Media Releases

September 7, 2011 (Kelowna, BC) – ChefmeetsGrape, the largest annual celebration of BC VQA wines and local food, is once again coming to Vancouver! On Thursday, September 22, 75 BC wineries will be sharing their new fall releases, perfectly paired with inspired dishes from top Ocean Wise partner restaurants.

This year, guests will enjoy wines from all of British Columbia’s five designated viticultural areas and sample dishes from top chefs from Vancouver, Whistler and the Okanagan. The restaurants in this year’s event, renowned for their delectable wine and food pairings, will compete for the honour of “Judges Choice”, as they each create appetizer-sized portions of a dish using BC ingredients, paired with their selected BC VQA wine. New this year is a critics’ choice raw bar (sponsored by the BC Shellfish Growers Association) featuring wine pairings from top BC wine writers and sommeliers.

With over 250 award-winning Wines of British Columbia, 10 mouth-watering dishes, a critics’ choice raw bar, and the sultry sounds of jazz crooner Heidi McCurdy, this is truly an evening you and your tastebuds will never forget!

Organized by the British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI), ChefmeetsGrape is proud to support the Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise program with 10% of all proceeds going towards their vital conservation efforts. Tickets are $85 (plus HST & s/c), and available through Tickets Tonight at ticketstonight.ca or by phone (604-684-2787).

Participating Wineries:

• Arrowleaf Cellars
• Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery
• Black Hills Estate Winery
• Blackwood Lane Winery
• Burrowing Owl Vineyards
• Calona Vineyards
• Cassini Cellars
• CedarCreek Estate Winery
• Church & State Wines
• Clos du Soleil Winery
• D’Angelo Estate Winery
• Desert Hills Estate Winery
• Dirty Laundry Vineyard
• Dunham & Froese Estate Winery
• Ex Nihilo Vineyards
• Fairview Cellars
• Fort Berens Estate Winery
• Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery
• Garry Oaks Winery
• Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery
• Gold Hill Winery
• Gray Monk Estate
• Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery
• Hester Creek Estate Winery
• Howling Bluff Estate Winery
• Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards
• Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate
• JoieFarm
• Kalala Organic Estate Winery
• Kraze Legz Vineyard & Winery
• Lake Breeze Vineyards
• LaStella Winery
• Laughing Stock Vineyards
• Le Vieux Pin Winery
• Little Straw Vineyards
• Mission Hill Family Estate Winery
• Moon Curser Vineyards
• Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery
• Neck of the Woods Winery
• Nk’Mip Cellars
• Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery
• Okanagan Crush Pad Winery
• Osoyoos Larose
• Painted Rock Estate Winery
• Paradise Ranch Wines
• Peller Estates
• Poplar Grove Winery
• Quails’ Gate Estate Winery
• Red Rooster Winery
• Road 13 Vineyards
• Robin Ridge Winery
• Sandhill
• Saturna Island Family Estate Winery
• See Ya Later Ranch
• Seven Stones Winery
• Soaring Eagle Estate Winery
• Sonoran Estate Winery
• SpierHead Winery
• Sperling Vineyards
• St. Hubertus Estate Winery & Oak Bay Vineyard
• Stag’s Hollow Winery & Vineyard
• Stoneboat Vineyards
• Sumac Ridge Estate Winery
• Summerhill Pyramid Organic Winery
• Tangled Vines Estate Winery
• Tantalus Vineyards
• The View Winery
• Therapy Vineyards
• Thornhaven Estates Winery
• Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
• Township 7 Vineyards & Winery
• Vista D’oro Winery
• Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery
• Young & Wyse Collection

Participating Restaurants (2011):

• Alta Bistro
• Cibo Trattoria & UVA Wine Bar
• Edible Canada at the Market
• Fraîche Restaurant, Vancouver
• Le Gavroche
• Miradoro
• O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar
• Terminal City Club Cuvée Wine Bar
• Yew Restaurant + Bar
• Vancouver Convention Centre Catering

For further information:
Lindsay Kelm
Communications Manager
lkelm@winebc.com
tel. 250-762-9744 ext. 103
cell. 250-317-8688

British Columbia Wine Institute
Suite 107 – 1726 Dolphin Avenue
Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 9R9
www.winebc.org
twitter.com/winebcdotcom
phone. 250-762-9744
toll free. 1-800-661-2294
fax. 250-762-9788

About the BC Wine Institute (BCWI)
Since 1990, the BCWI has played a pivotal role in taking BC’s wine industry from a vision to an internationally recognized niche region producing premium wines and providing quality wine tourism experiences.

Representing 119 member wineries throughout the province, the BCWI supports and markets the Wines of British Columbia (BC VQA), which gives consumers assurance they are buying a wine that is 100% from BC. The BCWI also markets the Wine Regions of BC; delivers quality trade, media and consumer tastings; and acts as the voice of BC’s wine industry by advocating to government on behalf of its members.

About BC VQA
BC VQA = 100% BC Wine. BC VQA is an appellation of origin system that guarantees authenticity of origin and stipulates minimum quality standards for BC wines. Please visit winebc.com to learn more.

About Ocean Wise™
The Ocean Wise symbol next to a menu or seafood item is the Vancouver Aquarium’s assurance of an ocean-friendly seafood choice. With over 3,100 Ocean Wise partner locations across Canada, Ocean Wise makes it easy for consumers to make sustainable seafood choices that ensure the health of our oceans for generations to come. Learn more at www.oceanwise.ca.