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Harry McWatters honoured for contributions to Canada’s wine industry

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver International Wine Festival’s coveted Spirited Industry Professional (SIP) Award has been presented to Harry McWatters, CEO and president of ENCORE Vineyards Ltd.

Hailed as the Okanagan Valley’s great wine pioneer, McWatters, a 50-vintage veteran of the wine industry, has been credited with building B.C.’s wine industry into the award-winning, internationally-recognized business it is today.

The annual SIP Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sales, service or promotion of wine in British Columbia.

McWatters, seen in the top photo with his daughter  Christa-Lee McWatters Bond, was recognized in front of a crowd of 340 peers in the Canadian wine industry at Celebrating Excellence: the 14th annual Awards Lunch Friday.

Upon learning he won the award, a nearly speechless McWatters said, “I’m humbled, I’m honoured, and very proud of all you producers and merchants for making Canada a great wine producing country.”

Said Tony Aspler, Canadian wine journalist and wine competition judge: “Harry McWatters is, quite simply, the Robert Mondavi of British Columba wines.”

Added Rhys Pender MW, wine educator, judge, writer and winemaker: “Harry has been instrumental in building the B.C. wine industry into something that is producing serious, quality wines that are growing in reputation around the world.”

Harry began his investment in the B.C. wine industry in 1968 as a sales manager at Casabello Wines in Vancouver. He moved to the Okanagan in 1977 with his family, founding Sumac Ridge Estate Winery in 1980 and See Ya Later Ranch in 1995. Numerous firsts followed before the two wineries were sold to Vincor (now Constellation Brands) in 2000.

This year, McWatters celebrates 50 vintages in the BC wine industry, and showing no signs of slowing down, plans to open the new TIME Winery facility in a revitalized historic building in downtown Penticton this year, which will produce wines under the TIME Winery, Evolve Cellars and McWatters Collection labels.