Canada

• Creek Shores
• Niagara
• Okanagan Valley
• Ontario

It may seem impossible, but there are, as yet, vast, undiscovered areas where wines are produced that few people seem to know about. More specifically, there are few wineries that excel at a level of winemaking which belies the inherent strength of the specific region. Case in point: Mission Hill Winery in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada.

If Canada doesn’t scream wine to anyone, that idea might be forgiven. But if the Okanagan Valley isn’t on your list of wine places to visit, you’re sorely missing the proverbial boat. When one thinks of world-class wine the short list is easy: Names like Napa, Bordeaux, Piedmont, Rioja, Mosel, among others. Canada it seems, is better left to hockey and maple syrup. You might be embarrassed how wrong you can be.

Canadian Wines have been on the increase since the 1970s. Although increasing in popularity, these wines are still not on the radar of the large scale North American or world market. If you count fruit wines, one can find wine from every province in Canada. There are 2 major areas of production: British Columbia’s Okanogan Valley and Ontario’s Niagara Penninsula. There are countless others, but the areas with the largest output are the 2 mentioned above.