Deep Roots Wine of the Year
Winemaker Will Hardman of Deep Roots Winery.
The second annual 2019 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards were announced in October by the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society, marking the official launch of the 39th Annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival.
“This year’s competition broke records in both the number of wines submitted and the number of medals awarded,” says Okanagan Wine Festivals Society Judging Chair, Julian Scholefield. “As this competition grows we look forward to seeing more BC wines be recognized and help us represent the excellence our region has to offer.”
This year’s wine entries faced an esteemed panel of judges from across North America and Europe, including Barbara Philip, Emily Walker, Geoff Last, Gurvinder Bhatia, Iain Philip, the UK's Jamie Goode, and Rhys Pender, among others.
After tasting over 700 wines, the judges awarded a record number of medals to over 100 British Columbia wineries. The Awards also recognized BC wine pioneer, Harry McWatters, by officially changing the name of their Founder’s Award to the Harry McWatters’ Founder’s Award. The award was given to Harry’s family, in recognition of the great contributions Harry McWatters made to the BC wine industry.
The 2019 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine of the Year went to Deep Roots Winery’s 2017 Syrah.