Ashley Spilak
It was about learning first hand from winery-goers what keeps bringing them back. This was the passion behind the BC Wine Institute’s Best of BC Wine Country Awards, which called on the public to vote on their top picks from the Wines of British Columbia. Voting lasted four weeks and crowdsourced close to 2000 votes, with 30% of people voting on multiple wine regions!
The BC Wine Institute’s Director of Marketing Kim Barnes is all smiles. “The participation from both the public and wineries was outstanding,” she said. “We have decided to make this an annual awards contest.
“I think folks saw this as the people’s choice awards on wine experiences, and I believe that’s why we had such healthy uptake, especially on social media,” Barnes added.
So what are the public’s favourites or “best of” in BC wines for 2017? Drum roll please...
Wine
- Best BC Red: Painted Rock Estate Winery, Icon Red 2014
- Best BC White: Tantalus Vineyards, Riesling
- Best BC Rosé: Dirty Laundry Vineyard, Hush Rosé
- Best BC Sparkling: Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Cipes Brut
Culinary
- Best Winery Restaurant: Old Vines Restaurant at Quails’ Gate Estate Winery
- Best Restaurant Showcasing Local Foods: RauDZ Regional Table
- Best Local Food Product: Poplar Grove Cheese
- Best Overall Culinary Experience: Old Vines Restaurant at Quails’ Gate Estate Winery
Atmosphere
- Best Patio: Dirty Laundry Vineyard
- Best Tasting Room: Painted Rock Estate Winery
- Best View: Mission Hill Estate Winery
- Best Winery Pet: Buddha from Bella Wines
- Best Architecture: Mission Hill Estate Winery
Experience
- Best Kept Secret: Noble Ridge Winery and Vineyard
- Best Place to Bring Out-of-Towners: Dirty Laundry Vineyard
- Best Winery Accommodation: Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
- Best Winery Tour: Mission Hill Estate Winery
- Best Winery Experience Overall: Dirty Laundry Vineyard
Visit www.bestof.winebc.com for a complete list of other region winners and honourable mentions in each of the above categories.
What was clear from the votes is the tremendous diversity and popularity of the Okanagan wine region with its many wine varietals and winery sizes. In the Fraser Valley, the voting illustrated a large appreciation for the quality of local backyard wines and, similar to Vancouver Island, certain familiar local wines performed strongly with BC consumers. The Similkameen Valley wine region established recurring top wines and wineries, and a top three theme emerged for this region specifically.
Finally for new and emerging wine regions, Fort Berens Estate Winery was a definite stand-out for the number of votes in almost every category.
Votes also indicated that beyond general enjoyment of wines, the local culinary, culture, art, and scenic views are also attracting people to explore beyond their usual BC wine experience.
What does the future hold? Many BC wineries are working hard right now to expand their wine touring experiences for consumers. On-site restaurants, shops and accommodation, seasonal locally-sourced food pairings, art and yoga classes in the vineyards, cooking classes, vineyard tours, concerts, aboriginal cultural experiences and festivals are just the beginning, with more creative opportunities to come.
The BC Wine Institute’s Best of BC Wine Country will be back next year to recognize and award top winners. Please don’t forget to vote, and tell your friends and family to vote as well. We appreciate the feedback, direct from you.
Ashley Spilak, Content Marketing Manager at the British Columbia Wine Institute.
@WineBCdotcom