Think of the BC Wine Appreciation Society as a book club but instead of dissecting Oprahs latest obsession, you share your love of vino with fellow wine aficionados.
Membership is reasonable ($40 for the year) and involves monthly tasting events, a wine dinner featuring a specific winery at one of Vancouvers best restaurants and a yearly bus tour to one of the wine regions of the Okanagan.
The BCWAS is one of five wine societies in Vancouver, with a growing membership (now up to 120 members from 10 back when they started) and a younger demographic.
Founded by Tim Ellison and Francis Dorsemaine eight years ago, dont expect hoity-toity and serious events, with people sniffing, swirling, sipping and swishing. Instead its like a warm and welcoming get-together that harkens of a dinner party with close friends.
For instance, just before BCWAS summer break, they brought Steven and Dawn Heiss of BCs oldest family-owned winery, Gray Monk Estate, to the Listel Hotel to talk about the winerys history and recent anniversary. While the level of wine knowledge certainly varied across the room, it didnt matter how well versed you are in your Pinots and Syrahs. Some people attend to expand their technical knowledge, while others really just enjoy the social aspect getting together with people theyve come to know and very much like, chatting and sampling amazing local wines and further figuring out what their palate likes and doesnt like.
The next event is the annual bus tour. This year (September 14 and 15), members are taking in Naramata on the Saturday and Summerland on the Sunday. Saturdays dinner will feature wines from DiBello and Van Westen wineries at the Summerland Waterfront Resort, where the group will spend the night (although you can make alternative arrangements.) A second winemakers dinner has been added so that Harry McWatters can introduce members to his new Time Estate wines.
Other highlights include lunch at Poplar Groves Vanilla Pod restaurant and a festival-style tasting with seven wineries at Okanagan Crush Pad, with lunch by Joy Road Catering.
The price for members is $429 (which includes two multi-course lunches and dinners, with wines; hotel not included) plus $60 for an optional walk-around dinner.
