News

Okanagan Wine Festival Society Announces New 2017 Board of Directors

NOVEMBER 28, 2016:  The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society is pleased to announce its new board of directors for the coming year.  Newly appointed at the Society’s annual general meeting are: Daniel Bibby - Nighthawk Vineyards, Lindsay Kelm - Quails’ Gate Winery, Melody Schneider - Sandhill Wines, Raquel Meriam - Travel Penticton, Terry Meyer Stone - Tinhorn Creek Vineyards and Jonathan Rouse - Associate Dean of Wine, Food and Tourism with the Okanagan School of Business at Okanagan College. The board represents a valley wide cross-section of the Okanagan’s wine, hospitality and tourism fields.

The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society operates and markets four annual Wine Festivals in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall and two judging competitions, with the goal to increase sales for wineries and tourism partners and to generate a lasting wine experience for both tourism and retail. 

“I am happy to continue to be a part of this professional organization,” said Board Chair, Bruce Hibbard, with Hester Creek Estate Winery.  “The Society has contributed so much to the success of the B.C. Wine industry, and it’s exciting to be a part of this flourishing wine tourism sector.”

Returning Society board members include: Chair President Bruce Hibbard - Hester Creek Winery, Signature Events Co Chair Carolyn Nixon - Nixon Hospitality Group, Finance Chair Jamie Moore - Hooded Merganser, Membership Chair U. Andy Gebert - St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery, Judging Chair Luke Whittall - Clos du Soleil, Annika Betts - Monte Creek Ranch Winery and ex officio Board members Angela Brown representing Valley First, and Geoff Barlow representing ContainerWorld.

Leaving the board this year, after many years of continued support are: Christa-Lee McWatters Bond - Time Estate Winery, Sally Sharpe - Constellation Brands and Great Estates of the Okanagan, Roger Wong - Gray Monk Estate Winery and Intrigue Wines, Julian Scholefield - Okanagan Crush Pad, and Patti Ogden-Grady - Okanagan Wine Country Tours. Thank you to the board members that have greatly supported the Society, and contributed to the success of wine tourism in British Columbia.

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Suggested Tweet: Welcome to this years @OKWineFests Board of Directors Announced #cheers to an exciting year to come! #BCWine http://ow.ly/GAbR306Q0zX

About The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society

The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society is responsible for the development of the wine tourism sector in the interior of British Columbia. It is well known for producing four seasonally inspired Okanagan Wine Festivals annually in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Its Winter Okanagan Wine Festival is run in partnership with Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops. It is also responsible for Signature Wine Events including Cropped by Valley First, the WestJet Wine Tastings and others. It also produces and runs the BC Best of Varietal Wine Competition and the Province’s most prestigious and oldest wine competition – the British Columbia Wine Awards. For more information visit www.thewinefestivals.com

For media enquiries, please contact:

Katia Plotnikoff, PR & Marketing Coordinator, Okanagan Wine Festivals Society

[email protected] / 250.861.6654