Cultivating Experiences: Celebrating BC’s Wine Tourism Sector

April is BC Wine Month, an annual celebration dedicated to the grape-growers, winemakers, and many others who shape the province’s reputation as a premier wine destination. Thanks to their passion and commitment, more than 1.1 million wine enthusiasts explore the nine wine regions in BC annually, generating $3.75 billion in annual economic activity. 

As part of BC Wine Month, Destination BC is celebrating the journeys of 10 BC wineries that developed new wine tourism experiences through the 2023-2024 Cultivating Experiences: Elevating BC Wine Tourism program. A collaboration between Destination BC, Wine Growers British Columbia, and Firecircle, with support from Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan), the program offered tailored mentorship to provide each winery with essential tools to access new markets, increase revenue potential, and develop wine tourism experiences. 

Each winery engaged in five areas of business planning and benefitted from the guidance of a dedicated business mentor. As a result, ten brand-new wine experiences emerged throughout the province. Participating wineries included Township 7 (Fraser Valley and Naramata Bench), Unsworth Vineyards (Vancouver Island), Bartier Bros. (South Okanagan Valley), Monte Creek Winery (Thompson Valley), Maverick Estate Winery (Okanagan Valley), Mythology Vineyard (Okanagan Valley), JoieFarm Winery (Naramata Bench), Da Silva Vineyards & Winery (Naramata Bench), Blue Grouse Estate Winery (Vancouver Island), and Culmina Family Estate Winery (Okanagan Valley)—all demonstrating dedication to growing wine tourism in BC.

To showcase the stories from the Cultivating Experiences Program, Destination BC produced a five-minute video that follows the journeys of the participating wineries. Watch the video:

New Research on BC’s Wine Industry

As part of ongoing efforts to support the wine sector, Destination BC recently released a new wine tourism sector research profile that provides valuable insights into BC’s wine industry. Highlights include:

• 14,200 people are employed in BC’s wine industry, including farming and manufacturing
• There are 326 licensed grape wineries and 1,234 vineyards covering 12,681 acres (5,132 hectares) of planted vineyard land in BC
• Between 2011 and 2019, the impacts of wine-related tourism increased by 64.5%
• 81% of BC’s adult population (or 3.3 million people) are wine drinkers 

BC Wine Month Events

During BC Wine Month and beyond, take time to visit a local winery and raise a glass to the people behind the wines—dedicated growers, makers, and hosts who help make BC such a special place to live and visit. Explore BC Wine Month events on the Wine Growers British Columbia website.