The B.C. govrnment is using the month of April to promote local wines, declaring it B.C. Wine Month.
“B.C. wineries enrich our communities, attracting tourism to our province and opening up employment opportunities,” said Premier John Horgan in a news release. “B.C. Wine Month is our chance to raise a glass in celebration of our delicious local wines and the hardworking people who make them.”
Horgan spent Tuesday touring the Okanagan, including a talk with West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater about the speculation tax in the morning, a housing announcement with Mayor Andrew Jakubeit in Penticton and, later, a tour of the Tinhorn Creek winery in Oliver.
For that tour, he was joined by Agriculture Minister Lana Popham and Miles Prodan, president and CEO of the B.C. Wine Institute.
“All month long we will be celebrating B.C. wine and encouraging everyone to learn more about the province’s wine industry, from the growing and harvesting of the grapes, to winemaking and wine and food pairings, and everything in between,” said Popham.
The B.C. Wine Month campaign is intended to showcase wines produced in the province, and will feature B.C. Vintners Quality Alliance wine in B.C. Liquor Stores.
The campaign will also include sommeliers and chefs teaming up for wine and food-pairing events in B.C. VQA wine stores.
B.C. Wine Month will also tie into Buy B.C.: Eat Drink Local, a dine-out campaign run by the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association. This promotion will highlight local food and beverages to customers during the month of May.
“We are grateful for provincial support to promote the many B.C. grape growers and wineries, most of which are small, family-owned and operated businesses, here at home,” said Prodan.
“Celebrating all things grown, crushed, raised and produced in B.C., we are working with restaurants, retail liquor stores, tourism organizations, including Destination BC, and wineries themselves throughout the province, in a collaboration of efforts to support B.C. Wine Month.”
During B.C. Wine Month, the BC Wine Institute will be holding a sweepstake competition. The grand prize is an all-inclusive trip for two to the Chef Meets BC Grape Taste of the Okanagan signature event in the heart of B.C.’s wine country.
For more information on the sweepstake competition and the events going-on during April, locations and dates of dinners, visit the B.C. Wine Institute website.
