The Best of BC Wine Country Awards are back – a crowd-sourced online survey curated by the BC Wine Institute launches today inviting the public to vote on their favourite BC wine experiences from specific “Best of” categories related to BC wine and food tourism.
From Monday, July 23 through August 17, the Best of BC Wine Country Awards will generate authentic recommendations from the public on categories including: Best of BC Wine; Best of BC Place; and Best of BC Experience. Within these, 12 sub-categories are offered for each of BC’s unique wine regions!
“We are excited to bring back the Best of BC Wine Country Awards for a second year to encourage visitors to share their favourite experiences while touring BC wineries this summer,” notes Maggie Anderson Communications and Content Director of the BC Wine Institute. “Whether it’s for the experience, the award-winning wines, the local food, the people or the scenic views, we want to know first-hand from winery-goers what keeps bringing them back.”
Integrated this year are BC wine give-aways, offering voters the chance to experience the Best of BC Wine Country by winning one of three prizes: (1) Best of BC Wine gift basket; (2) An overnight stay at a Best of BC Winery Accommodation or (3) Dinner for two at a Best of BC Winery Restaurant. All they need to do is vote and share their excitement for #BestofBC18 on social media.
“Here in BC, they are essentially the people’s choice awards of wine. Winners are selected by consumers – not wine experts.” says Claire Newell, travel expert and best-selling author of Travel Best Bets. “My friends and I voted last year over a glass of our favorite BC wine with our tablets or smartphones in-hand. I expect more of my friends will join this year because there are prizes to win!”
With 276 BC grape wineries open to the public, more than 74 winery restaurants and 16 regional wine trails throughout the province, download the Wines of British Columbia new Trip Planner App and start exploring the award-winning wines available in your backyard. Have your say in what makes BC a world-class wine destination, and vote for your top picks for a chance to experience the Best of BC Wine Country.
Awards are presented for the Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and other regions including: Thompson Valley; Shuswap; Lillooet; Kootenays; Prince George. Winners will be published on WineBC.com and #BestOfBC18 prize winners will be announced on September 13.
Vote for your Best of BC Wine Country and enter to win #BestofBC18 here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/bestofBCwine18
Download the Wines of British Columbia Trip Planner app by searching “BC Wine” in either the App Store or Google Play store or click the links directly for: Android or iPhone.
Check out last year’s Best of BC Wine Country Award winners for trip inspiration here: bestof.winebc.com
Quick facts about the BC Wine Industry:
- BC is home to 929 vineyards, including more than 350 licensed wineries
- There are more than 10,200 acres (4,130 hectares) of wine grapes planted in British Columbia
- BC’s grape wine industry has grown from just 17 grape wineries in 1990 to more than 275 today
- BC’s wine industry employs about 12,000 people and has an economic impact of $2.8 billion annually
- Each year, BC’s wineries welcome more than 1,000,000 visitors
- Wines of British Columbia Trip Planner offers visitors an interactive touring app with personalized itineraries to explore the character of each wine region
