BC Pinot Noir Celebration Brings 35 Top Pinot Producers Together With Seven of BC’s Best Chefs

On August 17, 2019, the BC Pinot Noir Celebration returns with 35 top Pinot Noir producers coming together with seven of British Columbia’s top chefs for an unforgettable day of wine and food at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan Campus in Kelowna.  

Now in its fourth year, the BC Pinot Noir Celebration (BCPNC) is bigger than ever before. In total, 42 wineries submitted their wines for the event. After a rigorous tasting by a panel of discerning judges of some of Vancouver’s top sommeliers (DJ Kearney,  Christina Hartigan, Alistair Veen, Roger Maniwa, Mark Taylor and Keith Nicholson), the field was whittled down to 35 Pinots which guests will have the chance to sample at the celebration, along with a sparkling wine from Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards.

In addition to an increase in the number of wineries, 2019 will also see the most chefs participating than ever before. Guests can expect a truly exceptional wine and culinary experience during a courtyard tasting salon with the likes of Joy Road, Waterfront Café and Catering, Frankie We Salute You, Old Vines Restaurant at Quails’ Gate Winery, Vice and Virtue, Start Fresh Catering and Vancouver’s Wildebeest. The evening unfolds with a cocktail-style dinner by Joy Road and Waterfront Café followed by live music featuring The Insiders.

“The BC Pinot Noir Celebration initially came together as a way for winemakers to share their love of Pinot and we are blown away by how much the event continues to grow year-after-year,” remarks David Paterson, GM/Winemaker at Tantalus Vineyards and BCPNC President. “By moving to UBC’s Okanagan Campus this year, we are not only able to increase the level of experience for our guests at the salon tasting and breakout sessions, but also work with their faculty to share some of the amazing research that has been done with our local wineries.”

BCPNC offers an immersive experience to learn about and discuss Pinot Noir and compare various styles. This year’s schedule of events includes an information session hosted by UBC’s Okanagan Campus researchers, as well as breakout sessions  where guests can delve deeper into their tasting experience with ‘Something Old, Something New’ which looks at how beautifully Pinots age, and ‘Pinot Noir from Coast to Coast’ which will feature wines from BC to Nova Scotia. Later in the afternoon, the Salon Tasting will commence with a sparkling wine reception and our keynote address, which will give insights into how BC Pinot Noirs compare with international benchmarks. Past events have seen the likes of Richard Hemming MW (Jancisrobinson.com), Karen MacNeil (The Wine Bible) and Steven Spurrier (Decanter) delivering the keynote address. This year, organizers are excited to welcome Madeline Puckette, certified sommelier and author of New York Times Bestseller, Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine.

Following the keynote address, guests will enjoy a salon tasting, cocktail-style dinner and live music. The festival portion of the celebration runs from 3:00 PM to 10:30 PM and will welcome more than 450 guests to sip their way through BC’s Best Pinots and sample small bites from BC’s best chefs.

Early-bird tickets for the Celebration ($125+tax) and Breakout Sessions ($30+tax) are available now at BCPinotNoir.ca.
After May 1^st, tickets will be available for $140+tax.

Shuttle options and preferred hotel rates are also available.

The 2019 BCPNC is proudly sponsored by Country 100.7, Kelowna InstaPrint, ATS Healthcare and Pushor Mitchell who all contributed for the love of Pinot.