Christine Colletta takes it global

WHEN Christine Coletta managed restaurants in
the mid-’80s, she always had one B.C. red and one
B.C. white on the wine list.

Not because she wanted to.
“Te was the law. But we'd
avoid serving it at all costs. We
/ Fan outa lot, Pd only order
One case every year.”
My, how things change.
Now the North Vancouver
resident is credited with elevat-
ing the image of the province's
wine industry to its current
stratospheric ranking in the
bardle for consunier interest. -
“People sometimes tell me:
‘You put B.C. (winemakers)
on the map’... Well, no, they put themselves on the map, by
making great wine.”
~The chanee in her convictions began in 1990 when Harry
McWatters, proprietor of Sumac Ridge Estate Winery, convinced
her to become executive director at the proposed British
Columbia Wine Institute. After a decade in restaurant manage-
- ment and several years working as a consultant and teacher in the
food and beverage industry, Colerta had a reputation for getting
_ things done. The purpose of the new organization vas to pro-
mote B.C. wines in domestic and international markets; represent
the industry to government; and to help set and regulate VQA
(Vintners? Quality Alliance) ‘standards — a program that had been
in place for about six months. ;
_... “At chat time, there were 19 wineries — and only a handful of
them were committed to doing it right,” says Colletta. :
“2. * “Z went up to the Okanagan for three weeks and met people
like George and Trudy Heise at Grey Monk, went stomping
; through the vineyard at Quail’s Gate with Ben Stewart, met peo-
ple like Guenther Lang (at Lang Vinevards) .. and of course
: there was Harry, who lived and breathed B.C. wine and was fero-
cious about it. ”
/ “Twas stunned. Something j just clicked in my head and I've
been excited about it ever since.”
 Coletta’s epiphany was an instant one. Convincing the rest of
_ the world that B.C. wines were worth drinking was a slower
“ process. With winery owners, BCWI board members, and mem-
. bers of the Ontario industry, she travelled the world. In places like
~ Paris, London, New York and Boston she persuaded wine media
and food and beverage industry representatives to try B.C. wines
and spread the word.
"| “It took three trips to New York to Wine - Spectator before we
i had success ... before they said ‘OX, we'll write up your wines.”

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“NEWS photo Mike Wakefield
THE wine lady ... North Vancouver resident Christine Coletta has helped the British Columbia wine industry

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