48 bottles. (Source: Decanter ).

British Columbia

Viticulture at Blue Mountain, British Columbia

The most important wine-growing regions of the westernmost province of Canada are the Okanagan Valley and the Similkameen Valley near Lake Okanagan . The British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI) has existed here since 1990, whose task it is to increase the quality of the wine from the province and to define the requirements for the certification of the wines. The BCWI represents over 90 percent of the province's wine production. The Okanagan Fall Wine Festival takes place annually in the fall and is very popular.

The German oenologist Helmut Becker from the Geisenheim vine growing institute played an important role in the selection of suitable grape varieties and their optimal cultivation method .

Quebec

Near the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Québec (city) near the city of Durham, around 26 wineries on almost 300 hectares of vineyards are trying to produce wine from hybrid vines. The climate is continental with warm and humid summers and very cold winters. During the frost-free period, precipitation falls around 900 mm / year. Temperatures of −30 ° C are measured in winter. Therefore, after the harvest during November, the soil between the rows of vines is pressed against the vines. This is how you form hills around 40 centimeters high and 50 centimeters wide that protect the vine from excessive frost. When measurements were taken in 1998, the temperature inside a hill at a depth of 20 centimeters was −6 ° C; the outside temperature was −34 ° C. These mounds will be removed from the end of April to the beginning of May. Due to the adverse conditions and the short growing season, hybrid vines are almost exclusively planted. The most important growing areas are:

  • Québec (six wineries)
  • Lanaudière (a winery)
  • Canton de l'est (nine wineries)
  • Montérégie (ten wineries)
  • Basses laurentides (three wineries)

It is sold almost exclusively from the cellar door. It has recently been possible to deliver directly to restaurants in the region. The tourist aspect of the wineries plays a more important role for the region than the wine itself.

Nova Scotia

The peninsula on the east coast of Canada has around 100 hectares of vineyards in the Annapolis Valley near Fundy Bay, despite unfavorable conditions beyond the 45th parallel. 22 winemakers have mainly planted very frost-resistant grape varieties such as the French hybrid vines Baco Noir , Maréchal Foch , Castel 19637 , DeChaunac , Léon Millot and Seyval Blanc as well as two Russian hybrid vines based on the original Vitis amurensis Mischurnitz and Severny .

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Canadian Vintners Association - Statistics ( Memento June 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ http://www.treaty-accord.gc.ca/text-texte.asp?lang=fra&id=104976&page=6  ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ACCORD ENTRE LE CANADA ET LA COMMUNAUTÉ EUROPÉENNE RELATIF AU COMMERCE DES VINS ET DES BOISSONS SPIRITUEUSES Recognized grape varieties whose products have also been approved for export to the European Community.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.treaty-accord.gc.ca  
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on August 8, 2005 .