Photo by Michael Botner
Harry McWatter
Wine industry icon Harry McWatters marked another milestone in his storied career, being awarded the 12th annual Spirited Industry Professional Award.
The award is presented to an individual who made a significant contribution to the sales, service or promotion of wine in British Columbia. McWatters is a 49-year veteran of the thriving BC wine industry. He founded Sumac Ridge Estate Winery, the first estate winery in the province, in 1980. Subsequently, he founded See Ya Later Ranch Estate Winery in 1995.
When McWatters sold both operations to Vincor Canada in 2000, he remained President of Sumac Ridge and See Ya Later Ranch and was a Vice President of Vincor Canada until he “retired” in 2008 and established the Vintage Consulting Group. McWatters has since launched TIME Estate Winery and the McWatters Collection and co-developed the ENCORE Vineyards Ltd. business model. Instrumental in founding VQA Canada and serving as its first chairman, McWatters is also the founding chair of the BC Wine Information Society, the BC Hospitality Foundation, and numerous festivals and events focused on the BC wine industry. McWatters in 2003 received the prestigious Order of British Columbia for his services to the BC wine industry.