Harvest season is our favourite time of year. Wines of British Columbia photo

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

Since we launched Vitis in the spring of 2018—has it really been more than five years?—we’ve been champions of our local wines and the people who make them. And while that will never change, we also recognize that British Columbia doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and neither should we. We’ve always covered other wine destinations, but with this issue we’re expanding that coverage, and have even more exciting plans in the works.

That means sharing more international wine news, tasting notes, experiences and conversations with winemakers and sommeliers from around the world.

In this issue, Tim Pawsey travels the world to find the best wines to sip with your oysters, which are back in season again after a not-so-great summer. Daenna Van Mulligen samples Grenache from France, Australia, Sardinia and B.C., reminding us just why it’s “one of the world’s most-enjoyed wines.” In Pipette, DJ Kearney offers a taste of what’s happening on the global scene, from stone labels to the destruction of French wines. And Christine Campbell explains what “glou-glou” means, which will be handy for you to know for the Beaujolais Nouveau release on November 16.

Closer to home, Charlene Rooke chats with the folks at Ones, the B.C.-made zero-proof wine. Vancouver somms share their insights. And we check out steak-forward restaurants in Victoria, Whistler, Vancouver and the Okanagan Valley so you can indulge in all your favourite big reds. Plus I get to hang out with the legendary winemakers Mark Beringer and Olivier Humbrecht at Phantom Creek, which is like a master class in wine, only way more fun.

On a more serious note: As you almost certainly know, it has been a rough year in B.C. wine country. Following a brutal winter kill, this summer’s busy tourist season was disrupted by devastating wildfires in the Okanagan, Thompson, Similkameen and Shuswap. Our thoughts are with everyone in those regions, and we hope you will join us in supporting their wineries, restaurants, hotels and other businesses this fall and winter.

Meanwhile, let’s raise a glass of something deep, delicious and autumnal to the cozy months ahead.

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

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.