New board of Wine Growers BC taking over in tough times

There's no grape harvest this fall, but the BC wine industry still needs to be represented.

That's the bottom line as the new board of directors of Wine Growers BC takes over.

January's brutal cold snap killed buds on grape vines meaning no grapes developed this year, leaving the Okanagan without a grape harvest.

With no 2024 vintage BC wines, you'd think there wouldn't be a need for an industry group like Wine Growers BC.

Actually, the exact opposite is true.

Wine Growers BC advocates for the industry, promotes BC wines and wine tourism.

All those functions are absolutely still required.

Wine Growers BC was integral in lobbying the provincial government to allow BC wineries to buy grapes or grape juice from other jurisdictions, such as Washington state, Oregon, California and Ontario) in order to make, bottle and sell wine labelled 2024 vintage.

Of course, it can't be labelled BC wine, but it can be labelled as made in BC by a BC winery of grapes from elsewhere.

It will preserve some jobs, continue to give wineries wine to sell and keep revenue flowing.

In fact, BC wineries also want people to know that they still have lots of 2023, 2022 and 2021 vintage wines for sale, so continue to visit wineries and buy wine there and at grocery and liquor stores.

It also keeps wine tourism alive.

People will continue to come to the Okanagan to tour wineries, buy wine, eat in restaurants, stay in hotels, buy plane tickets or gas for the car and spend on other activities and experiences.

The new board is made up of:

- chair: Paul Sawler of Dirty Laundry Winery in Summerland

- Lauren Skinner-Buksevics, Painted Rock Winery in Penticton

- Angela Lyons, Quails' Gate Winery in West Kelowna

- Mark Sheridan, Hester Creek Winery in Oliver

- Josh Stewart, Arterra Wines Canada (Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, Nk'Mip, Sumac Ridge and See Ya Later Ranch)

- Vincent Ong, Andrew Peller Ltd. (Sandhill, Wayne Gretzky, Gray Monk, Black Hills, Tinhorn Creek and Red Rooster)

- Samantha Collins, Mission Hill Family Estate in West Kelowna

- Adam Woodward, Privato Winery in Kamloops

- Mike Dowell, Liber Estates in Osoyoos

- Ex-officio: Wine Growers BC CEO Miles Prodan (retiring Dec. 31)

The group thanked outgoing board members Chris Turyk of Unsworth Vineyards on Vancouver Island, Greg Berti of Andrew Peller Ltd., Sheila Whittaker of Nostalgia Wine in Oliver and Al Hedec, a lawyer with Farris LLP.