Gavin Miller and Joshua Edwards
Gavin Miller and Joshua Edwards of Upper Bench Winery & Creamery, win 2020 Wine of the Year.
Upper Bench Estate Winery in Penticton has been named winner of the prestigious British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine of the Year Award for its 2019 Riesling.
Upper Bench was among 107 wineries to be awarded for exemplary quality this year, the highest number to date. Co-owner and winemaker Gavin Miller was typically modest about the win, saying he feels that sometimes you just get the right wine at exactly the right time.
“Quite an honour,” Miller said. “But you know, I always say I try to make my wine quite consistently, and we were using grapes from the same two vineyards as the year before, but I think in this year (2019) it was slightly drier which I think appeals to a somewhat more educated palate. That might have had something to do with it, but in all honesty wines are constantly evolving in the bottle, so to be modest, I can say maybe it was just our day to shine with that particular bottle in that particular place!”
The third annual 2020 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards were announced in October by the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society.
The competition was open to all licensed BC wineries including those that produce fruit wines and mead. Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals were awarded, while the top one per cent of medal winners received platinum medals, with one wine receiving the 2020 BC Lieutenant Governor's Award for Wine of the Year.
“As this competition continues to grow, we are seeing not only the number of entries increase but more importantly the caliber of wines entered continues to get better each year,” said Okanagan Wine Festivals Society Judging Chair, Julian Scholefield. “Our expert panel of judges certainly had their work cut out for them! We look forward to celebrating the list of 2020 winning wines that showcase the excellence our region has to offer and to growing the competition even more in 2021.”
“I am delighted the partnership between the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society has continued to flourish, giving us the opportunity to recognize the best of BC wines,” says the Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. “This year had an added layer of complexity due to Covid-19, but the incredible showing of the 2020 Wine Awards indicates BC wine will continue stronger than ever in the time ahead.”