Okanagan Fall Wine Festival Expected to be the Biggest Yet.

GREAT GRAPES AND GREAT EXPECTATIONS FUEL ADVANCE SALES FOR THE 27TH OKANAGAN FALL WINE FESTIVAL
(Directly from the press release.)


Kelowna, British Columbia ... An impressive run of sunny warm weather has created an earlier than expected grape harvest and with the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival kicking off this week with over 165 events, organizers are expecting another successful Fall Wine Festival. The Okanagan Fall Wine Festival runs September 28 through October 7 and has been awarded the distinction of Top 100 Events in North America once again for 2007.

Linda Pruegger, co-proprietor of Stag’s Hollow Winery in Okanagan Falls is delighted that wine tourists will be able to see the harvest for themselves first hand while enjoying the myriad of events offered over the 10 day Fall Wine Festival. “We started the harvest last week and will be bringing in our Sauvignon Blanc grapes as the festival gets underway this weekend� states Linda.

Randy Toor, Proprietor of Desert Hills Estate Winery in Oliver is very optimistic about this year’s harvest and the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival. “The warm dry summer has led to a beautiful balance between acids and sugars and our Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer grapes are being harvested now. With great grapes, we know we can make great wine and we look forward to welcoming wine tourists from around the world during the Fall Wine Festival.�

With 79 wineries participating this year, this marks the largest Okanagan Fall Wine Festival yet. Advance ticket sales are strong and expectations are high that record attendance will once again be achieved. The spectrum of events for the 10 day Fall Wine Festival offers something for every wine tourist. Consumers can enjoy wine tastings, grape stomps, seminars, music, arts all paired with the world class wines of the Okanagan. Highlights of the opening weekend include:

Thursday September 27
Sip and Savour To Solve The Clues presented by the Dairy Farmers of Canada and Sysco HRI Foods. A fun evening of sipping wines on a blind basis and tasting cheeses from across Canada all blended with a live blues band. Hosted at the Keg in Kelowna at 7pm through 8:30 pm.

Friday September 28 and Saturday September 29
The WestJet Wine Tastings at the Laurel Packinghouse in Kelowna. Two nights of sip savour and spit! One of the funkiest locales offers you wines from over 30 wineries, live jazz and a great way to learn about the Fall’s new releases. 6:30pm-9pm

Friday September 28
The Peoples Choice Awards is one of the longest running wine tastings where consumers vote for their favourite wines with over 30 wineries in attendance. Hosted by the Coast Capri Hotel in Kelowna 7:30pm -10:00pm.

Saturday September 29
Going Once, Going Twice! Enjoy fine wines and food together with a live auction of wines all in the name of fundraising for the Okanagan College wine program. Hosted by the Penticton Ramada Inn 6pm-10pm

Sunday September 30
The Chrysler Masters of Food and Wine hosted at at the Laurel Packinghouse in Kelowna from 1:30pm-3:30pm. Relax and enjoy an afternoon of fine wine and fabulous cuisine. Wine and Food stations will be located within the building. Local restaurants and wineries will participate in this event that will allow you to sample some of the finest food that can be paired with the world renowned wines of the Okanagan.

For more information on the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival or any of the Okanagan Wine Festivals presented by American Express, go to www.thewinefestivals.com or call 1-250-861-6654. You may also pick up a free 56 page guide at your local winery, BC Liquor Store, VQA wine store or British Columbia Tourism Info-Centre.