BC’S TOP 50 WINES ANNOUNCED, CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE PROVINCE
For immediate release: 02/05/2026
Kelowna, British Columbia – Wine Growers British Columbia and Okanagan Wine Festival Society are proud to announce the 2026 BC’s Top 50 Wines, recognizing the depth, quality, and diversity of British Columbia’s wine industry.
Selected through a blind tasting process held in Kelowna last week, this year’s Top 50 highlights the strength of BC winemaking across regions, varietals, and styles. The panel featured some of the province’s most respected wine professionals, including Chef Mark Filatow, Rhys Pender, Arnica Rowan, Geoff Moss, and Barb Wild.
Top honours for 2026:
- Wine of the Year: Laughing Stock Vineyards Syrah 2023
- Winery of the Year: Laughing Stock Vineyards
“BC’s Top 50 shows a wine industry operating with real precision, intent, and confidence,” said Jeff Guignard, CEO of Wine Growers British Columbia. “These are premium wines with a strong sense of place, and they reflect a region that is rapidly earning its place on the global stage.”
Annika Betts of the Okanagan Wine Festival Society added, “The strength of this program is the blind tasting process. Wines are assessed independently by experienced judges, providing consumers and trade with a clear, reliable guide to quality bottles across BC.”
The BC’s Top 50 Wines reflect a province coming into its own. The full list of BC’s Top 50 Wines is available here.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Annika Betts, The Okanagan Wine Festival Society
Community Partnerships & Events Specialist
Kelly Josephson, Wine Growers BC
Director, Communications
KJosephson@WineBC.com
ABOUT WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA
Since 1990, WGBC 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 exceptional wine tourism experiences. WGBC markets the wine and 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 industry that contributes $3.75 billion in provincial economic growth annually.
WGBC represents all wineries in British Columbia to grow the premium market share for the Wines of British Columbia, while driving awareness of our world-class wines and tourism product – as of 2019 drawing 1,191,500 visitors with $783.7million in tourism and tourism employment related economic impact on an annual basis.
For more information about Wine Growers BC programs and services, please visit WineBC.com.
For details on the Wines of British Columbia, go to WineBC.com.
Quick Facts:
- The BC wine industry generates approximately $3.75 billion annually, contributes over $440 million in federal and provincial tax revenues, and employs over 14,000-plus full-time workers.
- BC wine tourism draws an annual estimated 1 million tourists with $452 million in tourism-related revenue, and $147 million in wages across 2,615 tourism-related jobs.
- For every bottle of BC wine sold, $105 contributes to the regional and national economy.
