Canada

Canada – the world's second-largest country by area – is far from the most obvious of wine-producing nations, and yet its vineyards can produce both quality and quantity. Powerful Cabernet blends and aromatic dry Rieslings play an important role in country's wine portfolio, but lusciously sweet icewine (mostly white but also red) is unquestionably the flagship Canadian wine style. Making the most of their reliably cold winter temperatures, Canadian wine producers have become world leaders in ice wine production.

The Canadian wine industry exists primarily in four provinces: Ontario and British Columbia, which are responsible for 98 percent of quality wine production, and Quebec and Nova Scotia, which are emerging winegrowing regions and have a small but loyal local following. Despite Canada's huge geographical size, its annual wine production is just 2 percent of that of the United States.

Some viticultural areas in Canada experience hot, sometimes humid summers and extremely cold winters. All the major Canadian wine regions are in close proximity to climate-moderating water sources that are critical to vines' survival in freezing temperatures. The Niagara Peninsula, on the southern shores of Lake Ontario, is arguably the most famous wine region in Canada, although the dry, almost desert-like Okanagan Valley in British Columbia has made a play for glory in the last few decades.

Flanked by the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans, and with more coastline than any other country in the world, Canada's climate and landscape are heavily influenced by water. This is not just true of coastal areas, however, as inland Canada is home to numerous lakes of various sizes.

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