Canadian wineries from Ontario and British Columbia have joined together to exhibit under the banner of ‘Wines of Canada’ at ProWein 2015. Over three days, 15 wineries from Canada’s two primary wine growing regions will exhibit together within this national booth in Düsseldorf, Germany, for this important international wine trade exhibition.
British Columbia’s wine industry will be represented by two South Okanagan wineries: Burrowing Owl Estate Winery and Meyer Family Vineyard (pictured below).
The Canadian pavilion will showcase red and white wines along with Icewine and sparkling wine to highlight the diversity and quality of Canadian wine.
“Our industry is excited to be back for ProWein 2015 where our wines will be shown alongside the best from the world,” says Magdalena Kaiser, Director of PR for Wine Country Ontario.
Two Discover the Wines of Canada’ sessions will be held at the ProWein Forum, each led by an internationally respected wine writer. Ian D’Agata and Jamie Goode will each lead a different seminar tasting and both are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about Canada’s wine regions.
“In the last couple of years I have visited Canada three times and tasted a lot of wines; I’ve been so surprised by just how many interesting Canadian wines there now are, and I’ve had a lot of fun exploring the Okanagan, Niagara and Prince Edward County, all of which have some seriously good producers,” says Jamie Goode, Ph.D., London-based wine writer, wine columnist, The Sunday Express. “It’s going to be exciting to present some of these wines to people who haven’t experienced them before.”
Burrowing Owl‘s winery and vineyard lie within one of Canada’s most unique ecosystems which includes the northernmost tip of the Sonora Desert. The location near the north end of Osoyoos Lake is one of the most highly rated grape-growing locations in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. The winemaking facility combines state-of-the-art technologies with proven, classic winemaking traditions. A gravity-flow system handles ripe grapes delicately, preserving their rich fruit character. Extensive underground cellaring capacity ensures that long term barrel aging is never limited by space.
Meyer Family Vineyards began as a boutique producer of just premium Chardonnay wines, coming to market in early 2008 with just 600 cases from a 1.6 hectare Naramata vineyard. It did not take owners JAK Meyer and Janice Stevens very long to realize that a viable winery needed to be larger. By the end of 2008, they had purchased a larger second vineyard near Okanagan Falls. Premium Pinot Noir, a natural partner to Chardonnay, was added to the Meyer portfolio, along with the popular Gewürztraminer that came with the vineyard. The winery is a short drive east of Okanagan Falls, on the 6.9 hectare McLean Creek Road property.
