Vancouver Island is a large viticultural area located in the British Colombia wine region of Canada as most of the vine plantings are found in the south part of the island. The wine history is relatively young established 1970 commercially, but winemaking has been done since 1920 mostly with early ripening varieties like Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and the German crossing grape Ortega. The wine region is famous for its light and crisp white and elegant red wines from Pinot Noir, which are already gaining international attention. The topography of the island is quite mountainous which is protecting the vineyards from the cool Pacific Ocean and temperate the climate which is described as a maritime and mild. The soils are predominantly limestone and sand throughout the viticultural region allowing for deep root penetration, reducing vigour and leading to concentrated flavours in the grapes. Vancouver Island is one of the wine areas developing fast and it is the one to watch.