The Results Are In For 2023 BC Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards

The British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards competition recently concluded, bringing together fifteen professional wine judges from Western Canada for three intense days of blind tastings.

Over five hundred wines from more than one hundred BC wine producers were judged, with each wine meticulously tasted and scored according to a set criterion. The top-rated wines were classified into Silver, Gold and Platinum categories.

The prestigious Platinum category is the highest accolade a wine can achieve and the best among them is crowned the Wine of the Year. The rigorous judging process ensures that only the best of the best wines receive recognition.

Master of Wine and 2023 BCLGWA Judge, Barbara Philip, shared her enthusiasm for the competition, saying, “Judging at the BCLGWA is a special opportunity because it gives us a snapshot of the industry. What are the unexpected varieties and styles of wine that are emerging as high-quality examples? What are the new trends for our established varieties and styles? And the standard of quality keeps going up and up!”

Out of the five hundred wines submitted, a total of 185 wines medaled in the prescribed categories, showcasing the stringent selection process.

On June 9, 2023, the platinum winners will be feted at the awards reception as anticipation builds for the announcement of the Wine of the Year, which is chosen from the list of Platinum Award winners as the best of the best.

Platinum Award Recipients

• Quails’ Gate 2020 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay

• Inniskillin Okanagan Winery 2018 Estate Riesling Icewine

• Township 7 Vineyards & Winery 2015 seven stars Sirius

• Township 7 Vineyards & Winery 2019 Reserve 7

• Moraine Estate Winery 2021 Malbec

• O’Rourke Family Estate 2020 Clone 943 Pinot Noir

• Hillside Winery & Bistro 2021 Viognier

The BC Fruit Growers’ Association

Supports research projects for the tree fruit sector:

❶ Introducing our new Horticulture and Research Project Manager, Gail Nelson.

❷ Research funding:

• Effect of water stress on Ambrosia fruit.

• Cover crops for drive alleys.

• Hot water fumigation of fruit trees.

• Molecular markers in cherries.

• Detection of Little Cherry Disease.

• Cherry fruitlet nutrent analysis.

• Van Westen Vineyards 2021 Viscous

• Lake Breeze Vineyards 2020 Syrah

• Fort Berens Estate Winery 2020 Cabernet Franc Reserve

• Fox & Archer Wines 2020 Malbec

• Kismet Estate Winery 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

• Stag’s Hollow Winery 2020

• Renaissance Pinot Noir

• Backyard Vineyards 2020 Syrah Reserve The complete list of winners is at https://www.thewinefestivals.com/awards/ results/9/1/

DID YOU KNOW?

BCFGA funds research projects:

➔ Apple Pests and Alternative Control Strategies

➔ Apple Crop Load Management: Enhancing Thinning Predictability and Tree Response

➔ Extending Storage Life and Maximizing Quality to Reduce Postharvest Apple Loss

O’Rourke Family Estate Ranks Top 10 at Chardonnay du Monde

O’Rourke Family Estate, a relative newcomer to the Canadian wine scene located in Lake Country, has received international recognition for its 2020 Chardonnay.

The wine was awarded top honours at the Chardonnay du Monde wine competition, which took place in Burgundy, France. O’Rourke Family Estate was the only Canadian winery to be recognized in the top 10, out of a field of 530 entries from 32 countries.

Proprietor Dennis O’Rourke’s vision for the winery was to be in a class of its own, and it seems that winemaker Nikki Callaway is leading them in that direction. With 110 acres under vine on over 300 acres of land, O’Rourke Family Estate is home to world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Callaway has received recognition for her winemaking skills in the past, but the winery’s inaugural vintage has now put them on the world map.

“I could not be more excited for our entire team to have received such an esteemed award so early in our journey,” said Callaway.

She attributed the win to the exceptional fruit grown in the Lake Country sub-GI and the team’s approach of letting nature lead the way to showcase the elegant characteristics of Chardonnay.

The recognition received by O’Rourke Family Estate at the Chardonnay du Monde competition reinforces the winery’s commitment to producing high-quality wines and positions them as one of the world’s top Chardonnay producers.