BC wines have won a staggering 1,037 awards between March and July 2011, including more than 900 at international competitions in Europe and the USA.
 
 
As committed to great wine as to fabulous food, Elements chooses a selection of new and old world wines to compliment your dining experience. With a strong focus on boutique BC wines, the Elements’ wine gurus seek out unique and interesting local BC wineries and their up and coming award winning wines. Many of the wines you will get an opportunity to try at Elements are not available outside of direct winery sales. “There are so many incredible BC Wineries producing award winning wines, we are pleased to select different wineries each season to introduce to our guests. - Kathi Jazic, Owner Click here for more info on our feature BC Winery. ACCOLADES FOR BC WINES B.C. VQA wines won a staggering 1,037 awards between March and July 2011, including more than 900 at international competitions in Europe and the United States. B.C.’s VQA wineries produce slightly more red wine (51 per cent) than white wine, and red wines also win slightly more (53 per cent) of the awards. White wines account for 42 per cent of the awards, and icewine and late harvest wines combine for the remaining five per cent.   More than 60 varietals of wine grapes are produced in B.C. The most common reds are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, while the most common whites are Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc. The varietals that have won the most awards in B.C. in 2011 are Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet/Merlot blends for reds and Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Gris for whites. Overall, B.C. Chardonnay has won more than 125 awards this year and Merlot more than 120.   More than 65 B.C. wineries have won an award this year. To plan a tour to a B.C. winery, visit: www.winebc.com.   To see a video of Agriculture Minister Don McRae’s visit to an award-winning winery, visit: www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/ministries/agriculture.     Quotes:   Minister of Agriculture Don McRae – “B.C. wines are competing with the best wine Europe and the rest of world can offer and winning medals, time and time again. A visit to a B.C. winery is often a lifelong memory for visitors to our province, and a great opportunity for British Columbians to enjoy the great flavours of B.C. agriculture.”     British Columbia Wine Institute executive director Miles Prodan – “These accolades are a true testament to the exceptional quality of the wines of British Columbia. With over 200 world-class wineries in B.C., there is truly no better time to discover the spectacular wines and wine regions of British Columbia.”     Quick Facts:   ·         B.C. has about 200 grape wineries and over 700 vineyards. ·         Wines from each of the five wine regions have won awards this year. Vintners from Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands have all had their wines on the podium. ·         2010 sales by B.C.'s 117 VQA wineries were $182 million. ·         Total B.C. wine sales for 2010 were $304 million. ·         B.C. VQA-designated wines are guaranteed to be made with 100 per cent B.C. grapes. ·         In 2010, B.C. grape growers harvested more than 17,400 tonnes of grapes.     Learn More:   ·         A list of the B.C. wines, the 1,037 awards and the competitions they won are at: www.winebc.com/awards.phpSeasonal.htmlhttp://www.winebc.com/http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/ministries/agriculturehttp://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/ministries/agriculturehttp://www.winebc.com/awards.phpshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2shapeimage_3_link_3shapeimage_3_link_4

featuring bc boutique wines