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Number of wineries
175 grape wine wineries, and several licenses pending. 94 are members of the BCWI. BCWI membership represents 95% of BC VQA sales, 95% of the total wine production in the province and produce 88% of 100% BC grape wine production.
Five wine regions (designated viticultural areas)
Okanagan Valley
Similkameen Valley
Fraser Valley
Vancouver Island
Gulf Islands
Number of vineyards
710 (wineries and independent growers)
Grape varietals produced
60+
Top ten white varietals (by acreage planted)
Pinot Gris
Chardonnay
Gewürztraminer
Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Riesling
Viognier
Ehrenfelser
Semillon
Bacchus
Top ten red varietals (by acreage planted)
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Cabernet Sauvignon
Syrah (Shiraz)
Cabernet Franc
Gamay Noir
Marechal Foch
Malbec
Petit Verdot
Zweigelt
Ratio of White to Red
49% to 51%
Harvest and Estimated Production (Historical)
|
Year
|
Harvest
(short tons – 2,000 lbs)
|
Production (litres, est.)
|
|
2008
|
22,275
|
15,046,763
|
|
2007
|
19,777
|
13,394,757
|
|
2006
|
20,369
|
13,802,563
|
|
2005
|
14,084
|
8,450,400
|
|
2004
|
16,642
|
9,985,200
|
|
2003
|
16,897
|
10,138,200
|
|
2002
|
15,523
|
9,313,800
|
|
2001
|
14,137
|
8,482,200
|
|
2000
|
10,022
|
6,013,200
|
|
1999
|
10,957
|
6,574,200
|
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1998
|
10,188
|
6,112,800
|
|
1997
|
6,603
|
2,961,800
|
|
1996
|
6,102
|
3,661,200
|
|
1995
|
8,108
|
4,864,800
|
Grape Acreage
|
2008
|
9,100
|
|
2006
|
6,632
|
|
2004
|
5,462
|
|
1999
|
4,200
|
|
1994
|
2,149
|
|
1990
|
1,476
|
Value of 2007 grape crop
$36,856,597 Cdn
Growth in Number of Wineries
|
Year
|
Number of Wineries
|
|
2010
|
174
|
|
2009
|
170
|
|
2008
|
154
|
|
2007
|
134
|
|
2006
|
131
|
|
2005
|
119
|
|
2004
|
102
|
|
2003
|
87
|
|
2002
|
74
|
|
2001
|
66
|
|
2000
|
60
|
|
1995
|
32
|
|
1990
|
17
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BC VQA share of BC market
BC VQA wine became the second-best selling category in BC last year, with 20 per cent (dollar sales) of the market, ahead of all wine-importing countries, and behind only cellared-in-Canada non-VQA wines. Icewine
232 tons harvested in 2009, yielding an estimated 70,000 litres.
420 tons harvested in 2008, yielding an estimated 126,000 litres.
515 tons harvested in 2007, yielding an estimated 155,000 litres.
500 tons harvested in 2006, yielding an estimated 150,000 litres.
253.4 tons harvested in 2005, yielding an estimated 76,020 litres.
525 tons harvested in 2004, yielding an estimated 157,500 litres.
Top varietals are Ehrenfelser, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Gewürztraminer.
Growth in BC VQA Sales
|
Year
|
Dollar Value
|
Litres
|
Dollar Increase
in %
|
Litre Increase
in %
|
$/Litre
|
$/750ml *
|
|
2008/09
|
160,881,514
|
6,637,387
|
3
|
1
|
24.24
|
18.18
|
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2007/08
|
156,730,109
|
6,594,213
|
4
|
-3
|
23.77
|
17.83
|
|
2006/07
|
151,220,894
|
6,783,234
|
7
|
5
|
22.29
|
16.72
|
|
2005/06
|
141,390,804
|
6,472,816
|
23
|
16
|
21.84
|
16.38
|
|
2004/05
|
114,891,745
|
5,571,100
|
25
|
18
|
20.62
|
15.47
|
|
2003/04
|
91,998,375
|
4,728,612
|
11
|
12
|
19.46
|
14.59
|
|
2002/03
|
83,051,239
|
4,233,458
|
18
|
14
|
19.62
|
14.71
|
|
2001/02
|
70,418,708
|
3,717,452
|
22
|
24
|
18.94
|
14.21
|
|
2000/01
|
57,638,465
|
2,999,807
|
18
|
16
|
19.21
|
14.41
|
|
1999/00
|
48,740,017
|
2,585,217
|
16
|
7
|
18.86
|
14.16
|
|
1998/99
|
42,143,199
|
2,420,599
|
6
|
6
|
17.41
|
13.05
|
|
1997/98
|
39,758,907
|
2,324,068
|
22
|
11
|
17.11
|
12.83
|
|
1996/97
|
32,397,296
|
2,093,324
|
3
|
3
|
15.48
|
11.61
|
|
1995/96
|
31,321,592
|
2,035,877
|
22
|
15
|
15.38
|
11.54
|
|
1994/95
|
23,666,799
|
1,775,580
|
57
|
38
|
13.33
|
10.00
|
|
1993/94
|
15,306,430
|
1,289,672
|
45
|
32
|
11.87
|
8.90
|
|
1992/93
|
10,559,586
|
977,030
|
54
|
31
|
10.81
|
8.11
|
|
1991/92
|
6,846,183
|
748,196
|
-
|
-
|
9.15
|
6.86
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Please note that the average rate of increase in the price of BC VQA wine is 0.1% less than the rate of inflation.
Source: BC Wine Institute from data from the BCLDB
Highlights of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) standard
Wines bearing the label designation “Product of British Columbia” must be produced from 100% British Columbia grown grapes.
Wines bearing the name of a viticultural area are derived from a minimum of 95% of the grapes grown in the named area.
Where a vintage date is stated on the label, at least 95% of the wine is obtained from the designated year of harvest.
Wines labeled as “estate bottled” are produced from grapes grown in a vineyard owned or controlled by the winery, and all processing steps from crushing to bottling are performed at the winery.
As a final check on quality, the wine-tasting panel tests and approves each wine.
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