C A N A D I A N W I N E I N D U S T R Y AWA R D S
The new year presents a new season in the life of a winery,
and a time for individuals to pen new goals and objectives
for the coming year. It’s also a time of reflection upon your
business goals moving forward, but also on how our industry has
got to where it stands today and who has been critical to that jour-ney.
The growth of our wine industry has been considerable over
the last decade. The number of wineries in Canada has climbed
from 475 in 2011 to over 600 in 2015, and our grape-bearing acres
are up from 27,500 to 31,000 in the same period. And we know that
since 2015, growth has continued unabated. Back in the 1980s, with
NAFTA knocking at our door and the growth of vinifera in Canada
yet to come, it would have been difficult to imagine our industry as
it is today, with an annual economic footprint of $9 billion.
The development of the Canadian wine industry has only
happened as a result of the drive and determination of dedi-cated
vintners and champions of our industry across the coun-try.
The Canadian Vintners Association (CVA) proudly honours
these champions annually through the Canadian Wine Industry
Awards, which celebrate the success, leadership and outstanding
commitment in Canada’s grape wine industry.
In its fifth year, 2019 will honour three people, including one
through a new award unveiled last year in memory of the late
Karl Kaiser. The three awards – the Award of Distinction, the
Wine Industry Champion Award and the Karl Kaiser Canadian
Winemaker Award – all recognize the merit of those whose contri-bution
has helped make our industry the success it is today.
The window to nominate someone for these awards closes
on Feb. 11, 2019. So if you know someone who should be consid-ered,
nominate via the Canadian Vintners Association website at
www.bit.ly/cwi_awards today for the following categories:
•• Award of Distinction – open to individuals who own, manage
or are employed within the wine and industry.
•• Wine Industry Champion Award – open to all stakeholders
who support the development of the Canadian wine industry,
through media, policy, education or advocacy.
•• Karl Kaiser Canadian Winemaker Award – open to all grape
winemakers working in a Canadian winery. n
grapix/123RF
The New Year
A TIME TO RECOGNIZE OUR CHAMPIONS
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