Red wines are definitely on the light side here. There's simply not enough warmth days/long growing season to fully ripen grapes in milder climes. The better reds come from the southern Okanagan (Penticton, Osoyoos, Oliver, maybe even Naramata) where it's warmer in summer than in the northern Okanagan (Kelowna) or Vancouver island. Most common reds are cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, some merlot, a very small bit of shiraz/syrah. There's quite a bit of a hybrid called marechal foch.

White wines can be good. Sauvignon blanc, riesling, chardonnay, gewurztraminers, Pinot blanc, Pinot Gris, Ehrenfelser, Pinot Auxerrois and others (hybrids such as Optima).

That said, the rieslings and gewurztraminers here do not have the bouquet or sweetness of their Alsacienne counterparts (maybe German ones).

you'll find that the good stuff is often very limited in quantity and not readly available in stores (private or government). The best places to shop for B.C. wines in the lower mainland is (Edgemont) Village Wines which has location in the Edgemont Village area of North Vancouver and W 41st Ave. @ Dunbar in Vancouver.

Watch for the labels. "VQA" (Vintner quality assurance" means the wine is made from 100% B.C.-grown grapes. "Made in Canada" means the grapes can come from anywhere.

When you find your first winery or wine shop, look for the B.C. Wine Trails paper.

Some useful links:
http://www.winebc.com/