The nomination process for the awards is open to all organizations, businesses and individuals in the Canadian grape wine industry. This year, several outstanding nominees were considered for all three award categories, reflecting the dedication and enthusiasm for Canadian grape wines across six provinces from coast-to-coast.

This year, the awards went to a well-known B.C. winery family, an acclaimed wine writer and author, and a winemaker from Nova Scotia who was also recently awarded the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal in recognition of her significant service. WGC president and CEO, Dan Paszkowski, was proud to announce the deserving recipients of the 2024 Canadian Wine Industry Awards:

• Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction – The Wyse family, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
• Canadian Wine Industry Champion Award – Natalie MacLean, accomplished Canadian wine expert and journalist
• Karl Kaiser Canadian Winemaker Award – Gina Haverstock, Head Winemaker, Devonian Coast Wineries

The Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction

Regarded as the highest form of peer recognition in the Canadian wine industry, the winner of the Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction was the Wyse family, of Burrowing Owl Estate Winery in Oliver, B.C.

The Wyse family established their vineyard in 1993 and their winery, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, a few years later. Their focus on premium Vintners Quality Alliance wines, environmental stewardship and a welcoming tourism destination has led to praise among their peers, and from consumers and tourists alike. Their use of solar and geothermal energy, installation of electric vehicle charging stations on-site, employment of energy efficient building standards, wine production practices and ultra-efficient irrigation systems, and efforts to promote the conservation of the burrowing owl, are just a few examples of their ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.

“The Wyse family’s unwavering focus on premium quality wines, along with their pioneering commitment to the environment, has made an enduring mark on the B.C. wine industry,” said Paszkowski. “The dedication of three generations of their family to an innovative, energy efficient winery, a culinary and wine tourism destination, and to the conservation of the burrowing owl, their winery namesake, leaves a huge legacy on the wider wine industry in British Columbia and across Canada.”

The Wine Industry Champion Award

The Wine Industry Champion Award, presented to an individual who has provided exemplary support to the Canadian wine industry through media, policy or advocacy, was awarded to Ontario-based author and wine expert, Natalie MacLean.

MacLean is a certified sommelier and the author of three best-selling books on wine, lifestyle and responsible wine consumption, as well as a wine instructor, reviewer and frequent guest on all things wine on breakfast and daytime television. She appears regularly on CTV and has won several awards for journalism. She is passionate about demystifying the world of wine and advocating for moderate and responsible wine consumption, actively supporting The Right Amount, an initiative aimed at informing Canadians about drinking in moderation, including how to calculate how many standard drinks are in their glass of wine.

The Karl Kaiser Canadian Winemaker Award

The Karl Kaiser Canadian Winemaker Award, which celebrates great Canadian winemakers, was awarded to Gina Haverstock, the head winemaker at Devonian Coast family of wineries located in Nova Scotia.

Haverstock was not only the first woman to win this distinguished award, but was also the first winemaker based in Nova Scotia to be the recipient of this award. Equipped with a humble approach to leading the winemaking and vineyard team she oversees, Haverstock is also well-known to have a one of the best palates in Eastern Canada, and for her pioneering work with vinifera in Nova Scotia, specifically Riesling.

When I look down the list of past recipients of this award … I see a list of accomplished winemakers who I respect. To be associated with this group of people and to think of the very long list of accomplished Canadian winemakers that could have received this award, I am humbled.

Gina Haverstock, Devonian Coast Wineries

Receiving the award, Haverstock thanked the Jost family for giving her a start in the industry, and the Sparkes family for allowing her creative freedom in a job she is so incredibly passionate about.

As she accepted the award, she said, “When I look down the list of past recipients of this award … I see a list of accomplished winemakers who I respect. To be associated with this group of people and to think of the very long list of accomplished Canadian winemakers that could have received this award, I am humbled.”

The awards were presented in concert with the British Columbia Industry Recognition Awards at the Penticton Convention Centre as part of an evening reception as industry gathered to celebrate the ongoing momentum of Canada’s wine industry.