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):

OFFICIAL SUB REGIONS


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%