Vitis Magazine

Bourgogne’s vineyards, like these in Hautes Côtes de Beaune, are as renowned for their human history as their physical terroir. BVIB/Michel Joly photo Burgundy is, famously, the home of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and some of the world’s most valuable vineyard land. It was a powerful medieval duchy that was annexed by France in 1477, but its history stretches back millennia, embracing the Celts, the Gauls, the Romans and the Hapsburgs, among others.

When asparagus is the star of the grill, grassy whites play a perfect supporting role. Other vegetables, though, may pair better with light reds. iStock/Getty Images Plus/Liudmila Chernetska photo If you’re anything like me, the minute the weather gets warm enough and dry enough, I pretty much want to move outdoors, especially when it comes to cooking and eating.

Photo courtesy of Tourism Langley Discover the wine region right in Vancouver’s backyard with the return of the popular Fraser Valley Wine Passport. This collaboration between Fraser Valley-based beverage producers, with support from Tourism Langley and Tourism Abbotsford, will run from April 1 through May 31, 2026 (excluding Mother’s Day, May 10).

Cannon Estate Winery brings an elegant note to Fraser Valley farm country. Photo courtesy of Cannon Estate Winery While the Okanagan is typically the destination of choice for B.C. wine enthusiasts, a handful of boutique wineries in the Fraser Valley are offering a quality experience that’s closer to home for most.

Few wines are as emblematic of the Okanagan than Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve selections, which continue to highlight the top-tier varieties first introduced by the pioneering Stewart family some 50 years ago. Over the last few decades, “the Family Reserve line has always been about expressing what our estate is capable of,” says winemaker Kailee Frasch.

It’s the annual summertime dilemma: You want to enjoy good wine in good glasses at your outdoor events, but you don’t want to risk broken glass all over your patio, not to mention how annoyed you’d be if someone smashed your precious Vinum stems. Luckily, acrylic glassware is getting better and better all the time, and there are some truly sophisticated options these days. For instance, there’s the stylish and shatterproof Schott Zwiesel Tour outdoor glasses for Crate & Barrel.

Severine Pinte in the vineyard. Tania Veitch photo Ask award-winning winemaker Severine Pinte what motivates her unwavering belief in sustainability and she’ll tell you, “I’ve been doing it all my life.” It’s the foundation of good winemaking and sound viticulture, says Pinte who has been at the fore of sustainable winemaking in B.C. since arriving in the Okanagan from her native France.

From left: Honorees Miles Prodan, Rhys Pender, Jenna White, Brynne Dickson, Andrzej Lipiński and Rowan Stewart. Tania Veitch photo courtesy of Wines of British Columbia Cheers to frequent Vitis contributor Rhys Pender MW, winner of this year’s BC Wine Industry Leadership Excellence Award, which was announced at the 2026 Canadian Wine Industry Awards earlier this month.

Photo courtesy of Phantom Creek One of the South Okanagan’s most significant winery projects to date, Phantom Creek Estates is marking its 10-year anniversary with special events and exciting new releases. In the decade since it was established in 2016, Phantom Creek has garnered an impressive array of achievements and accolades, notably full organic certification for its vineyards (Ecocert 2021) as well as the acquisition of even more premium land in both the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys.

iStock/Getty Images Plus/laughingmango photo There’s a lot to be said for taking it slow, for savouring life and supporting smaller, more sustainable communities and the people who make them thrive. That’s what Cittaslow is all about. The name literally means “Slow City,” inspired by the Slow Food movement. Some 308 communities around the world are certified as Cittaslow, including six in North America, two of them in B.C.: Cowichan Bay and Naramata. Now the tiny village of Naramata (pop.