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British Columbia Wine Country
Fraser River Valley Wine Country
The Fraser Valley stretches from Hope, in the
northeast, to just east and south of Vancouver, following the course of the
Fraser River as it flows towards the sea. The combined Fraser Valley
and greater Vancouver areas are known as the Lower Mainland.
Surrounding the Valley are the Coast Mountains to the north, the Fraser
Canyon and The region's geology tells a fascinating story of mountain building, glacial activity and volcanic processes that have occurred over many millions of years. Despite its violent history, the area today is generally flat with occasional rolling hills. Variations in rainfall across the Valley are common, but significant precipitation occurs in the fall and spring. July and August can be very dry and growers must manage irrigation programs. The winery that established the Fraser Valley as a credible wine-growing region was Domaine de Chaberton. It opened in 1991 south of Langley, close to the US border. The limited number of vineyards in the region may be a reflection of its challenging viticultural climate. While frost presents little concern, limited degree days make the ripening of grapes difficult during certain vintages and in certain later-ripening grape varieties. Humidity in this coastal region can also encourage powdery mildew and unwanted botrytis. These growing challenges seem to be no problem for other crops grown here. The fertile delta south of the Fraser River is Vancouver’s agricultural hinterland. Many fine bed and breakfast lodging choices are located near wineries, or you can plan on staying in one of the beautiful areas of Vancouver, just west of the winery locations and north of the Washington State border. |
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Cascade mountains to the northeast, the Canada/US border to the south and
the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the west. 
