Experts gather in Kelowna to pick B.C. Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards

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      The largest wine competition in B.C. history will take place in the middle of a pandemic and a provincial election.

      From Wednesday (September 23) to Friday (September 25), 15 judges will gather at the Manteo Resort Waterfront Hotel and Villas in Kelowna.

      There, they’ll evaluate 745 entries in 24 categories in the B.C. Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards.

      According to the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society’s general manager, Elan Morris, it will be unlike any of these events in previous years.

      “This year, we have to do it differently with COVID-19, because normally we would have a team of sommeliers pouring in the back room and then taking out trays to the individual judging teams,” Morris explained by phone from Kelowna. “This year, we’re trying to avoid contact with their glasses.”

      To accomplish this, wines will be bagged and taken out to the tables. Judges will have access to their own glassware.

      That will ensure there’s no unnecessary contact throughout the process.

      The society made this decision after consulting with the resort and WorkSafeBC.

      “We certainly have had to jump through some hoops to protect our judges,” Morris said.

      Moreover, she said that they are pleased by the efforts that have been made.

      Foreign judges had to cancel

      Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the society was planning on bringing in some high-profile wine experts from outside the country.

      They included London wine writer Jamie Goode and New York–based author Alder Yarrow, who founded the Vinography blog.

      However, Morris said, if they had come to Canada, they would have been forced to self-isolate for 14 days, which made it impractical for them to join this year’s judging panel.

      She’s pleased by the all-Canadian group of judges. Among them is Gatineau-based Véronique Rivest, who ranked second in the Best Sommelier of the World competition in 2013.

      In addition, Vancouver wine experts Sid Cross, Michaela Morris, Tim Pawsey, DJ Kearney, and Kurtis Kolt are also in Kelowna offering their expertise.

      It comes at a tough time for winemakers. Due to the pandemic, smaller wineries have had to cut by half the number of tasting-room visitors, according to Morris.

      That is, if they were even able to find staff to work there.

      “The profit margins for wineries are pretty small until you really get established,” she noted.

      This is why Morris is so enthusiastic about the B.C. Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards—they provide a platform for wineries of all sizes to tell the world about the quality of their beverages.

      Naramata-based Deep Roots Winery is one example of a small operation that has enjoyed great success. Last year, winemaker Will Hardman’s 2017 Syrah captured the prize as the B.C. Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards wine of the year.

      Bigger wineries, such as Mission Hill and Quails’ Gate, have also captured lieutenant-governor awards in the past.

      “We equalize everybody,” Morris said. “It’s a fully blind tasting by judges that represent all sectors of the wine industry.”

      So if you’re looking for the very best wines for fall, keep an eye on the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society website.

      That’s because on October 15 at 7 p.m., the society will announce this year’s winners of the B.C. Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards in a virtual ceremony.

      Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin will open this event by discussing her love of wine, followed by footage featuring the B.C. industry.

      “Then she will close the video by introducing the wine of the year,” Morris said.

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