‘The boycott damage has been done’: B.C. Wine Institute drops Calgary fest

A B.C. wine industry group is withdrawing from a Calgary food festival to avoid stirring up any political controversy for local restaurants over Alberta’s wine boycott.

In past years, the B.C. Wine Institute has been the exclusive sponsor of The Big Taste, featuring more than 90 local restaurants. That meant B.C. wine would have been the only wine on the menu at this year’s festival, a decision that left a bad taste in the institute’s mouth as Alberta’s ban continues indefinitely.

Because of the boycott on importing wine from our neighbours to the west, the institute said it will not be sponsoring the March 2-11 event this year to avoid a political firestorm, not cause one.

“Just to be clear, we respectfully withdrew,” said Miles Prodan, president and CEO of the B.C. Wine Institute. “We realize the current situation of putting B.C. wine into the political crosshairs could cause some difficulties for our restaurant partners in Calgary.”

Prodan says the move is not a retaliation to the boycott but rather a backing down so Calgary restaurants aren’t forced to pair festival dishes with B.C. wine, something boycott supporters could see as restaurants taking a political stance.

“We just took a step back and a hiatus given the current political climate,” he said. “The boycott damage has been done, frankly, to the B.C. wine industry.”

Maggie Schofield, executive director with the Calgary Downtown Association, said the decision to go ahead without the institute was mutual and there is no bad blood between the groups, adding the association will be happy to have the institute back as the official sponsor in 2019.

She said many restaurants will still serve B.C. wines at the festival while offering a boycott-friendly option for attendees.

“They’re not political people,” Schofield said of the restaurateurs involved with the festival. “We’re in the hospitality business here, we’re not the political business. So we want to make sure that people have choices.”

Premier Rachel Notley announced the boycott on Feb. 6 in response to the B.C. government’s decision to stall progress on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Wednesday marked the last day the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission would allow shipments of wine to Alberta from British Columbia until the boycott is lifted.

When the ban came into effect, the AGLC said it only had about 30 days’ worth of B.C. wine available for purchase for retailers and restaurants.

Dan Clapson, a food critic for restaurants in the Prairie provinces and contributor to Eat North, says the relationship between Alberta restaurateurs and B.C. vintners is still strong despite the ban, but the boycott has made some diners “more aggressive” toward restaurants that still have B.C. wine on their lists.

“Well, I think the problem with this boycott or wine ban is the fact that … restaurants don’t have the ability to make up their own mind,” Clapson said.

If the ban drags on, Clapson said, restaurants will be looking to change their wine lists whether they like it or not.

“I think it’s a tough situation because no one knows how long the ban is going to last,” he said.