Although Canada has invested enormously in viticulture and wine quality in the last 30 years, the country is still not perceived as a producer of high-quality wines. It is overshadowed by its seemingly superior neighbour, the USA. According to legend, Vikings were already cultivating wine on Canada's east coast in the 11th century. What can be verified is that a German officer founded an 8-hectare vineyard near Toronto as early as 1811, which can be considered the official starting signal for viticulture in Canada. However, the cultivation of hybrid vines was favoured for almost 150 years. Canada survived Prohibition very well, and clever marketing even strengthened viticulture. For a long time, the state exerted influence here, but a new era began with the founding of the first private winery, Inniskillin. About 15,000 hectares are under vine in Canada, with about 90% of the production coming from two regions, the Niagara Peninsula in the east of the country and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, in the west. Grape varieties and wine styles have also changed dramatically. Whereas hybrid varieties were once used to produce sweet wines or fortified wines in the sherry or port style, they are now used to produce dry wines from international varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. The hybrid variety Vidal remains, from which excellent ice wines are produced in the typical cold winters when the grapes are healthy. The total production volume of about 70 million litres is distributed among slightly more than 500 wineries. Since Canada, with its climate, short summers, and long cold winters, tends to benefit from climate change, we can expect a lot more in the coming years.
