Wine tourism on the rise

KELOWNA – The wine industry in B.C. continues to grow and while winter usually sees fewer visits to Okanagan wineries, that’s changed this year.

The B.C. Wine Institute is reporting record high numbers of both wine sales and international visitors to the province, making the perfect pairing for a strong wine touring industry.

“The market share for BC VQA wine here in the province is at an all-time high and nine per cent growth has been phenomenal,” says B.C. Wine Institute President Miles Prodan.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The market share for BC VQA wine here in the province is at an all-time high and nine per cent growth has been phenomenal," says B.C. Wine Institute President Miles Prodan.

The industry’s success means, for the first time ever, some Okanagan wineries, like Cedar Creek Estate in Kelowna, are able to offer wine and food pairing tours during the off season.

“We have been able to do more in the summer which has led us to believe this year that we can continue to offer more events and activities through the winter so this is the first time we are offering a sommelier-led food and wine paired tasting in the winery cellar,” says Anahita Pouget with Cedar Creek Estate Winery.

Prodan says B.C.’s recent tourism boom is helping to boost business at Okanagan wineries.

“We are also seeing winery sales increase. Up to 30 per cent of all sales are coming from wineries,” says Prodan.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We are also seeing winery sales increase. Up to 30 per cent of all sales are coming from wineries," says Prodan.

So for wineries like Cedar Creek, instead of gearing down for the winter, they’re gearing up to welcome visitors every weekend until March.

Several winter wine events are taking place this weekend through “Discover the Wonder of Winter in B.C. Wine Country”. Click here for a full list of events.