Tourism Vancouver / Coast Mountain Photography
platedpaired
Plated and Paired at the Public Market, Dine Out Vancouver Festival.
Should BC develop a signature wine? As part of Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2013 six debaters will sit down for three hours to explore the idea of whether it would be a good or bad thing if British Columbia were to develop a signature wine.
Signature wines are varietals associated with a particular place – Australian Shiraz, Argentinian Malbec among others. The debate was held on February 1, Orchard & Vine talked with two of the debaters prior to the debate to get their take on the issue.
On the side arguing there would be an overall benefit to the B.C. wine industry is Michaela Morris, one of the owners of House Wine. Morris believes that if consumers become convinced of the quality of a signature wine from B.C. their interest will spread. On the other side Howard Soon, noted Okanagan wine maker at Sandhill, thinks the signature wine idea is unnecessarily limiting and counter-productive. He states any move to persuade wineries to develop a signature wine synonymous with British Columbia will shift focus, likely to the detriment of an iconic wine. As a winemaker himself, he would resent pressure to make a certain wine instead of the best wine.
http://www.dineoutvancouver.com/events/grape-debate