Pinot noir is literally Canada’s red grape – growing from sea to sea. More specifically it is working in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, the St. Lawrence Valley and Eastern Townships of Quebec; The Ottawa Valley, Prince Edward County and Niagara Peninsula in Ontario; the Kootenays, the Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Thompson Valley on the B.C. mainland; and finally, on Vancouver Island in the Cowichan Valley and Gulf Islands of coastal B.C.
It is always difficult to patch together current stats of grape acreages in Canada, but it seems that pinot noir has by now crossed over the 2,000-acre mark, with over 1,300 acres in BC, about 700 acres in Ontario, and just over 100 acres in Quebec and Nova Scotia combined. For context, total wine grape acreage in Canada is 31,000. So, pinot is not so important volume-wise (about 7%), but it has cachet. It is the second most expensive grape in Ontario, selling last year at $2,523 per tonne.
It is more expensive and not more widely planted because it is a notoriously difficult variety – very sensitive to humidity, and the overall changeability of conditions in our marginal northerly clime. But it is a cooler climate vine that fits within our growing season, is relatively winter hardy, and can deliver superbly fragrant and elegant light red wine when conditions come together. Which each and every year Canadian winegrowers hope will be the one. With the following ten, conditions have come together and synched with excellent winemaking to create exciting Canadian pinot noirs. The 2022 and 2023 vintages were generally favourable for ‘the heartbreak grape’ in most parts of the country.
They are arranged from west to east. As always with small batch wines we cannot guarantee availability. Links to winery websites are provided.