Harry McWatters: BC Wines Visionary

After four decades in the wine industry, Harry McWatters, the spirited, fun-loving, and sometimes outspoken president of Sumac Ridge Estate Winery in Summerland, British Columbia, is stepping down.

Harry’s accomplishments are legendary. He helped found the British Columbia Wine Institute, Wines of Canada, VQA Canada, the BC Wine Information Society, and the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society. In 2003, he was a recipient of the Order of British Columbia and is considered instrumental in propelling British Columbia’s wine industry onto the global stage.

But even more important, Harry is known and loved for his tireless commitment and enthusiasm. To be in a room with Harry, is to be instantly caught up in a contagious passion for all things wine-oriented. His wit is razor sharp, his smile impossible to resist, and few can match the sheer depth of his knowledge.

But there’s clearly no slowing down on Harry’s immediate horizon. Effective May 1st, 2008 – the day after he officially steps down as president of Sumac Ridge – Harry intends to begin work establishing The Okanagan Wine Academy, an educational program offering in-depth wine educational programs primarily to consumers. In addition to providing consulting services, he will also continue on as president of the Black Sage Vineyard.

And he’s going to finally be able to devote some time to completing his cookbook, Wine Country Cooking, British Columbia, a project he says “has been talked about and gathering dust for several years.” He smiles with that characteristic twinkle in his eyes. “This is by no means retirement, but an opportunity to find new reasons to get out of bed in the morning and shift gears, as I plan to remain active in the future growth of this great industry.”

Like everyone who has ever had the privilege of meeting this incredible man, we wish Harry every success and look forward to seeing what shifting gears will bring. We’ll also be first in line to try out some of his Wine Country Cooking recipes.

(Photo taken at the BC Wine Appreciation Society's Christmas party where Harry poured some of his Steller’s Jay Brut.)

British Columbia’s Gulf Islands Make VQA News

There’s a new appellation in British Columbia. Well, okay, it’s not really that new – two years old actually. But it arrived with so little fanfare, many people are still not aware of its existence. Even Appellations America only recently learned of the new designation that it says currently encompasses just over 100 acres.

The Gulf Islands now officially join the Okanagan Valley, Fraser Valley, Similkameem Valley, and Vancouver Island to become British Columbia’s fifth VQA Appellation of Origin. According to Harry McWatter, founder of Sumac Ridge Estate Winery in the Okanagan and an acknowledged BC wine industry leader, one reason for the designation was a response to the fact some Gulf Island wineries did not want to be simply lumped in with Vancouver Island.

Keith Watt, owner of Morning Bay Vineyard on Pender Island is reported to be delighted with the new appellation. “I believe the wines of the Gulf Islands have their own unique character, different from Vancouver Island wines and Fraser Valley wines. The ocean breezes, the soils, and the long, cool Mediterranean climate interact to create wines I believe will meet with great customer interest,” he said in an interview with Appellations America.

First to incorporate the new designation on their bottles was Saturna Island Family Estate Winery with their 2005 Pinot Noir. Since then, Salt Spring Vineyard (shown above left during harvest)have followed suit. For now, these remain the only two out of a growing number of wineries located on the Gulf Islands to be members of this appellation, but it will definitely be interesting to watch how many additional wineries come on board over the coming months.

According to the BC Wine Institute, the body that oversees the VQA program in British Columbia (Ontario also has a VQA designation):

The mild climate of the Strait of Georgia is very conducive to grape growing although scarcity of water and extreme aridity in summer present challenges. Like the Okanagan and Fraser Valleys, the Gulf Islands region had a well-established fruit-growing and market gardening tradition in the late 1800s.

Vineyards and wineries now are found on many Gulf Islands including Salt Spring, Pender, Saturna, Quadra, and Bowen with varietals planted included Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Chardonnay.