British Columbia: cool climate or not?

Explore premium wines from Okanagan Valley and Similkameen Valley in a unique masterclass hosted by the drinks business Hong Kong in partnership with British Columbia Wine Institute.

Happening on Wednesday, 9 November in the China Club, the masterclass will be conducted by Rupert Millar, managing editor of the drinks business Hong Kong and Rhys Pender, Master of Wine and is open to Hong Kong’s wine trade.

The masterclass will include a comparative tasting featuring a selection of British Columbia’s finest red and white wine from Okanagan Valley and Similkameen Valley and a discussion on British Columbia’s future prospects as a globally recognized premium wine region and how its diverse regions and unique short, hot growing season can make a wide range of wines that go beyond cool climate.

Okanagan Valley
Boasting nearly 82% of the total vineyard acreage in the province, the Okanagan Valley is British Columbia’s premier grape growing region.  An ever-changing panorama, the valley stretches over 250 kilometres, across distinct sub-regions, each with different soil and climate conditions suited to a growing range of varietals. From world-class operations to family-run boutique vineyards, Okanagan wineries are rich with character and consistently ranked among the world’s best at international competitions.

Similkameen Valley
One of the “world’s five best wine regions you’ve never heard of”, (EnRoute Magazine), the Similkameen Valley is a pristine stretch of vineyards, set amongst the dramatic backdrop of rugged mountains. Recognized by wine lovers and critics alike, the region continues to produce world-class wines. Although grapes and fruit have been grown in the Similkameen for decades, only recently has there been a rapid expansion of wineries.

In 2015, British Columbia’s Vintner’s Quality Alliance (BC VQA) designation celebrated 25 years of excellence, and collectively, British Columbia’s wineries won over 2,000 medals in national and international competitions – more than ever before, cementing British Columbia as a premium wine producing region.

As the vineyards are north of 49° latitude, people expect a very cool climate similar to other wine producing areas at this latitude, like the Champagne region of France and much of Germany that are indeed very cold places to grow grapes……But is British Columbia a cool climate winemaking region or not? Join the masterclass to find out!

Discover British Columbia Wines with British Columbia Wine Institute and dbHK:

Wednesday, 9 November, 3.30 – 5:30pm

The China Club, Hong Kong

Please register your attendance here

Funding for this masterclass has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Government of British Columbia through the BC Agrifood & Seafood Export Program under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC.