US west coast producers at Wine Fest
The 46th Vancouver International Wine Festival kicked off downtown this week.
The trade days began Wednesday morning with an informative seminar on the business and marketing of wine, and its struggles to keep up with rapidly evolving consumer culture. Presenters highlighted the clear differences in how generations see the world, consume media, and respond to pressures.
The key takeaways for wine professionals were to emphasize the following:
How wine facilitates connection
Participating in and creating cultural conversations
Seeking community validation
Aligning consumer values with what wine is already offering
A fascinating topic combining data-driven research and strategy with the greatest beverage in the world (if you ask me). Mark Barden and Christian Miller, both ‘outsiders’ to the world of wine, had much to share about their research and findings in this area.
It’s been clear to me for some time that the wine industry often fails to meet people where they are. There’s an accessibility problem, fueled by language (describing what a wine is going to taste like) as well as economics. As wine educator Elaine Chukan Brown put it, “wine talks too much.”
Focusing on human connection and aligning with consumer values might just save the wine industry - if we’re willing to listen, be curious, and embrace change.
My second seminar of the day featured wines from 10 different US west coast producers, led by DJ Kearney and a panel of winemakers and principals from the wineries. The theme of this session was the diversity of wines available from Washington, Oregon, and California that can be made at remarkable value.
Some of these wineries are historic pioneers in the industry, and some are newer offshoots from larger brands. The common ground among them all was the golden value equation: high quality for a reasonable price.
Although they are all delicious US wines with their own unique character, I’ve drawn some local comparisons that I think are most similar, to bring the focus back to BC:
Gloria Ferrer Blanc De Blancs NV
BC comparable: Fort Berens Blanc de Blanc
A to Z Wineworks Chardonnay 2022
BC comparable: Haywire Unoaked Chardonnay
Baileyana True Myth Chardonnay 2022
BC comparable: 50th Parallel Estate Chardonnay
Erath Reserve Collection Pinot Noir 2021
BC Comparable: Spearhead Pinot Noir cuvée
Citation Wine Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2015
BC comparable: Privato Woodward Collection Tesoro Pinot Noir
LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards Ivory & Burt Old Vine Zinfandel 2021
BC comparable: Maverick Bush Vine Syrah
Aquilini Wines Dixie & Bass Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
BC comparable: Vasanti Cabernet Sauvignon
Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
BC Comparable: Black Sage Cabernet Sauvignon
Nine Hats Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
BC comparable: Culmina Cabernet Sauvignon
Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
BC comparable: Moon Curser Malbec
Interesting to note is that the grapes going into many of these wines are from regions which also provided fruit for BC producers in 2024 when our own harvest was little to none. Look out for familiar place names on upcoming releases like Horse Heaven Hills and Wahluke Slopes in Washington, and Dundee Hills in Oregon.
I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the sessions I’ll be attending this week at the festival - none more so than the International Tasting where you can walk around and visit 120 wineries from 15 countries pouring over 700 wines! Don’t wait until next year - get your tickets now and come taste with me!
This Blog Post was written by our contributor: Matt Tinney with MT Wine Consulting (@mtwineconsulting).