Canada Day is almost here. For the first time, some provinces are shipping wine to each other directly. Joining us for an update and a few BC bottles to celebrate is editor of the country’s largest wine review site at nataliemaclean.com.
Welcome, Natalie.
Great to be back with you! You know, for years Canadians couldn’t ship wine across provincial borders, but this year, some of those barriers are finally coming down.
What we have is a patchwork. Ontario and Nova Scotia now have a deal to ship to each other as do Alberta and BC. But BC and Ontario, Canada’s two biggest wine regions, still can’t ship to each other. Quebec has no agreement. Newfoundland walked away from the table entirely.
A truly national wine market is still a work in progress.
Let’s get into the wines. Tell us about your first pick.
Volcanic Hills Magma Red
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Volcanic Hills is a family winery in West Kelowna, on the slopes of Mt. Boucherie, an extinct volcano that has shaped the region for millions of years. Three generations have honed their expertise on this vineyard to create a wine that expresses both the land and their perseverance.
The Magma Red is a blend where each grape is fermented and aged separately before being brought together, which gives it real complexity.
The nose gives you dark plum, cherry, spice, and mint. On the palate, juicy black fruit, clove, and then deeper notes of leather and cigar box on the finish.
Silky tannins. Bright acidity. It’s the wine that brings people back for a second glass. Wouldn’t this be perfect with a thick grilled ribeye?
There’s also a fantastic family story behind this winery. Can you share that?
In 1958, Mehtab Gidda arrived in Canada to farm, with five dollars in his pocket and a lot of determination. The family started with apples, then planted grapes in 1978.
His great-grandchildren Bobby, Amit, and Christina opened Volcanic Hills Winery in 2010 alongside their father, and four generations of farming knowledge went into every vintage. When you’re drinking this wine, you’re drinking that story.
More Pairings
- Okanagan-inspired pepperoni flatbread with roasted garlic, buffalo mozzarella, and a drizzle of wildflower honey, straight from the wood-fired oven, with crisp edges giving way to a molten, fragrant centre.
- Slow-braised beef short ribs with dark cherry reduction, creamy polenta, and fresh thyme, falling apart at the touch of a fork, the rich dark fruit in the wine mirroring the deep caramelized juices in the pan.
What’s next? Tell us about the next wine.
Poplar Grove Pinot Gris 2025
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
This one is a comeback story. The 2024 winter brought a severe freeze to the Okanagan that devastated vineyards across BC.
So the 2025 Poplar Grove Pinot Gris represents the return of BC-grown wine from one of the valley’s most beloved wineries, and it is exactly the kind of bottle that makes you grateful the vines made it through.
Pear, white peach, citrus, a whisper of blossom on the nose. On the palate it’s crisp and polished with just enough texture to feel serious. This is the kind of white that makes West Coast patio lunches feel like a real occasion.
Served chilled, it’s refreshing yet premium. Wouldn’t this be perfect alongside seared scallops with brown butter and lemon?
More Pairings
- Seared scallops with brown butter, lemon zest, and fresh herbs, golden and caramelized on the outside, silky and sweet within, the richness cut cleanly by the wine’s bright acidity.
- Spring pea risotto with shaved parmesan and fresh mint, creamy and gently perfumed, the aromatic herbs echoing the blossom notes in the wine.
What’s the final BC bottle?
Clos du Soleil Winemaker’s Series Syrah 2022
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
This one is from the Similkameen Valley in BC, one of Canada’s most dramatic wine regions, with desert cliffs, wild sagebrush, and one of the highest concentrations of organic and biodynamic vineyards in the country.
Clos du Soleil’s own vines are certified organic and biodynamic, and 2025 marks their twentieth anniversary as a winery. They’re considered one of BC’s leading Syrah producers, and this wine is why.
What makes it unusual is that it’s co-fermented with a small amount of Viognier, a white grape the winery grows specifically for this purpose. The whole blend goes into concrete tanks imported from France.
It’s unfined and unfiltered, and winemaker Mike Clark describes it as hauntingly beautiful. That’s not marketing language. You’ll see what he means.
Crushed raspberries, plum, violets, and wild sagebrush on the nose, like the Similkameen itself is in the glass. On the palate, dark forest fruit, black currant, pomegranate, black pepper, and spice, with full, fine-grained tannins that tell you this will cellar beautifully.
It picked up a Silver Medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London, which is one of the most respected competitions in the world. It’s available directly from the winery. Wouldn’t this be stunning with a blackened steak?
More Pairings
- Blackened New York strip steak with chimichurri and roasted fingerling potatoes, charred and smoky at the edges, the herb-bright sauce cutting through the rich tannins in the wine.
- Braised BC lamb shoulder with wild sagebrush jus and roasted root vegetables, the earthy, gamey depth of the meat pulling out the forest floor and spice notes in this remarkable Similkameen red.
Natalie, these selections are fantastic! Any final words of wisdom for our viewers?
“Here’s to the grapes that survived a Canadian winter, the farmers who planted them, and the glasses now raised in their honour.”
Thank you, Natalie! Where can we find you and these wines online?
On Instagram, you can find me posting wine reviews and tips at:
Online, my website is nataliemaclean.com.
Posted with permission of CTV News.
