New to B.C. Wines? Here Are 6 Bottles to Try First

This story first appeared in our 2026 CityGuide. To get the latest issues of Vanmag and our special editions delivered right to your door, sign up for a free print subscription here!

You may have come here for the football, but long after the last goal is scored you’ll remember this trip as the moment you were let in on one of the world’s best-kept secrets: B.C. wines. Here are six bottles to kick off your introduction.

Mission Hill Oculus ($225)

It’s the obvious choice—the most expensive bottle from our most famous winery—but behind all the hype is a legit entry into the big leagues of Big Red. If you are comfortable laying down the big bucks for classified Bordeaux, then try this blind and prepare to have your preconceptions swept away.

Martin’s Lane DeHart Vineyard Pinot Noir ($105)

Martin’s Lane is, simply put, the most impressive winery in the province. A laser-focused team crafting the best pinot (and riesling) in the coolest winery. This bottle is like discovering a 14-year-old Lionel Messi kicking the ball around a dirt lot—big things are on the horizon.

Blue Mountain Gold Label Brut ($28)

You could literally choose any bottle from this OG producer and be blown away, but this seminal bottle of traditionally made bubbles is near perfection—at one-third of the price of champagne.

Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay ($49)

When chardonnay works in B.C.—like it does masterfully in this bottle—it strikes a sublime balance between the fullness of California and the tension of Chablis. The perfect Goldilocks wine.

Tantalus Old Vines Riesling ($43)

A local boast: B.C. riesling can go toe-to-toe with the very best in the world and this exquisitely made, impossibly pure expression of the grape is our Exhibit A. Delicious right now, cellarable for a decade-plus with ease.

Fort Berens Grüner Veltliner ($26)

This one bottle of Fort Berens encapsulates all that is beautiful about B.C. wine: a quirky Austrian grape grown in the wilds north of Whistler by some Dutch expats. How do you not fall in love with dreamers like this?