by Frances Stanford

Created on: June 18, 2009   Last Updated: June 24, 2009

The climate of British Columbia rivals that of the great wine-making regions of Europe making it the ideal location in Canada for wineries producing delectable wines. The long dry summers and fertile soils lend themselves to the growing of different varieties of grape vines. In this article you can take a brief tour of the wineries on Vancouver Islands and the smaller islands off the west coast of British Columbia so that you can be prepared for your visit to the area or recognize the wines when you see them on the shelves.

Alderlea Vineyards

Alderlea Vineyards, which was established in 1992, is located at 1751 Stamps Road in Duncan, British Columbia. Vines grow on the slopes of the Cowichan Valley overlooking the Quamichan Lake producing grapes used to make Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines as well as 100% Marechal Foch grapes used in the production of Pinot Auxerrois, Bacchus and a deep red variety of Clarinet wines. This winery also includes an aromatic white wine in its line up of products in addition to Angeliquend, which is a dark rich port wine.

The owners of this vineyard, Roger and Nancy Dosman, employ the technique of tending to aid in the process of ripening the grapes. This involves using the greenhouse effect produced by covering the grapes with sheets of polyethylene in the spring of the year.

Averill Creek Winery

Located on the slopes of Mt. Prevost, Averill Creek Winery is owned and operated by Andrew Johnson, who studied the wine making techniques in Italy, France and Australia before starting his own business. Over 1400 vines are grown on this property, which takes in 46 acres of land. Named for the creek that cuts through the vineyard this winery produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Merlot and Gewurztraminer wines. The wines here are sold in screw top bottles because the owner believes that this is the best method of preserving the wine once it has been bottled.

Barking Dog Organic Vineyard

This was originally a farm in Victoria operated by the parents of the present owner, Jon Popham and his wife Lana. In 1977, Jon's father experimented with planting vines and producing wine and the first wines were produced in 2005. Operating under the Winchesters Cellars licence, the winery is named for the owners Yellow Lab, George, hence the name "Barking Dog."

The main wines produced by this winery are Bacchus and Ortega but Pinot Noir and Foch have recently been added to the list. The signature organic wines are an Ortega/Bacchus blend and a Dornfelder/Blackberry

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