This year’s Fall Okanagan Wine Festival has been one for the record books. The strong attendance is part of a larger trend for the local wine industry which is catching the attention of younger demographics.
Festival organizers are reporting record attendance at the seven events they hosted. The entire festival is comprised of over 100 events and organizers are still tabulating the total visitor numbers.
Approximately 10,000 visitors took park in the festival in 2014. It’s a chance to recognize the best B.C. wines and drum up tourist attention for the industry.
It’s a far cry from when the annual event started more than three decades ago.
“When the whole wine festival started there were like five people showing up on a Saturday,” said Andy Gebert owner of St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery. “That, of course, changed quite a bit.”
Many in the industry say it’s a sign the Okanagan is becoming better known as a wine region.
It’s not just the festival that’s been increasingly busy.
“Our visitor counts are up so much that we’ve decided to keep our bistro and restaurant open year round,” said LaGrange.
Along with a trend towards more international visitors, some are also noticing an increase in the number of young people coming in for a sip.
“A lot of times you have to ask for ID and the most shocking thing is they know lots about wines,” said Gebert.
As they put the cork in another Fall Okanagan Wine Festival, the industry seems optimistic new audiences can only mean more success for Okanagan wines.