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.
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:
- 335 licensed grape wine wineries in British Columbia (total 451 licensed wineries)
- 207 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:
1,049 vineyards with more than 11,086 acres (4,486 hectares) of planted land
(wineries and independent growers)
GRAPE VARIETIES PRODUCED:
80+
TOP 10 WHITE VARIETIES (by acreage planted):
- Pinot Gris
- Chardonnay
- Gewürztraminer
- Riesling
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Viognier
- Pinot Blanc
- Ortega
- Ehrenfelser
- Blattner Whites
TOP 10 RED VARIETIES (by acreage planted):
- Merlot
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cabernet Franc
- Syrah (Shiraz)
- Gamay Noir
- Maréchal Foch
- Malbec
- Petit Verdot
- Zweigelt
RATIO OF WHITE TO RED
47% to 53%
