Is the sky falling? The way many in the industry and media have been covering the B.C. government’s implementation of a new wholesale pricing system for wine, beer, and spirits, you could be forgiven for thinking we are indeed closing in on the End of Days. Sure, it’ll be weeks before the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch announces its new pricing structure, which is set to hurt restaurants the most, since they’ll still pay full retail price for their stock. And yeah, the store-within-a-store grocery retail model, along with limiting in-store selection to B.C. wine, is misguided at best and will be a logistical nightmare at worst. And fair enough—private liquor stores certainly won’t enjoy being on a “level playing field” when the B.C. government is their ruler, supplier, and biggest competitor.

But so many of us have been so focused on the negative consequences of all of these changes that I’m starting to feel like we’re losing sight of the many great things going on, both in Vancouver and in British Columbia as a whole. We have a strong, dynamic wine culture in this little corner of the world, and it’s essential that we don’t forget this in the face of current politics.

As this issue of the Georgia Straight hits the streets, we’re smack-dab in the middle of the Vancouver International Wine Festival. A massive success story for decades now, this is one of the biggest wine events on the planet, has enjoyed a record-breaking number of event sellouts and advance ticket sales this year, and has raised millions of dollars for local arts organizations over the years while stoking consumer wine enthusiasm and fostering a strong wine culture in our community. This is no small thing.

There is an ever-growing flock of young sommeliers and wine directors raising the bar for restaurant wine programs in our city while being engaged and community-oriented and fostering the next generation of up-and-comers. So many of them are taking chances and being adventurous with their programs, yet also being careful not to cross the line into arrogant, selfish listings that perhaps fuel their own passions but ignore the wants and needs of diners. There’s the success story of “naturalist” wine programs for those looking to explore the geekier side of winemaking at places like Burdock & Co. and Farmer’s Apprentice in the comfort of cozy, homespun, and hospitable environments. Higher-volume restaurants like Wildebeest and Chambar are by no means playing it safe by pandering to the masses, offering many opportunities to sip wines made by small producers from both legendary and off-the-beaten-path regions the world over. Even in places like YEW Seafood + Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar at the Sutton Place Hotel—establishments where conservative, corporate, and ubiquitous choices could easily flourish—wine directors Emily Walker and Lisa Haley, respectively, have put due diligence into spotlighting handcrafted, honest wines of integrity from local and international producers while ensuring that they have those big Champagne, Bordeaux, and California heavyweights on offer when expense accounts open wide.

Speaking of local, B.C. wine producers are stronger than ever, with B.C. bottles accounting for 50 percent of wine sales in the province. They are buoyed by popular restaurant and retail loyalty. In the short quarter-century we’ve been seriously working with Vitis vinifera, the European noble varieties, our experience, knowledge, and quality of production have increased exponentially. We’ve gone from planting everything everywhere to see what would stick—and then smothering it in oak and heavy-handed winemaking methods—to an acute focus on what grows best where (Riesling and aromatics in Kelowna, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Okanagan Falls, Syrahs and Cabernets in Oliver/Osoyoos, et cetera). Our winemakers have taken a step back in their meddling and allowed our natural acidity, crisp minerality, and other elements of terroir to shine. This has been noticed and commented upon by international critics and global luminaries such as Jancis Robinson, Jamie Goode, and Stuart Pigott, along with publications like Decanter and Wine & Spirits magazine. What a bonus that even at local farmers markets, we can now meet our makers and snag a bottle or two as well.

As described in a recent Vinexpo report, Canada’s wine consumption is increasing so much that over the next five years, it’s predicted that our growth rate will be twice that of the rest of the world, while our relatively small population has managed to become the sixth-largest global import market. To keep up with all of this and ensure we’re always on our toes, there’s an embarrassment of certified wine courses available here in B.C. from well-respected global entities like London’s Wine & Spirit Education Trust and the Court of Master Sommeliers out of the U.S. Because of this, we have a savvy wine trade that results in a savvy market, which is you!

So while we do pay some of the highest wine prices in the world and many of these coming changes will cause headaches and grief, let’s give equal weight to a strong community and passion that allow our collective glass to, at least sometimes, be half full.