The annual Spirited Industry Professional Award is presented
to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sales, service
or promotion of wine in British Columbia. The Festival solicits nominations
from across the province to recognize Spirited Industry Professionals who have
made a significant and indisputable impact upon British Columbian wine culture.
2009 Spirited Industry Professional Award Winner
John Schreiner
John Schreiner is Western Canada's most prolific wine writer and is the authority on BC wines. Not only does he write, taste and judge wines, he also makes wine.
2008 SIP Award
Christine Coletta of Coletta Consultants, providing marketing, strategic and special event services to the food and wine industries since 1986 and winner of the 2008 Spirited Individual Professional Award.
2007 SIP Award
David Scholefield, wine speaker, teacher and international wine competition judge, winner of the Second Annual 2007 Spirited Industry Professional Award.
2006 SIP Award
Darryl Weinbren, a partner at Authentic Wine & Spirits Merchants and a co-founder of the Playhouse Winefest, displays the inaugural Spirited Industry Professional Award presented to him at the 2006 Festival.
It is the biggest and oldest wine festival of its type in the world. And it certainly is the best: New York, Monterey, Colorado, Europe - this one's got them all topped. Ask anybody.