At least one Okanagan Wine Festival event is going ahead this fall

COVID-19 has limited most of this year’s fall Okanagan Wine Festival activities, but one of the most important aspects of the festival will take place.

The Okanagan Wine Festival announced today, Aug. 13, the B.C. Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards will be held at Manteo Resort in Kelowna from Sept. 23 to 25, providing the opportunity for all licensed B.C. wineries to have their wines judged by a highly esteemed industry panel.

The competition recognizes a wide variety of wine styles, judging more than 700 wines at last year’s festival, according to an Okanagan Wine Festival media release.

"This is one event we are able to do. It’s a smaller group of people and it’s in a place where we can have everybody at a safe distance,” Wine Festival communications manager Donita Dyer said in the release.

The judging competition provides important support to B.C. winemakers, especially since the remainder of the wine festival can’t take place due to COVID-19 limitations on crowds, she said.

Dyer said the wine festival is hoping to come up with other initiatives such as a passport program during the fall, but are waiting for feedback from area wineries before proceeding.

To see a list of this year's judges go here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to tips@infonews.ca and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.