Reformer, pioneers honoured
B.C. Wine Institute hands out awards at annual general meeting in Osoyoos
For his role in helping reform B.C.’s archaic liquor laws, Liberal MLA John Yap has been honoured with the 2017 B.C. Wine Institute Industry Recognition Award.
One of the biggest changes in liquor laws after an extensive review was to allow B.C. wine on grocery store shelves as well as permit B.C. wine to be sold at farmers markets, a glass of wine to be served to customers at spas, salons, art galleries and clothing stores, and wine to be on happyhour menus.
Yap, MLA for Richmond Steveston, was parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice and attorney general for the liquor policy review.
He picked up his trophy, which was a wine-inspired gift bag, at the B.C. Wine Institute’s annual general meeting in Osoyoos.
The institute’s Award of Distinction was bestowed on two Okanagan wine industry pioneers.
Howard Soon has been winemaker at Calona Wines and Sandhill Wines since 1980 and, with 37 vintages under his belt, is the longest-serving winemaker in the country.
He’s retiring from his job later this month.
Harry McWatters has been in the B.C. wine industry for almost half a century, starting as a salesman for Casabello Wines in Vancouver in 1968 and working his way to the Okanagan to found Sumac Ridge Winery in Summerland in 1980 and See Ya Later Ranch in Okanagan Falls in 1995.
He’s sold those properties and now runs Time, McWatters Collection and Evolve wineries and a wine consulting group with his daughter, Christa-Lee McWatters Bond.
In fact, it was Bond, who also happens to be chairwoman of the B.C. Wine Institute, who presented the awards to Yap, Soon and her dad.
At the annual meeting, the institute also elected a 2017-18 board of directors, headed up by Bond for a second term.
The institute promotes B.C. wines and wine-related tourism by advocating to government and presenting trade, media and consumer events.
One of those events is Chef Meets B.C. Grape, a four-day Okanagan wine and food festival Aug. 24-27 with wine-paired dinners at Nk’Mip Winery in Osoyoos and Burrowing Owl Winery in Oliver, brunch at Hester Creek Winery in Oliver, and a food and wine sampling day at See Ya Later Ranch in Okanagan Falls.
The 272 grape wine wineries in the province contribute to an industry that has a $2.8-billion-ayear economic impact and helps draw a million tourists a year to the province.