Photo: Okanagan Wine Festivals

After a pause in 2022, the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards is back this spring, with judging taking place in early April in Penticton.

The event boast an esteemed panel of professional wine judges from around Western Canada, selected to pick the best wine B.C. has to offer.

The awards will be presented on Friday, June 9, but Penticton will play host to a judging panel April 3-5.

"This year, wineries were asked to select their top five wines to present to the judging panel,” says Okanagan Wine Festivals Society chair Heather Courtney.

“This year we are honoured to have an esteemed panel of judges join us in celebrating excellence in winemaking in our region. As one of our province’s oldest and most prestigious wine competitions, we feel so proud to represent the Okanagan and its diverse wine offerings.”

The competition is open to all licensed British Columbia wineries and will include fruit wines and mead. Silver and gold medals will be awarded.

The top one per cent of medal winners will receive Lieutenant Governor’s platinum medals, with one wine receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Best Wine in British Columbia.

This year's judges, with many hailing from the Okanagan, are:

1. Barbara Philip – Vancouver
2. Brad Royale – Calgary
3. DJ Kearney – Vancouver
4. Emily Walker – Summerland
5. Iain Philip – Vancouver
6. Jenna Briscoe- Vancouver
7. Johanne Audette- Vernon
8. Kurtis Kolt- Vancouver
9. Matthew Landry – Vancouver
10. Mia Papadopoulos- Kelowna
11. Rhys Pender – Kelowna
12. Rory Conroy- Vancouver
13. Sid Cross – Vancouver
14. Terry David Mulligan – Victoria
15. Tim Pawsey – Vancouver

For more information, click here.