BC Wines Set to Shine Alongside Celebrity Chefs at Inaugural Chef Meets BC Grape Okanagan

The Wines of British Columbia‘s inaugural Chef Meets BC Grape Okanagan Wine and Food Experience four-day festival weekend kicks off this Thursday in the heart of BC wine country bringing together 17 Canadian top chefs, 50 award-winning BC wineries, and special guests in a multi-event series celebrating the best of BC wine and food.

“There has never been a more exciting time to visit the wine regions of British Columbia than now. With breathtaking scenery, award-winning wineries and a delicious food scene, the four-day Chef Meets BC Grape Okanagan wine and food experience is the best way to sample the bounty of BC wine and food this summer, highlighting all things grown, crushed, raised and produced in British Columbia,” notes Miles Prodan, CEO and President of the BC Wine Institute.

In addition to the star-studded chef-collaborative winemakers’ dinners including, the First Nations Elements Dinner, Icons of Wines and Food Dinner and Sunday Bubbles and Brunch, the Taste of the Okanagan signature tasting event on Saturday, August 26 is not to be missed. This outdoor festival will invite guests to tempt their taste buds with celebrated star chefs and 34 award-winning BC wineries from the glorious vantage point of See Ya Later Ranch in Okanagan Falls.

Video: Master of Wine Rhys Pender gets excited for the Taste of the Okanagan Signature Event at See Ya Later Ranch on Saturday, August 26.

The day will include 10 chef stations; over 90 BC VQA Wines to sample; four food and wine pairing demonstrations from Chef Mark McEwan, Head Judge of Top Chef Canada, Chef Nicole Gomes, Top Chef Canada Allstars Winner and Chef David Beaudoin, Cheese Evangelist with the Dairy Farmer’s of Canada; wine seminars and vertical tastings of library wines examining why wines age and how BC wines are performing in this test of excellence.

Led by Master of Wine Rhys Pender, guests will have the opportunity to learn and taste from some of the top trending wine varieties and styles on the market in a series of educational wine tasting seminars throughout the day. From BC bubbles to elegant, sophisticated, dry Rosés, to the refreshing taste of BC’s light and juicy Gamay Noirs, these seminars will examine how BC’s unique climate makes it incredibly suitable for making these styles of wines that are gaining international recognition from top critics from around the world.

“The goal of this event is to showcase the very best of what BC’s wine and culinary regions have to offer at a premium level. Inviting Masters of Wine Marcus Ansems and Rhys Pender, and celebrated Chef Audrey Surrao of RauDZ and Terrafina at Hester Creek to participate on a Chef Meets BC Grape Wine Selection Committee was one way of ensuring the best of BC’s favourite wineries are presented throughout the weekend,” notes Prodan.

“Our selection committee for Chef Meets BC Grape 2017 took great care to choose fantastic wines that showcase the best of our diverse terroir and a sense of place that is the signature of BC wines. As a unique venue, See Ya Later Ranch winery offers an incredible location that is breathtaking for anyone participating and learning about the Wines of British Columbia,” says Marcus Ansems MW, (B .Ag. Sci (Oen)) Co-Owner Daydreamer Wines and Grassroots Wine Consultants.

Video: Chef Audrey Surrao of RauDZ and Chef Meets BC Grape Wine Selection Committee comments on the Bubbles and Brunch at Terrafina Restaurant at Hester Creek Estate Winery on Sunday, August 27.

With many of British Columbia’s best BC VQA Wines and top chefs from across Canada descending on the South Okanagan to celebrate local cuisine, this promises to be one delicious weekend. Create a memorable journey this summer in BC wine country.

TICKETING INFORMATION:

For event details and tickets visit chefmeetsbcgrapeokanagan.com and

WineBC.com.

PARTICIPATING WINERIES:

50th Parallel Estate Winery

Bench 1775 Winery

Black Hills Estate Winery

Black Sage Vineyard

Bordertown Vineyards and Estate Winery

C.C. Jentsch Cellars

Close du Soleil Winery

Crescent Hill Winery

Culmina Family Estate Winery

Dirty Laundry Vineyard

Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards

Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery

Giant Head Estate Winery

Hester Creek Estate Winery

Hillside Winery

House of Rose Vineyards

Howling Bluff Estate Winery

Indigenous World Winery

Inniskillian Okanagan Vineyards

Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate

Kismet Estate Winery

Kraze Legs Vineyard and Winery

Laughing Stock Vineyards

Lavina Estate Winery

Le Vieux Pin Winery

Little Straw Vineyards Estate Winery

Meyer Family Vineyards

Monster Vineyards

Moon Curser Vineyards

Mt. Boucherie Winery

Nighthawk Vineyards

Nk’Mip Cellars

Osoyoos Larose Estate Winery

Painted Rock Estate Winery

Pentage Winery

Perseus Winery

Quail’s Gate Winery

River Stone Estate

Robin Ridge Winery

Savard Vines

See Ya Later Ranch

St Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery

Steller’s Jay

Stoneboat Vineyards

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery

Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Tantalus Vineyards

vinAmité Cellars

Wild Goose Vineyards

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About The British Columbia Wine Institute:

Since 1990, the BCWI has played a pivotal role in taking BC’s wine industry from a vision to an internationally recognized niche region producing premium wines and providing exceptional wine tourism experiences. The BCWI markets the wine and regions of BC; delivers quality trade, media and consumer tastings; and acts as the voice of BC’s wine industry by advocating to government on behalf of industry that contributes $2.8 billion in provincial economic growth annually.

The BCWI represents all wineries in British Columbia to grow the premium market share for the Wines of British Columbia, while driving awareness of our world-class wines and tourism product – currently drawing 1,000,000 visitors with $600 million in tourism and tourism employment related economic impact every year. For more information about BC Wine Institute’s programs and services, please visit WineBC.com.

For details on BC VQA and the Wines of British Columbia, go to WineBC.com or WineBC.org, like the Wines of British Columbia Facebook page and follow

@WineBCdotcom on Twitter and Instagram.

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