The world-renowned wine region of Okanagan Valley will now have a new research hub, according to UBC Okanagan.
The university announced it will move its wine research centre (WRC) to the Okanagan campus from Vancouver.
“The move provides the WRC with a dual-campus presence in Vancouver and the Okanagan, where researchers have developed strong collaborations with the BC wine community,” UBC staff said in a release.
“The WRC, one of only two such research centres in Canada, will be led by its newly appointed director Jacques-Olivier Pesme.”
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Pesme was a founding member of the board of the Institute of Vine and Wine Science in Bordeaux, France.
He has been working with UBC since 2012 as a special advisor to the dean of the Faculty of Management.
“The Okanagan is an ideal environment for the next chapter of the WRC,” Pesme said.
“The WRC will combine operations between the Okanagan, home to more than 80 per cent of B.C. vineyard acreage, and Vancouver, a gateway to the world.”
The WRC is dedicated to interdisciplinary research, education and development, with a core mission to support a sustainable Canadian grape and wine industry, according to the university.
The B.C. wine industry has a $2.8-billion annual economic impact on the province, with 84 per cent of B.C. vineyards located in the Okanagan, according to UBC.