Canadian Wineries

The story of Canada's entry into the world of world-class vintages.

In the late 1980s, the Canadian wine industry embarked upon a radical transformation. Faced with free trade, the end of government subsidies and Ontario legislation that banned native grape varieties from table wine, vintners got serious about planting and nurturing Old World vinafera varieties. Enriching their own growing experience by drawing on that of the global wine community's winemakers, Canadians began to produce award-winning vintages.

Renowned wine writer Tony Aspler has spent much of his career chronicling this impressive rebirth. In Canadian Wineries, he teams up with principal photographer Jean-François Bergeron and his colleagues at Enviro Foto to profile more than 60 of Canada's best wineries. To make a selection from the roughly 560 Canadian wineries currently operating, they imposed strict criteria, taking into account the quality of the wine produced and its sustained quality from vintage to vintage, the winery's influence on the direction and style of the wines in their region, the aesthetic appeal of the winery's property and setting, and regional representation.

The result is a gorgeous and compelling journey through British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, where we meet some of the men and women who have dedicated their lives to the art of winemaking, enjoy a bird's eye view of their estates and are invited inside the state-of-the-art facilities where the magic happens. A beautiful appreciation of one of Canada's most inspiring homegrown success stories, Canadian Wineries also includes:

• Introductory histories to the winemaking traditions in each province
• Stand-alone profiles of notable Canadian vintners
• A seasonal guide to visiting wineries
• The story of ice wine: Canada's gift of winter to the world
• Ice cider: Quebec's winter wine
• Photographic essays that showcase the diverse landscapes of Canada's wine regions, fine local dining, local agriculture and regional heritage.