Photo by CK Stenburg Visuals
Pinot Noir Festival
Scenes from the 2018 BC Pinot Noir Celebration.
The BC Pinot Noir Celebration returns on August 17 with 35 top Pinot Noir producers joining seven of British Columbia’s top chefs for an unforgettable day of wine and food at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan Campus in Kelowna.
Now in its fourth year, the BC Pinot Noir Celebration (BCPNC) is bigger than ever before. In total, 42 wineries submitted their wines for the event. After a rigorous tasting by a panel of discerning judges of some of Vancouver’s top sommeliers (DJ Kearney, Christina Hartigan, Alistair Veen, Roger Maniwa, Mark Taylor and Keith Nicholson), the field was whittled down to 35 Pinots which guests will have the chance to sample at the celebration, along with a sparkling wine from Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards.
In addition to an increase in the number of wineries, 2019 will also see more chefs participating than ever before. Guests can expect a truly exceptional wine and culinary experience during a courtyard tasting salon with the likes of Joy Road, Waterfront Café and Catering, Frankie We Salute You, Old Vines Restaurant at Quails’ Gate Winery, Vice and Virtue, Start Fresh Catering and Vancouver’s Wildebeest. The evening unfolds with a cocktail-style dinner by Joy Road and Waterfront Café followed by live music featuring The Insiders.
“The BC Pinot Noir Celebration initially came together as a way for winemakers to share their love of Pinot and we are blown away by how much the event continues to grow year-after-year,” says David Paterson, GM/Winemaker at Tantalus Vineyards and BCPNC President. “By moving to UBC’s Okanagan Campus this year, we are not only able to increase the level of experience for our guests at the salon tasting and breakout sessions, but also work with their faculty to share some of the amazing research that has been done with our local wineries.”
BCPNC offers an immersive experience to learn about and discuss Pinot Noir and compare various styles. This year’s schedule of events includes an information session hosted by UBC’s Okanagan Campus researchers, as well as breakout sessions where guests can delve deeper into their tasting experience with ‘Something Old, Something New’ which looks at how beautifully Pinots age, and ‘Pinot Noir from Coast to Coast’ which will feature wines from BC to Nova Scotia.
