Of the 540 entries entered in the annual autumn British Columbia Wine Awards competition, only five received platinum awards and only one of those, received the title of The Premier’s Wine.
See Ya Later Ranch Winery’s Rover — a shiraz-viognier blend — took the top prize at last week’s British Columbia Wine Awards reception and tasting at the Laurel Heritage Packinghouse in Kelowna.
“What an absolute honour,” said a very excited Dave Carson, See Ya Later Ranch winemaker. “We always strive to make the very best wines, using the best grapes and techniques and I’ve had a great feeling about the wines we presented this vintage. But this type of recognition exceeds expectation and fills the whole See Ya Later Ranch team with pride and renewed appreciation for the work that we do.”
Brand new this year, the Premier’s Wine Award was selected from all platinum medals, and was based on the judges’ consensus. This wine represents varietal consistency and a combination of superb grapes and winemaking.
This recognition pairs perfectly with the winery’s fresh new look featuring colourful labels inspired by the winery’s past with a refined focus on the quality of wine in the bottle. See Ya Later Ranch wines are available at the winery, B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch, VQA stores and select liquor stores across the country.
Set on Hawthorne Mountain 609 metres above sea-level, See Ya Later Ranch offers one of the most spectacular perches in the entire valley. The Okanagan Valley’s highest-elevation vineyard takes its name from the quirky history of the ranch’s founder, Major Hugh Fraser. While the style and attitude at See Ya Later Ranch are playful, the wines are much more than that. The highly acclaimed portfolio is named after the Major’s favourite pups, including Rover, Ping and Jimmy My Pal.
The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society awarded 33 gold, 113 silver and 122 bronze medals. Among the winners, the judges singled out from the Gold honourees, five Platinum awards. These were bestowed on wines determined to be the top one per cent of wines entered. South Okanagan winery winners also included Silkscarf Winery viognier 2013.
“Along with the other recipients, See Ya Later Ranch is at the forefront of B.C.’s thriving wine industry. Today more than ever, B.C. wines are taking their rightful place among the world’s best. As we make concerted efforts to expand the market for our wine within Canada and around the world, the industry’s future is bright,” said Premier Christy Clark, who was on hand to give out the award.