What are five things that will surprise you about the wine regions and wines of British Columbia? What are some top tips to help you get the most from your visit to BC? Which challenges does this west coast wine industry face going forward? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with author and host of The Sipsters Wine Podcast, Luke Whittall. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Giveaway Three of you are going to win a personally signed copy of Luke's new book, The Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try Ontario Wines. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!   Highlights What was Luke’s inspiration for writing Valleys of Wine: A Taste of British Columbia’s Wine History? Why did John Schreiner choose Luke to help him write the sixth edition of his Okanagan Wine Tour Guide? Why are authentic stories important for a winery and how can impact their success? How does the wine industry in British Columbia compare to Ontario? What are some of the geographical limitations of wine production BC? Why is the growth of the BC wine industry slowing? How is climate change changing the profile of the wine industry? How has the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires impacted British Columbia? What’s the difference between a smoky flavour in wine versus smoke taint? How do the production levels of BC and Ontario compare? What makes up the unique climate of the BC wine regions? What might surprise you about the Okanagan region? What are Luke’s top travel tips for visiting the Okanagan?   Key Takeaways There were so many fascinating nuggets about BC that Luke shared, from the profound influence of the lake to how embers from wildfires were able to traverse across it. The range of wine styles and grapes is both a blessing in its diversity and experimentation and a curse in the optimization that still needs to happen as BC matures as a wine region. Luke’s tips for visiting the region were helpful, particularly breaking up your journey into a few days and several wineries that have restaurants.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Luke Whittall Luke Whittall has worked in cellars, vineyards, and wine shops since 2005. He has authored or co-authored 4 books on wine and is currently a wine instructor at Okanagan College. His most recent book, The Sipster’s Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try BC Wines follows up on the success of The Sipster’s Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try BC Wines, and continues to mark a new direction in wine writing.     To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/260.