Vintners Quality Alliance, or VQA, is a regulatory and

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...

system which guarantees the high quality and authenticity of origin for

Canadian wine Canadian wine is wine produced in Canada. Ontario and British Columbia are the two largest wine-producing provinces in Canada, with two-thirds of the Canada's vineyard acreage situated in Ontario. However, wine producing regions are also present i ...

s made under that system in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

and

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. It is similar to regulatory systems in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

(

AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

( DO),

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

(

DOC DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

), and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

( QmP). The VQA system allows for sub-appellations, by which the grapes for wines are sourced from extremely specific geographical locations with different soil and climate. This is in accordance with the concept of ''

terroir (, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these conte ...

''.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 759 Oxford University Press 2006 In addition, there are other classifications of wine in Canada.

has a category known as ''"Wines of Distinction"'',

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

has ''"Wines of Nova Scotia"'' and

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

has "''Vins du Québec''". All must be 100 percent made from grapes grown in British Columbia, Nova Scotia or Quebec, respectively.

Cellared in Canada Depending on the province in which it is produced, Cellared in Canada is a category of Canadian wine that is produced with varying quantities of foreign bulk wine and Canadian wine. These wines are often sold in government-run liquor stores in se ...

is a completely separate category.G. Hamiliton
Sale of cheap imports as B.C. wines called 'scandalous'
''National Post Vancouver Sun'', September 20th, 2009.

Requirements

In addition to the requirements regarding sources of grapes, VQA wines may be made from ''

Vitis vinifera ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. There are curre ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

and approved hybrid varieties. In British Columbia, VQA wines are made primarily with ''vinifera'' grapes, while

uses a range of vinifera varieties and notably permits the use of

Vidal Vidal (, , , ) is a Catalan, Aragonese, and possibly also Romansh surname, which also appears in French, Italian, Portuguese and English, and as a given name. Vidal may refer to: Surname * Maurice Vidal Portman (1850–1935), a British doct ...

, particularly in the production of some of Canada's icewines.J. Gordon (ed) ''Opus Vino'' pg 126-130, DK Publishing New York 2010, VQA wines may be made with grapes from relatively small agricultural yields per vine (which increases quality), they meet specific sugar or

brix Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is a measure of the dissolved solids in a liquid, and is commonly used to measure dissolved sugar content of an aqueous solution. One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution and represents the strength ...

levels at harvest, and the use of additives is regulated. There are also standards regulating the use of certain types of packaging and closures. To receive the VQA designation, wine must undergo testing by the regulating bodies. The VQA logo does not have a standard location on the bottle, and for some VQA wines the producer has chosen not to display the logo at all. If a consumer wishes to purchase wine from 100% Canadian grapes, extra care must be taken to ensure that the wine is what they believe it to be, and not an "International Canadian blend" (formerly known as "

").

Appellations

Ontario appellations and sub-appellations

Total production for Ontario appellation wines is approximately 20,000 tonnes * Appellation -

Niagara Peninsula The Niagara Peninsula is an area of land lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie, in Ontario, Canada. Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula, it stretches from the Niagara River in the ...

(includes all appellations below, Canada's largest) **Regional appellation -

Niagara Escarpment The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States that runs predominantly east–west from New York through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, and into Illinois. The escarpment is most famous as the cliff over ...

(includes the 3 sub-appellations below) ***Sub-appellation -

Short Hills Bench The Short Hills Bench is a sub-appellation of the Niagara Peninsula (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada). Flora and fauna A Carolinian Climatic Zone, the Short Hills Bench has been acknowledged for its unique soils, topography and climate by the gove ...

***Sub-appellation - Twenty Mile Bench ***Sub-appellation -

Beamsville Beamsville ( 2021 Urban area estimated population 13,323) is a community that is part of the town of Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. It is located along the southern shore of Lake Ontario and lies within the fruit belt of the Niagara Peninsula. It co ...

Bench **Regional appellation -

Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara-on-the-Lake is a town in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Niagara Peninsula at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, across the river from New York, United States. Niagara-on-the-Lake is in the Niagara Region of On ...

(includes the 4 sub-appellations immediately below) ***Sub-appellation -

Niagara River The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...

***Sub-appellation - Niagara Lakeshore ***Sub-appellation - Four Mile Creek ***Sub-appellation - St. David's Bench **Sub-appellation - Vinemount Ridge **Sub-appellation - Creek Shores **Sub-appellation -

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

Lakeshore *Appellation -

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

North Shore **Sub-appellation - South Islands * Appellation - Prince Edward County In addition, the Ontario Wine Appellation Authority recognizes the following emerging regions, which are not yet recognized as official appellations: * Norfolk and Haldimand Counties * Central Ontario and Georgian Bay * Huron Shores * Eastern Ontario Blue Mountain 01

British Columbia geographical indications (appellations)

(total production for 2012 27,000+ tons) * GI -

Fraser Valley The Fraser Valley is a geographical region in southwestern British Columbia, Canada and northwestern Washington State. It starts just west of Hope in a narrow valley encompassing the Fraser River and ends at the Pacific Ocean stretching from the ...

* GI -

Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands are a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia. Etymology The name "Gulf Islands" comes from "Gulf of Georgia," the original term used by George Vancouver in his ma ...

* GI - Kootenays * GI - Lillooet * GI -

Okanagan Valley The Okanagan ( ), also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is part ...

** Sub-GI - East Kelowna Slopes ** Sub-GI - Golden Mile Bench ** Sub-GI - Golden Mile Slopes ** Sub-GI - Lake Country ** Sub-GI - Okanagan Falls ** Sub-GI - Naramata Bench ** Sub-GI - Skaha Bench ** Sub-GI - South Kelowna Slopes ** Sub-GI - Summerland Bench ** Sub-GI - Summerland Lakefront ** Sub-GI - Summerland Valleys * GI - Shuswap * GI -

Similkameen Valley Similkameen may refer to: * Similkameen Country or Similkameen District, or "the Similkameen", a historical georegion in British Columbia, Canada * Similkameen River, a river that runs through southern British Columbia, discharging into the Okanog ...

* GI - Thompson Valley * GI -

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

** Sub-GI - Cowichan Valley

Organizations

Regulatory

* British Columbia Wine Institute (the regulatory role is being transferred to the new British Columbia Wine Authority, which will be a government body). * Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario, which is a regulatory agency of the Province of Ontario that administers the Ontario VQA Act. Blasted Church Bottles

Marketing & Advocacy

* British Columbia Wine Institute * Wine Council of Ontario * Winery Association of Nova Scotia * Vignerons independants du Quebec

Other organizations

* B.C. Grape Growers Association (represent independent growers). * Association of B.C. Winegrowers (represents smaller and fruit wineries). * Grape Growers of Ontario (represent growers and negotiate the prices of grapes). * Ontario Wine Producers Association

References

External links

VQA Ontario

British Columbia Wine Institute

Wines of Ontario

Wines of Nova Scotia
{{Geographical indications Canadian wine Wine classification Alcohol in Ontario Alcohol in British Columbia