Photo courtesy of Wines of British Columbia

Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2021 issue of Vitis, the magazine of British Columbia’s wine culture.

April, the poet T.S. Eliot wrote, is the cruellest month. But unlike his lilacs, spring’s budding grapevines do not come from a wasteland, but from unique soils. And British Columbia’s wine regions have some of the most intriguing soils on the planet. In this issue, we really get down in the dirt. Rhys Pender MW maps the province’s soil types and chats with wine country’s top soil scientist, Scott Smith, who is defining its Geographical Indications. We also visit Blue Mountain Vineyards to taste how terroir affects the flavours of wine planted only rows apart. And we follow Anthony von Mandl on the trail of the glaciers that carved out the Okanagan Valley.

Also in this issue: Charlene Rooke advises on the new generation of wine clubs, which bring the world right to your door. Daenna van Mulligen checks in with the respected and prolific wine writer John Schreiner as he embarks on a vintage memoir. Christine Campbell reminisces about the virtual wine groups that made the last few months bearable. And Tim Pawsey checks out what’s going on in West Kelowna these days, from beachside wineries to bell towers to, well, you’ll just have to read his piece to find out.

Plus we have winery listings, wine news, restaurants and so much more.

After a long and unhappy winter, spring has at last sprung. I don’t think we’ve ever been more delighted to see the first green shoots of bud break. They are a sign of hope, and a sign of delicious things to come. We celebrate all that and more in this issue.

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.