Wine Growers British Columbia
Wine Ambassador
Wine Growers British Columbia (WGBC) is thrilled to launch its new BC wine certification course as part of the Wines of BC Ambassador Program, with Level One now available globally to industry professionals and wine enthusiasts alike. Expand your knowledge of world-class BC Wine just in time to raise a glass for BC Wine Month this April!
The Wines of BC Ambassador Program is a one-of-a-kind series of educational courses focused exclusively on BC wine through original content, design, and materials. Created by WGBC and in consultation with industry leaders, the program presents three levels of education from introductory to expert. The comprehensive curriculum offers researched information, interactive learning modules, topographic maps, historical timelines and much more.
“As part of industry’s Wine BC 2030 strategy to ‘Build a world-class brand for Wines of British Columbia’, we are proud to support the vibrant BC wine industry by presenting educational programs like the Ambassador curriculum to increase local and global awareness of BC as a premium wine region that is unlike anywhere else in the world,” says Miles Prodan, CEO & President, Wine Growers British Columbia. “Ultimately, the Ambassador Program is positioned to become the premier certification of exclusively BC focused wine knowledge for BC wine lovers and wine career-oriented individuals, as well as a tool to promote and uplift all businesses within the sphere of BC wine and hospitality.”
Start with the Ambassador Level One certification which is designed for everyone – those making, growing, serving, or simply enjoying BC wine. Developed in partnership with the Okanagan College, Level One offers an introduction to BC wines presented in a multimedia platform accessible entirely online. The interactive, engaging modules focus on the basics including topics of regional characteristics and history, top varieties and styles, sustainability, food pairing and more.
For winery tasting rooms, restaurants, and retail this presents the opportunity to boast of a ‘BC Wine Ambassador Certified’ staff available to cater to their guests with the best service possible. For BC wine lovers and industry professionals, the Ambassador Program offers the opportunity to level-up their BC wine knowledge and understanding of our diverse wine regions and the dedicated people behind these compelling wines. The content curriculum was curated by Master of Wine Rhys Pender in consultation with wine professionals from the Ambassador Facilitator Team. BC wine industry experts, scientists and geologists, educators and regional winery associations also contributed to the content creation. “There is some pretty exciting stuff happening in BC wine and it seems the world is taking notice!” says Rhys Pender, MW. “The unique climate here in the extreme of wine extremes is proving to make some vibrant, lively, complex and interesting wines. It was great to be part of bringing all the information on BC’s climate, regions, sub-regions, soils, and statistics together and to help create this new certification for the wine community. It is an excellent resource for wine professionals and wine lovers to access all they need to know about BC wine.” The Level Two in-class certification offers a deeper dive on the topics covered in Level One and introduces a tasting component of BC wines alongside international benchmark comparisons. Level Two students also benefit from the presence of a trained Ambassador Facilitator leading the class. Registration is now available for upcoming Level Two dates on WineBC.com. Looking ahead, WGBC plans to deliver the most in-depth and comprehensive Level Three, through in-region experiences which will be offered to accepted applicants each year. Explore the regions of BC. Learn more by downloading the Ambassador Program brochure.