Our Montreal-based Canada correspondent, Dan Bilefsky, was seduced by British Columbia's picturesque wine region. There was just one problem: Finding the wine back home.
If you have not been to the Okanagan Valley then put it on your ever growing bucket list of things to do when we can get back to our normal wine travels. It's already captured Paul Beavis' heart as he explains…
To encourage local support and help strengthen the collective industry, the BC Wine Institute has partnered with Destination British Columbia, the BC Hotel Association, BC Restaurant and Food Association, BC Dairy Association and BC Seafood Alliance to collaboratively honour and celebrate the British Columbia harvest season and a brighter future for all industries going forward.
After a year of changes, the team at TIME Winery & Kitchen is hitting a new groove. Since the purchase of the winery in July 2020 by Ron and Shelley Mayert, new parent company Five Vines Cellars has injected new energy into the TIME Winery, Evolve Cellars and the McWatters Collection labels.
"It was not really a hard decision to be honest, not for me," Lake said. "This business, this whole industry was something my mother and stepfather got into and I didn't play a huge role in it. It wasn't until mom decided to retire that I came on board and took over the day to day stuff, along with my daughter. It just became apparent to me and to her that in order to advance the business the way we would like to see it advance, it's going to take somebody with more vision and more money, resources to invest."
In August, the BCWI engaged market research and analytics company, Leger Marketing to conduct an industry-wide survey to help understand and assess the impact of COVID-19 on the BC wine industry, the effectiveness of provincial and federal relief programs and the perceived challenges for the future. According to key findings from the survey results, one in 10 BC wineries and grapegrowers noted that they are at risk of closing due to COVID-19, with 58 per cent seeing a loss in revenue and 55 per cent having reduced access to customers.
For reasons that aren't entirely clear, fast food company Taco Bell has introduced its own wine product called Jalapeño Noir. The company describes its wine as the perfect complement to its Toasted Cheesy Chalupa, a type of taco made with fried bread instead of a soft or crunchy shell that was recently added to the company's menu. The catch? You'll have to visit Canada to get your hands on the bottled wine.
British Columbia's wines are improbably being embraced by wine snobs around the world. But legal restrictions, and regional biases, are getting in the way at home.
Taco Bell is debuting its own custom wine, Jalapeño Noir, to pair with its Toasted Cheesy Chalupa. The tantalizing combination is only available for a limited time in Canada to celebrate the launch of the menu item. The wine, which is being called a collector's item because it has three unique bottle labels, costs $25 Canadian or about $19 US. Fans can buy it on Taco Bell's Canada website or in some locations in Ontario.
Extend the end of liquor service from 10 PM to midnight
Greater enforcement of non-compliant venues and customers, targeting the problem areas directly rather than unfairly affecting good operators
Provide transparent timelines and/or public health targets so businesses can gauge the long-term effect of any restrictions
Nine voting BCWI Directors represent all British Columbia wineries. Newly elected or re-elected members of the Board of Directors are: Greg Berti, Andrew Peller; Josh Stewart, Arterra Wines Canada; Vice-Chair Darryl Brooker, Mark Anthony Group; Christa-Lee McWatters, TIME Winery; Charlie Baessler, Corcelettes Estate Winery; and Santiago Cilley, Phantom Creek Estates. Continuing their directorships are Chair Erik Fisher (Monte Creek Ranch Winery), Leo Gebert (St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Winery) and Dapinder Gill (Kismet Estate Winery). BC Grapegrowers' Association representative David Kozuki and BCWI President & CEO Miles Prodan continue as ex officio non-voting members.
Moss is the Principal of Lithica Wine Marketing, a boutique marketing agency based in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. Lithica serves the global wine industry with a focus on branding and design, direct-to-consumer sales and marketing, content creation and Canadian market development.
CCOVI donated nearly 5,000 litres of wine to the Beamsville-based distiller, which will be transformed into approximately 1,000 bottles of hand sanitizer for the local community.