As a local company, PenCo Liquor takes pride in featuring a wide variety of local brands, including BC VQA wines.
If you’re wondering what VQA means, you’re not alone.
V.Q.A stands for Vintners Quality Alliance. BC VQA is the appellation of origin and quality standard for British Columbia wines. BC VQA certified wines must meet standards with respect to their origin, vintage and varietals. So, when you see BC VQA on a bottle of wine, you can guarantee that you are sipping a wine that is 100% grown, made and bottled in British Columbia. You will find quality in all BC VQA wines; the hardest part is choosing.
A lovely one to try is Quails’ Gate Rosé. Made in a versatile dry style, the 2021 vintage is fresh and fruit-forward, with enough balance and depth to intrigue a true connoisseur.
Described as a classic, easy-drinking summer sipper that delivers exceptional flavour and value, it’s made using a combination of Gamay and Pinot Noir grapes. After harvest, the grapes received four hours of skin contact for colour and flavour before being pressed off.
Each varietal was fermented separately in stainless steel at cool temperatures before being expertly blended by our winemaking team. The Rosé opens with fresh fruit aromas of watermelon, raspberry, guava and passionfruit.
On the palate, this wine is light, fruity and satisfying from the approachable entry to the refreshing, crisp finish.
If red wine is more your style, try Lakeside Cellars’ 2017 Portage Red. A dangerously versatile, easily approachable blend, the grapes come from family-managed vineyard sites on the Golden Mile and east bench in Osoyoos, where they’re selected for their juicy, fruit-forward concentration.
The mix of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon is cellar-aged in neutral French and American oak for twenty-four months before blending.
Plum, dark cherry and bacon fat on the nose lead to a concentrated palate of juicy dark cherries, leather and dark chocolate. A soft tannin, balanced acidity, crowd-pleasing red!
If you prefer white, light wines, an always refreshing option for summer is Tightrope’s 2021 Pinot Gris, with flavours of apple, pear, warm lemon, and apple blossom.
Made from grapes grown exclusively on the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan, and hand-picked and processed the same day, the grapes were whole cluster pressed and cold settled for three days before being racked off solids.
The juice was precisely cool temperature fermented at 14⁰C in stainless steel and took about 30 days to complete. The fermentation was strategically halted leaving just the perfect small amount of residual sugar for balance, delivering a fruit forward, yet dry & crisp wine.
Not sure which BC VQA wine is the best option for you? Come visit the friendly staff in-store – they have a great selection and can help you find the perfect fit for your budget and tastebuds. Plus, if you’re a Peninsula Co-op member, you can earn a rebate on your purchases.
Find a PenCo Liquor store at 3510 Blanshard Street in the Saanich Plaza and at 2835 Bryn Maur, off Goldstream in the West Shore. Cheers!