Is BC’s “regional chauvinism” helping industry growth?

The Globe and Mail smartly describes how BC wine drinkers are "chauvinists" for wine produced here. You can't go into a Vancouver restaurant and not know what they mean. We love BC wine here, and we're prepared to pour the stuff in Vancouver's finest dining establishments.

In the case of local eatery Aurora Bistro, where the food & wine pairings only feature BC varietals, you really sense the pride in the local juice.

In Ontario apparently it's a different picture. You're hard pressed to find Niagara wines in Hogtown restaurants. Why is this? I would argue that it begins with the wineries themselves.

Stacey and I did a whirlwind tour of Niagara wineries two summers back. There was a lot to love about the Niagara peninsula, but there are not many easy comparisons with the South Okanagan.

In terms of urban elegance, Stratus Winery located just outside Niagara-On-The-Lake was the gold standard. Only the perpetually sold out Black Hills Estate Winery comes close in terms of architecture. Were they just a little snobbish? Yes, but they could probably justify having a little attitude given the slickness of their brand, and their LEED Gold facility.

In terms of a folksiness that rivals the best of BC wineries, Vinelands Winery in Niagara presented very well for us. The tasting counters were comfortably large and their staff were friendly and knowledgeable. I recall the whites being especially strong.

There were many other wineries we attended on our Niagara day trip, such as the new (2006) Flat Rock Cellars facility which showed promise for us, but I think our shared opinion of what they poured was that it was probably priced a little high. Being a new facility, their counter staff were still learning the ropes about being good hosts to weary wine travelers.

I don't want to suggest that the success of the wine business is a congeniality contest. Ultimately it's about what comes out of the bottle, and there are lots of great pours coming from both these Canadian wine regions.

In BC, I think we're building something special. Exciting brands, remarkable blends and hospitable destinations. The whole package.

So it's no surprise that we're becoming chauvinists for BC produced wine.