Quick Facts

Economic Impact of BC Wine Industry

The BC Wine Industry contributes $3.75 billion annually to British Columbia’s economy.

Each year, BC’s wineries welcome more than 1,191,500 visitors generating 609 million in associated revenue for the provincial economy.
BC VQA Wine continues to be the second-best selling category in BC, with greater than 19% of the market (litre sales), behind only British Columbia non-VQA wine (i.e. includes 100% BC wines, and International Blend from Imported and Domestic Wines).

NUMBER OF WINERIES:

• 306  licensed grape wine wineries in British Columbia as of January 2025
• 199 are members of the WGBC

OFFICIAL WINE REGIONS (Geographical Indications):

• Okanagan Valley
• Similkameen Valley
• Fraser Valley
• Vancouver Island
• Gulf Islands
• Thompson Valley
• Shuswap
• Lillooet
• Kootenays

OFFICIAL SUB REGIONS

• Golden Mile Bench
• Okanagan Falls
• Naramata Bench
• Skaha Bench
• Cowichan Valley
• Golden Mile Slopes
• Lake Country
• East Kelowna Slopes
• South Kelowna Slopes
• Summerland Valleys
• Summerland Bench
• Summerland Lakefront

NUMBER OF VINEYARDS:

1,234 vineyards with more than 12,681 acres (5,132 hectares) of planted land
(wineries and independent growers)

GRAPE VARIETIES PRODUCED:

80+

TOP 10 WHITE VARIETIES (by acreage planted):

• Pinot Gris
• Chardonnay
• Riesling
• Gewürztraminer
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Pinot Blanc
• Viognier
• Muscat
• Ehrenfelser
• Sémillon

TOP 10 RED VARIETIES (by acreage planted):

• Merlot
• Pinot Noir
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cabernet Franc
• Syrah (Shiraz)
• Gamay Noir
• Malbec
• Maréchal Foch
• Petit Verdot
• Zweigelt

RATIO OF WHITE TO RED

56% to 44%