Science Making Award-winning Canadian Wines Even Better

Pinot Gris. Chardonnay. Merlot. Words to make the mouth water.

But to make a wine that lives up to the promise of its name takes a great deal of expertise. Winemakers take great pride in their craft, and work tirelessly to meet to the highest standards. Canadian winemakers are no different.

Wine lovers from far and wide are discovering and savouring Canadian wines, one of the world’s best-kept secrets. Regular winners of a number of prestigious international awards, the labours of Canada’s vintners are definitely worth a taste.

And while you are appreciating the Canadian winemakers’ art, you might also raise a glass to a team of talented scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Working out of the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre (PARC) in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley — the heart of the province’s wine country, and easily accessible from Vancouver, site of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games — these scientists are helping Canadian wineries bring their craft to a new level, strengthening an industry that produces well over 50 million litres of wine annually.

At their base in the Okanagan, PARC’s team of scientists studies every aspect of wine production — from controlling vineyard pests and diseases to developing grape-growing and winemaking practices to achieve desirable flavours, aromas and mouth-feel in Canadian wines, the team is on the case.

The Okanagan is one of the most northerly wine-producing regions in the world but, shielded by mountain ranges, the climate is surprisingly warm, sunny, and usually dry. Since the first vineyards were planted there in the late 1850s, British Columbia’s wine industry has flourished. Today, with more than 150 wineries and nearly 5,000 acres of grape vines lining the slopes of the valley, the region accounts for a quarter of Canada’s wine production.

“The BC wine industry has grown tremendously in size and economic importance the past few years,” says Dr. Patricia Bowen, a plant physiologist who leads the PARC team. “Our research is aimed at supporting the industry’s efforts to maintain and enhance its reputation for quality and sustainability.” 

In addition to cutting-edge research activities — terroir characterization using geographic information system (GIS) mapping, for example — the team’s work is also helping growers use best practices.

Among others, the team has developed and helped growers use alternative methods to control pests, such as the use of synthetic female sex pheromones to disrupt mating of harmful insects, as well as methods that enhance the activity of beneficial insects — all important to a sustainable vineyard management program.

Beyond the vineyard, the PARC team delves into the chemistry of grape and wine flavour, aroma and mouth-feel, and sensory evaluation to profile wine characteristics from different grape growing and winemaking practices.

“We’ve found that Merlot grapes mature differently on different sites because of elevation and climate,” explains Dr. Margaret Cliff, the team’s specialist in sensory evaluation. “There’s a clear difference between the wines made from grapes planted in different regions of the valley and we’ve found it’s due to the climate and the water-holding capacity of the soil, rather than its mineral content. We’ve also detected differences due to winemakers’ style variations that are independent of the site.”

In addition to the Okanagan, aproximately 2,000 acres of vineyards are also taking root in the Fraser Valley, and on the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. The team is working to expand its collaboration with industry into these regions as well as updating the GIS database. They are also continuing their work on irrigation management, examining how different irrigation regimes impact water use efficiency and overall fruit quality in different soil types.

“Our research goals involve working on sustainable growing practices, but we also aim to create high-quality grapes that translate into high-quality wines,” says Dr. Bowen. “After all, you need good grapes to make good wines, and we certainly make some wonderful wines here in BC.”