Laura Kittmer
The BC Wine Institute in collaboration with the BC Pinot Noir Celebration and Visa Infinite welcome internationally renowned wine judge and writer Steven Spurrier for his inaugural visit to the Okanagan this summer!
The secret is out. BC is producing world class wines and this summer Decanter consultant and Editor Steven Spurrier is flying from London, England to find out what all the fuss is about first-hand!
Through a collaborative effort, Spurrier’s inaugural visit to BC wine country comes at an opportune time, as the Wines of British Columbia celebrate 25 years of BC VQA in the modern wine industry and the BC Pinot Noir Celebration announces a major expansion with Visa Infinite for their third annual event.
Steven Spurrier, a champion of French wines and famously recognized for his role in organizing the original Judgement of Paris Wine Tasting in 1976, as portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster “Bottle Shock” will be touring wineries in the Okanagan Valley and tasting over 100 of British Columbia’s finest wines from all over the province.
Spurrier says he is looking forward to visiting our bourgeoning wine region. After having tasted and enjoyed a number of BC Wines over the years he’s intrigued to see first-hand the vineyards, the cellars and especially the people involved, all-important components that add another dimension to any wine.
“Bringing Steven Spurrier to the Okanagan is a dream the BC wine industry has had for years! His exceptional wine knowledge, international awards, accomplishments and innovative ideas make him the ideal wine critic to showcase how far our industry has come within the last 25 years,” says British Columbia Wine Institute Marketing Director Maggie Anderson.
At this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, Wines of British Columbia won 129 awards overall including 3 Regional Trophies, one Gold and 18 Silver Medals. Specifically, BC Pinot Noir’s won 12 awards including one Regional Trophy for Best Red Wine in Canada (CedarCreek Platinum Block 2 Pinot Noir 2012) and four Silver Medals (Baillie-Grohman Reserve Pinot Noir 2012, Burrowing Owl Pinot Noir 2012, Howling Bluff Summa Quies Pinot Noir 2012 and Spierhead Pinot Noir Cuvée 2013).
Pinot Noir is the second most planted grape in BC (1,073 acres) and the wines have gained recognition around the world for their intense, lively flavours and consistently win international awards for their premium quality.
With such fanfare for this specific variety, Meyer Family Vineyards in Okanagan Falls hosted the first BC Pinot Noir Celebration three years ago to bring winemakers, Pinot Noir lovers and a talented panel of special guest speakers to showcase the best Pinot Noirs in the province. Last year, the BCWI was proud to bring renowned wine writer Karen MacNeil (The Wine Bible) to present the keynote address for the event held at Tantalus Vineyards in Kelowna. This year, the celebration is shaping up to be yet another major success, with Mr. Spurrier in attendance and 26 wineries showcasing BC’s finest Pinot Noirs handpicked in a blind tasting by the Vancouver Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS).
In honour of the third annual BC Pinot Noir Celebration, Visa Infinite is inviting cardholders to meet and interact with Spurrier over a sumptuous multi-course dinner with chefs Rob Walker, Vikram Vij, Trevor Bird, and Dilan Draper at Liquidity Winery on August 21 as part of their Wine Country Program.
The BC Pinot Noir Celebration, held on August 22 in Kaleden’s Linden Gardens, will involve interactive breakout sessions alongside top BC winemakers; salon tastings with 26 of BC’s best Pinot Noir producers, canapé competition with Okanagan Chef’s Jason Leizert, Alex Sielmann, Chris Van Hooydonk & Calgary Chef Dilan Draper; family style dinner by Artisan Culinary Concepts and live music with local band The Young’uns.
For tickets and more information on the BC Pinot Noir Celebration and Liquidity Dinner with Visa Infinite you may visit www.bcpinotnoir.ca. For more information on the Visa Infinite BC Wine Country program you may visit WineBC.com
For details on BC VQA and the Wines of British Columbia, go to WineBC.com. To stay up to date on all the summer happenings, like the Wines of British Columbia Facebook page or follow @WineBCdotcom on Twitter and Instagram.■
Laura Kittmer is the Media Relations Manager at the British Columbia Wine Institute. www.winebc.org
