Kelly Josephson
As BC’s leading trade association, Wine Growers British Columbia (WGBC) not only seeks to promote BC wine through their efforts, but also to create legions of passionate BC wine champions in the process. While for BC wine lovers and industry professionals alike advocating a product they truly believe in comes naturally, WGBC is here to provide an educational tool to assist.
For winery tasting rooms, restaurants, retail, and hotels this means 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 courses offer the opportunity to level-up their BC wine knowledge and bolster their resume.
After the encouraging success of the in-person Ambassador Program course curriculum, WGBC recognized the need to broaden accessibility by offering the Introductory Level One online. Through a partnership with Okanagan College and extensive consultation with industry experts, Wine Growers BC is proud to announce that online access is officially launching in the Spring of 2022!
“A BC Wine Ambassador is a curator, a champion of BC wine,” says Laura Kittmer, Communications Director for Wine Growers British Columbia. “Someone who, with one glance at a label, can tell a story, for they know each bottle of 100% BC wine delivers a diverse sensory experience that is as extraordinary as the province itself. Every sip reflects the dedication of the people that created it and the land from which it was crafted.”
To register for Ambassador Program Level 1 Certification visit WineBC.com/Industry/Level-One. Wine Growers BC is proud to support the vibrant BC wine industry by presenting the Ambassador Program to increase local and global awareness of BC as a premium wine region that is unlike anywhere else in the world. Level One of the program provides the basics to understand the key elements that make BC so unique and worth getting in your glass, including the topics of regional characteristics and history, top varieties and styles, food pairing and more. Level One is a prerequisite for the deeper dive offered in Level Two, registration available on WineBC.com. Looking ahead, WGBC plans to offer the most in-depth and comprehensive Level Three exclusively in-person to an intimate group of accepted applicants each year.
Ultimately, the Ambassador Program is positioned to become the premier certification of exclusively BC-focused wine knowledge for BC wine lovers and industry professionals, as well as a tool to promote and uplift all businesses within the sphere of BC wine and hospitality.