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All About B.C. Wine Tours
By
www.greatinfosite.com
If you are a wine country traveler headed for a British Columbia (B.C.) wine tour, then you have a lot of geography to cover, on both sides of the Cascade Mountains. The west is divided into the Vancouver Island Region and the Fraser Valley Region, where the weather is wet and mild. To the east of the Cascades lie the drier Okanagan and Similkameen wine regions, where weather is more severe than in the west.
History of B.C.
The arrival of Europeans began around the 18th century as fur traders entered the area to hunt sea otters. In 1778, Captain James Cook arrived in the region looking for the Northwest Passage. In 1790, long before there were in B.C., the Spanish created the first colony.
British Columbia was largely run by the Hudson's Bay Company after its merger with the North West Company in 1821. In 1858 gold was discovered along the banks of the Fraser River. Victoria was transformed over night into a tent city as prospectors, speculators, land agents, and outfitters flooded in from around the world, mostly from San Francisco.
B.C. Wine Tour - Vancouver Island
Most of the wineries are located on the southeast end of Vancouver Island. The mild, warm weather helps in the development of its delicate fruit wines. This island is the largest island on North America's west coast.
The largest
attraction on the island is its provincial capital Victoria, otherwise known as B.C.'s most English city.
B.C. Wine Tour - Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley is known more for its sweet wines because of less snow and milder winters than the Okanagan Valley. It is one of several district regions that make up what is considered to be the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The locals refer to it as "The Valley," and it is made up of an area of the community of hope at its eastern end to the community of Langley all the way to the Strait of Georgia.
B.C. Wine Tour - Okanagan and Similkameen Valley's
More and more red wine grapes are being grown in these valleys where the hot desert climate and long northern latitude growing season create microclimates well suited for red varieties. Cool nights in this warm area prevent the breakdown of acids caused by constant heat. Plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, among others are now scattered throughout this southern region.
This is B.C.'s largest wine producing region and encompasses some of the province's most dramatic scenery. It also offers unlimited opportunities for sightseeing, wine festivals, and seasonal wine tasting.
Your B.C. wine tour should include trying some of the Okanagan ice wine; a delicate wine produced from frozen grapes.
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