From left: Honorees Miles Prodan, Rhys Pender, Jenna White, Brynne Dickson, Andrzej Lipiński and Rowan Stewart. Tania Veitch photo courtesy of Wines of British Columbia

Cheers to frequent Vitis contributor Rhys Pender MW, winner of this year’s BC Wine Industry Leadership Excellence Award, which was announced at the 2026 Canadian Wine Industry Awards earlier this month.

Wine Growers Canada presents the awards each year, recognizing the individuals, organizations and businesses that have gone above and beyond to support and enhance Canada’s $11.5-billion wine industry.

This year, those awards included some well-known names from B.C.

• The Stewart Family, of Quails’ Gate Winery, was honoured with the Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction, regarded as the highest form of peer recognition in the Canadian wine industry.

• Miles Prodan, previous CEO of Wine Growers BC, received the Wine Industry Champion Award, in recognition of his 14-year tenure as a leader of—and tenacious advocate for—the B.C. wine industry.

At the same time, Wine Growers British Columbia presented the BC Wine Industry Recognition Awards.

In addition to Pender, whose work as educator, writer, winemaker and co-owner of Little Farm Winery has “meaningfully advanced the BC wine industry,” Brynne Dickson of CedarCreek Estate Winery was honoured with the BC Wine Industry Ultimate BC Wine Ambassador Award, while Jenna White, a.k.a. ThatBCWineGirl, received the BC Wine Industry Master Marketer Award.

Those aren’t the only awards that have been handed out lately. In March, the Celebrating Excellence Awards were announced at the Vancouver International Wine Festival’s 22nd Annual Awards Lunch.

Among the honorees:

• Carmen D’Onofrio, managing director of Stile Brand, for winning the Spirited Industry Professional award, presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sales, service or promotion of wine in British Columbia.

• Michael Littleford of This is Wine School, Sommelier of the Year, selected through a hands-on competition organized by the BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers.

• Marquis Wine Cellars, named Wine Retailer of the Year, an award presented by the Import Vintners & Spirits Association (IVSA) and ABLE BC.

• All the winners of the 2026 Wine Program Excellence Awards, which this year were reimagined to better reflect and recognize excellence in the restaurant community. Find them at vanwinefest.ca.

A sincere congratulations to all the winners.

Vitis Magazine

Vitis is is an indispensable seasonal guide for vintners, sommeliers and weekend imbibers alike that is dedicated to British Columbia’s rapidly evolving wine culture.