KAMLOOPS – Kamloops wineries shone brightly last Thursday, Sept. 29, when the Okanagan Wine Festival announced the results of the 2016 British Columbia Wine Awards marking the kick off to the 36th annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival now in full swing.

A panel of ten expert judges from Canada and the U.S worked for four days to determine which wines were worthy of medal recognition. Competing for that recognition were a record 624 different wines from over 90 wineries across the province.

Among this year’s entries were two Kamloops wineries which combined earned a total of eight medals. Harper’s Trail Estate Winery won a gold medal for their 2014 Pioneer Block Riesling and a silver for their 2014 Cabernet Franc. Monte Creek Ranch Winery was awarded a gold medal for their 2014 Riesling icewine, a silver for their 2014 Cabernet Merlot and handful of bronze medals for their 2014 Ranch Hand Red Reserve, 2015 Reserve Chardonnay, 2015 Hands Up White and their 2015 Hands Up Red.

“This is a tough competition and represents some of the best wines in BC,” says Kamloops Wineries Association Director, Trish Morelli. “There were a lot of wines entered and to have two local wineries win eight medals is an incredible outcome and really helps to showcase the quality product coming out of the Kamloops Thompson Valley region,” says Morelli.

Additional notable recognition for Kamloops wineries came last week with the announcement of Cornucopia’s top 20 wine awards in Whistler, BC. Judged against 167 high caliber domestic and international wines, Harper’s Trail Estate Winery was named to the esteemed top 20 list with their 2014 Pioneer Block Riesling. In the 2014 competition, another Kamloops winery, Privato was awarded the prestigious top red wine at Cornucopia with their 2012 Pinot Noir.

The award winning Kamloops wines from Harper's Trail, Monte Creek Ranch and Privato are available directly from the wineries or from select retail outlets in the province.