South Okanagan, including the proposed Golden Mile Bench, from Anarchist Mtn., Tim Pawsey photo

South Okanagan, including the proposed Golden Mile Bench, from Anarchist Mtn., Tim Pawsey photo

Updated: October 17th, 2014 …

GOLDEN MILE APPROVED AS BC’s FIRST SUB G-I

As per the British Columbia Grape Authority:

“Golden Mile Bench” Sub-GI Application

On May 20, 2014 the Authority received an application from a group of proponents requesting that a new Sub-Geographical Indication under the name of the “Golden Mile Bench” be prescribed in the Wines of Marked Quality Regulation.

Following an extensive review of the Application, the Authority’s Board has concluded that the Application meets the requirements of section 29 and it is recommending to the Minister of Agriculture that the Application, as submitted, be approved and that a new Sub-GI of “Golden Mile Bench”, with boundaries as they have been proposed in the Application, be prescribed through an amendment to section 28 of the Regulation.

The Board’s full Report concerning its review of the Application is expected to be released shortly.

 

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Sub-Appellations are (almost) here: A red letter day for the Okanagan Valley, and the rest of BC.

“This just in…”

Oliver, BC (May 21, 2014) – Wineries located on the Golden Mile Bench wine growing area near Oliver in British Columbia have submitted a proposal to become the first official sub-DVA “Designated Viticultural Area” of the Okanagan Valley DVA. An in-depth scientific analysis by scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre – Summerland (AAFC-PARC Summerland) has shown the area has a combination of landform, landscape position, mesoclimate, air drainage and soil materials that make it distinct within the Okanagan Valley, contributing to the production of unique wines.

A group of producers in the area have been exploring the concept of proposing a Golden Mile Bench DVA since 2009. After much discussion, debate and an in-depth study of the region’s terroir by Scott Smith, M.Sc. Soil Scientist with AAFC-PARC Summerland in conjunction with Dr. Pat Bowen, Ph.D. Research Scientist, Viticulture and Plant Physiology also at AAFC-PARC Summerland, the final boundaries were decided. Wine consultant, Rhys Pender MW of Wine Plus+ helped to compile the proposal.

With the Okanagan Valley DVA comprising around four-fifths of all British Columbia’s vineyard area, yet producing wines from many different mesoclimates and terroirs, it is a widely held belief that there is a need to break this large, single appellation into meaningful, scientifically unique sub-DVAs that produce distinctive wines. Golden Mile Bench is the first such application to the BC Wine Authority.

The proposal was submitted to the BC Wine Authority (BCWA) on May 20th. The BCWA will conduct consultations within the region and a vote by ballot amongst the relevant stakeholders within the proposed region’s boundaries. Once the due diligence has been completed and assuming the BCWA determines that all requirements have been met, it will then submit the proposal to the Minister of Agriculture for approval.

Any enquiries about the status of the proposal should be directed to the BC Wine Authority (http://www.bcvqa.ca).