Community
As an interdisciplinary research centre, we are dedicated to inclusive and diverse conversations that lead to new ways of learning, listening, and collaborating. Central to our ethos is a rigorous curiosity and open-minded approach to collaboration while pursuing excellence in all we do.
Cooperation and Community
While headquartered on the UBC Okanagan campus, the WRC has connections to all of the wine regions across the province of British Columbia, other wine regions of the world, and to leading universities in wine, oenology and viticulture research.
“Okanagan Crush Pad winery has been collaborating with UBC’s Wine Research Centre since 2013, specifically to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of the yeast microbiome in our vineyards and winery and to determine how the winery environments affect the yeast population. The findings from our research have eliminated a lot of guess work and have helped us shape our wine program in an informed strategic manner. Working with Vivien Measday and her team has been a very rewarding and informative experience, one that we hope will continue for years to come.”
– Christine Coletta, co-owner of Okanagan Crush Pad
Industry Events and Opportunities
We are dedicated to connecting with the wine industry locally, regionally, and internationally and welcomes opportunities to cooperate on research and connect with the wine industry through workshops, seminars, conferences in B.C. and abroad. Our goal for these collaborative activities is to support cooperation among industry players, and to pursue the development of a sustainable and successful wine industry in Canada.
Extended Education
We are dedicated to creating learning opportunities for the industry and the wider public, from workshops to online conferences to specific industry-focused forums.
Vancouver International Wine Festival
In partnership with the UBC Wine Research Centre, Vancouver International Wine Festival (VIWF) will host a panel of esteemed academics and industry leaders. Together the panel will guide a tasting of BC and international wines to generate phrases and descriptors that evoke the wine’s typicity and regional identity. Wine is a cultural product representing a place of origin. What can BC learn from the world’s iconic regions? Does BC have or need a unified wine identity? What does the future hold for BC’s wine image globally?
Wine Leaders Forum
Since 2014, the Wine Leaders Forum has brought British Columbia winery owners and principals together with international wine experts. Through the Wine Leaders Forum, we aim to foster an environment of free expression where relationships can progress, facilitated by shared knowledge, applied research and understanding.
Partnership and research collaboration
with private organizations
We are keen to explore research and business collaborations with private organizations. By collaborating and supporting researchers as they make breakthrough discoveries, our aim is for grape growers and wine producers to adapt sustainable production techniques that deliver greater value to their businesses, the environment, and the community at large. We strive to promote collaboration and information-sharing between industry, government, and researchers both nationally and globally, sponsor education to the highest level, and contribute to grape and wine publications and journals.
With the help and collaboration of our partners, we are contributing to this growing industry to support innovation that will meet the highest levels of quality and integrity necessary to adapt to the changing socio-economic developments, environmental and consumer preferences, and maintain access to international standards at a competitive level. From vineyard management to business operations, from winemaking practices to the improvement of policies and regulations applied to wines, the WRC team is involved in all segments of the wine industry.
Preserving the history of BC Wine: BC Wine Territory Memory Project
Many wineries hold photographs and documents which demonstrate the rich history of the British Columbia wine territory. UBC’s Okanagan Special Collections and Archives provides an opportunity to preserve them long-term, and make them accessible to people with an interest in learning about the history of the British Columbia wine industry. If you have new or old photographs, maps, marketing materials, labels, tasting notes, business records or other materials you would like to contribute, or if you would like more information on this project, please contact Paige Hohmann, Archivist: paige.hohmann@ubc.ca
