The upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver aren’t just about schussing, skating and slalom. There’s some swirling, sniffing and sipping to be done, too.

British Columbia is home to two of Canada’s best loved wine regions, or DVAs (Designated Viticultural Areas), Vancouver Island and the Okanagan Valley. Both are remarkable in that they are relative new arrivals to the wine world. Naturally they are both mostly cool weather climates and naturally they are nestled in breathtaking valleys and gorgeous gorges. Unsurprisingly, the wines are complex and long on flavor. What’s cool about the BC wine region, aside from the seasons, is that roughly 70% of the wineries are mom & pop organizations. As of yet the place is still unsullied by corporations who view wine in the same way others view ore, pulp and slag.

Of the two regions the better known in wine circles is the Okanagan Valley. The land abuts the lake of the same name and to the south, in and around Osoyoos, it touches a desert. Yes, desert. It’s part of the Great Basin Desert. It is Canada’s only desert and it has all the same extremes in hot and cold.

The majority of Vancouver Island Wineries are located on the Saanich Peninsula or in the Cowichan Valley. Though the area is not as cold as other parts of BC in the winter it is does chill out fast enough in the late fall to make the production of ice wine easy.

Be advised that the region is not immune to overt cuteness (see above) and cute winery names. Dirty Laundry, Blasted Church, See Ya Later Ranch and Oliver Twist, located in the town of Oliver, are a few examples.

It gets cold watching the winter games so stay warm with a glass of something red and if you can swing it, something from the BC region.

Visit Native Food & Wine for a look at the Ligurian Bees of Kangaroo Island, Australia. Read the review of Native Food & Wine by Providence Wine Examiner Lisa Magnuson.

Visit Atlanta Wine Exmainer Jacqueline Chambliss' site The European Wine Table. Prose and educational entires from the producer of wine gelee. Her products are avaiable for purchase.