The wines of BC and the rest of the world, excluding the USA, were the last of the wines I tasted at the International Festival Tasting Room during VanWineFest 2025.
Read through my wine tasting notes below and if you find some wines that spark your interest, check out your local BC Liquor store, some private wine shops, and for BC wines, buy direct from the winery. Enjoy.
My Wine Picks
Canada
BC offers a diverse selection of wines that showcase our unique terroirs. From the elegant effervescence of Blue Grouse’s Charme de l’Île NV, with its lively bubbles and crisp orchard fruit, to the tropical richness and butterscotch complexity of La Frenz’s Reserve Chardonnay 2022, BC wines continue to impress. Sparkling wines like Lakeside Cellars Bubbles 2022 demonstrate the versatility of Sauvignon Blanc, offering tropical vibrancy with a refreshing finish. Meanwhile, Sage Hayward Vineyards showcases the potential of the Gulf Islands with a textured, mineral-driven Chardonnay and a delicate, red-fruited Pinot Noir. Across the board, BC wineries are crafting wines of character and balance, making them a must-try for any wine lover.
Blue Grouse Estate Winery, Charme de l’ile NV, Cowichan Valley, BC – A medium lemon colour in the glass. It has light aromas of pine needles and apples. Dry with medium body. This sparkling wine has medium-sized biting bubbles. High acidity. Light peach, bruised apple and pine needle aromas. A touch of bitterness as well. 
Chaberton Estate Winery Bacchus 2023, Fraser Valley, BC – It has a light lemon colour. Medium intenstiy aromas of pine needles and stone fruits, with more on the palate. Dry with a lightly round mouthfeel. Medium-plus acidity.
La Frenz Estate Winery Reserve Chardonnay 2022, Naramata Bench, BC – A light lemon colour. Light stone fruit nose. Dry, medium-plus body with a smooth, thicker mouthfeel. Tasty tropical fruits and butterscotch flavours, plus sweet spices. Buttery mouthfeel.
Lakeside Cellars Bubbles 2022, Okanagan Valley, BC – This sparkling wine is made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Nice green fruit and capsicum aromas. Dry with a medium-plus body. High acidity. It has smaller biting and creamy bubbles. Tropical fruit flavours. Medium-plus length with mouthwatering finish.
Moraine Estate Winery Riesling 2024, Naramata Bench, BC – A light lemon colour. Light stone fruit and stony aromas. Medium body with a round, thicker mouthfeel. Medium sweetness. Expressive flavours of peach and honey. Medium-plus length. Quality.
Sage Hayward Vineyards Chardonnay 2022, Gulf Islands, BC – It has a light lemon colour. Nice aromas of tropical fruit and butterscotch that continues to the palate. The wine is lightly round with a smooth mouthfeel. In addition to the tropical fruit and butterscotch flavours, there are also tart stone fruit flavours from the mid-palate to the finish and a streak of minerality. Medium-plus acidity. Medium-plus length with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Good quality.
Sage Hayward Vineyards Pinot Noir 2022, Gulf Islands, BC – A light translucent garnet colour in the glass. Nice red cherry and raspberry aromas. Dry, medium body with a lean mouthfeel. Red fruits and cherries on the palate. Medium acidity and drying tannins. 
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The Rest of the World
Beyond BC, wines from Italy, Spain, Greece, and even Brazil provide a fascinating exploration of global styles. Italian whites like Roero Arneis and Pecorino offer fresh stone fruit and mineral complexity, while the structured elegance of Barbera Langhe Caseret 2021 highlights Piedmont’s red wine finesse. Spain brings both refreshing whites, like the vibrant Marques de Riscal Sauvignon Blanc, and richly layered reds, exemplified by Bodegas Olarra’s Cerro Anon Rioja Reserva 2019. Greek Assyrtiko and Malagousia offer new, fresh flavours to enjoy in BC, while Brazil’s Miolo Touriga Nacional (an indigenous grape to Portugal) Single Vineyard 2022 surprises with its fresh berry and spice profile. These wines and more highlight the depth of flavours and traditions found across the world’s most exciting wine regions.
Freixenet Prosecco NV, Italy – Medium lemon colour. Fresh stone fruit aromas. High acidity. Small biting bubbles to start, transition to creamy bubbles. Sweet stone fruit flavours.
Freixenet Elyssia Grand Cuvee NV, Spain – A medium intensity, bright lemon colour. Stone fruit, honey and stoniness on the nose. Medium body with mouth filling bubbles. Stone fruit flavours with a touch of petrol and some bitterness on the finish.
Torre Zambra “Poggio Salaia” Pecorino 2022, Abruzzo, Italy – Medium intensity lemon colour. Medium intensity aromas of pine needles. Off-dry with a medium body. Smooth mouthfeel. Pine needles on the palate. –
Azienda Agricola Marziano Abbona, Roero Arneis Tistin 2023, Piedmont, Italy – A pale lemon colour. Stone fruit and flint on the nose. Light with flower, stone fruit and honey on the palate. It is dry with a lean mouthfeel. Some pepperiness on the finish. –
Azienda Agricola Marziano Abbona, Barbera Langhe Caseret DOCG 2021, Piedmont, Italy – This wine has a medium intensity translucent garnet colour. Medium intensity aromas of cherries and candied cherries with more on the palate. It is dry, lighter bodied with a lean, light mouthfeel. Medium-plus acidity and light tannins. Also has hints of oak and pepperiness. Elegant.
Villa Travignoli Rosé Spumante 2023, Tuscany, Italy – It has a pale rose petal colour. Light strawberry scented nose. Dry, medium body, with high acidity. A mix of small, creamy and biting bubbles. Crab apples and strawberries on the palate. Tasty!
Tommasi Family Estates Le Rosse Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC 2023, Italy – Pale colour in the glass. Light intensity, juicy stone fruit nose. Medium body with a soft, smooth, thicker mouthfeel. Ripe stone fruit and lime flavours.
Wine Art Estate, Drama Assyrtiko – Plano 2023, Drama, Greece – A pale but bright lemon colour. A light citrus nose. Dry with a smooth, lean mouthfeel. Subtle flavours of citrus and honey. Medium acidity. An easy sipper. –
Wine Art Estate, Malagousia Macedonia – Plano 2023, Drama, Greece – A pale lemon colour. Fragrant tropical with a touch of mint on the nose that continues to the palate. Off-dry with a round, soft, thicker mouthfeel. Fresh and tasty.
Baglio Oro Terre Sicillane Inzolla Guari 2023, Sicily, Italy – It has a lighter lemon colour. Fresh stone fruit nose. Medium body with a smooth, round, thicker mouthfeel. Tropical fruit, mint and stoniness on the palate. –
Cantine Coppi Serralto Falanghina 2022, Puglia, Italy – A medium lemon colour. Nice honey, stone fruit and floral aromas. Medium body with a smooth soft mouthfeel. Stone fruits and mintiness on the palate. Medium acidity. Very tasty.
Cantine Coppi Serralto Malvasia 2023, Puglia, Italy – Light lemon colour in the glass. Medium intensity aromas of stone fruits, spearmint and floral. Nice aromas. Medium body dry with a smooth mouthfeel. Stone fruits, tropical fruits and spearmint flavours. A dry finish. Refreshing.
Marques de Riscal Rueda Sauvignon Blanc Organic 2023, Rioja/Rueda, Spain – Pale lemon colour. Very light guava aromas. Dry, light body and lightly round mouthfeel. Jalapeño pepper and stone fruit flavours. Some bitterness on the finish. –
Bodegas Olarra Cerro Anon Rioja Reserva 2019, Rioja, Spain – Medium intensity translucent to the core garnet colour. Nice aged oak, red cherries and sweet spice aromas. Dry, medium body. Red cherries, red berries, along with some candied cherries, sweet spices and cedar on the palate. Medium plus acidity and fine tannins. Medium-plus length with some pepperiness on the finish. Quality.
Miolo Touriga Nacional Single Vineyard 2022, Campanha, Brazil – This wine has a deeper, dull garnet colour. Freshly crushed ripe berries and cinnamon aromas, with more on the palate. It is dry with medium-minus body and lean mouthfeel. Higher acidity and lighter tannins. Fresh and bright fruit flavours.
Concluding Thoughts
I thought it was very interesting to compare the grape varieties used for the wines in BC compared to the rest of the world. While many people tire of the most common vitis vinifera, BC makes terrific wines from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, for example. But then going abroad, I have wines from Italy, Greece, Spain, and Brasil which show off less common grape varieties, with many being indigenous to their region. So enjoy the variety of wines we have to enjoy whether here or abroad. And remember, it is easy to venture out and try wines made with grape varieties which may be new to you.
