A wine fair, with acclaimed judges and a selection of local wines, will be included in this year’s Summerland Fall Fair.
Mike Stohler, one of the organizers of the fair, said it is a way to showcase the community’s wine industry.
“We’ve missed out on celebrating the success of our wineries,” he said.
The fair will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 1 to 5 p.m.
Seven local wineries will participate. They are Bonitas, Dirty Laundry, Okanagan Crush Pad, Sonoran, Sumac Ridge, SummerGate and Thornhaven.
During the fair, a public tasting area will be set up. Those who purchase a commemorative tasting glass can taste and vote for their favourite wines in the People’s Choice Award.
In addition, a panel of wine experts and sommeliers will judge wines using the standard 100-point scale.
The panelists include Canadian wine writer John Schreiner, Kelly Symonds of California Cult Classics, wine writer Liam Carrier and a fourth celebrity judge who will be confirmed later.
The event is expected to be the largest tasting fair of Summerland wines and is open to local wineries only.
Stohler said the wine fair will start on a small scale for this year with the hopes it will grow in the future.
“This is an event for Summerland as much as it is for the wineries involved,” he said.