More Than Passengers Pouring Into YLW.

The warm welcome to the Okanagan for guests arriving at Kelowna International Airport (YLW) is going to get a lot juicier this year for the arrival of the 36th Fall Okanagan Wine Festival. YLW and the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society, representing 110 member wineries and 54 tourism operators, have come up with a novel promotion that is a first among Canadian airports.For five evenings starting Tuesday September 27 through Saturday October 1, guests arriving between 5pm and 7:30pm will have the chance to taste Okanagan wines from 10 different wineries in the arrivals area of YLW.“We’re pleased to help promote such a great event and introduce our passengers to some of the best wines in the region,” said Sam Samaddar, Airport Director. “YLW is a strong supporter of the Okanagan wine industry and the benefits it brings to our community, so we want ensure that it’s robustly represented at the airport.”The promotion will feature two different member wineries each evening to showcase the wines of the Okanagan and to promote over 100 events during the 10 days of the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival – one of the Top 10 Festivals in North America (American Bus Association 2016).  Blair Baldwin, General Manager for the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society, hopes this idea will create a good first impression for destination visitors. “Other tourism regions greet guests in unique ways to give them a feel for the local culture. At this time of year when our member wineries are in the thick of an outstanding grape harvest, we want our visitors to know how proud we are to have such a vibrant and successful wine industry. Allowing passengers to taste wines from the Okanagan when they arrive is a fun way to give an authentic welcome.”This promotion is a perfect platform for the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society to announce the start of the 36th annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival on September 29,  running through Sunday October 9, 2016.  The record early beginning to the grape harvest in early August, with the first pick of wine grapes and the long growing combined with cooler weather this summer, has allowed the grapes’ acids and sugars to be extremely well balanced and bodes well for a strong vintage. The annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival is expected to attract over 30,000 visitors who will enjoy over 100 events throughout the Valley.The festivities kick off with the annual British Columbia Wine Awards Reception in Kelowna on Thursday, September 29 – the largest British Columbia wine competition in the province, followed by two nights of the “Fall WestJet Wine Tastings,” and wrap up Thanksgiving weekend with “Cropped” – Canada’s largest public tasting of BC wines and authentic farmer’s market in Penticton.[Suggested tweet: Share your #BCWine story, join the 36th Fall @OKWineFests. Get tix to 160+ events throughout the #Okanagan http://ow.ly/Tpwz304vzcu]About The Okanagan Wine Festivals SocietyThe Okanagan Wine Festivals Society is responsible for the development of the wine tourism sector in the interior of British Columbia. It is well known for producing two annual Okanagan Wine Festivals in spring to celebrate the bud break and in fall to celebrate the grape harvest. Its Winter Okanagan Wine Festival is run in partnership with Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops. It is also responsible for Signature Wine Events including Mile High Wine & Music at Silver Star and two annual wine judging competitions including the British Columbia Wine Awards and the British Columbia Best of Varietal Awards. www.thewinefestivals.com