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:

  • 341 licensed grape wine wineries in British Columbia as of March 2023
  • 208 are members of the WGBC

OFFICIAL WINE REGIONS (Geographical Indications):

OFFICIAL SUB REGIONS


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%