Raise a glass to our province’s new releases. Wines of British Columbia photo

Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Vitis, the magazine of British Columbia’s wine culture.

In British Columbia’s wine country, spring means the bright, fresh new releases are hitting shelves—the whites, rosés, light reds and the bubbles, so many bubbles. In our most recent issue, Tim Pawsey looks into the future of B.C. fizz and notes that enthusiasm is bubbling over for both traditional method and Charmat sparkling wines. Turns out the late Harry McWatters was right when he said that bubble was the way for the province to go.

Also: Charlene Rooke discovers B.C.’s first true winery lifestyle brand—and surely there will be plenty more to follow. Christine Campbell deciphers what “oaky” really means. And, in Pipette, DJ Kearney investigates the latest goings on in California wine country.

Plus we provide you with a primer to the South American wines showcased at the Vancouver International Wine Festival. We learn how to pair the bitter greens and buttery sauces of Michelin-starred St. Lawrence restaurant’s spring menu (and the recipes in chef J-C Poirier’s new cookbook). And we look into why wineries are starting to “lightweight” their glass bottles.

As this issue of Vitis went to press, we were in the throes of B.C. Wine Month, which is pretty much our favourite time of year. It’s the sixth year that the province has marked the month of April by encouraging us to enjoy more local wine. This, please note, is not exactly a hardship: B.C.’s unique terroir produces wines that are at once full of flavour and beautifully balanced with a refreshing acidity that pairs beautifully with food.

Right now, we’re enjoying the new releases and planning our visits to the wineries as they reopen for the summer season. We hope you’ll fill your glass with some B.C. bubble and join us on the journey.

Pick up a copy of Vitis at any of these locations. Or subscribe here, and have a copy delivered to your mailbox.

—Joanne Sasvari, editor

Joanne Sasvari

Joanne Sasvari is editor of Vitis and The Alchemist magazines. She also writes about food and drink for WestJet and Vancouver Sun, and is author of the Wickaninnish and Vancouver Eats cookbooks.