Leading roles in this natural drama are played by verdant coastal ranges and the rugged Cascade Mountains, scattering beauty and inspiration across this regional stage. British Columbia Wine Country is no exception. Elevations of more than 14,000 feet easily prevent westerly flows of cooler, wetter weather systems from moving east. W ine-country travelers in BC find wineries and vineyards find wineries on both sides of the Cascades.
Weather here is mild and relatively wet.
Weather in these regions is more extreme than that in the west. M any different soil and weather variations in the Okanagan combine to create ideal growing conditions for a wide variety of wine grapes. This diversity makes it conceivable to visit neighboring vineyards in the region that produce completely different wines. B etween BC's two wine regions in the west and its major Okanagan and Similkameen wine regions in the east, the traveler finds a wide selection of varietal wines, primarily produced from French and German vinifera grapes from big, ripe reds to fresh, cool whites, and rich, sweet Icewine made from grapes left to freeze naturally on the vine. Approximately 20 years ago, government-sponsored, experimental vineyard plots helped winemakers discover which varietals ripened properly and were able to survive BC's consistently frosty winters.