Whether you’re a connoisseur or a new explorer of B.C. wine, David and Cynthia Enns, owners of Laughing Stock Vineyards, want all British Columbians to know about the quality of their wines.

The Buy Local program is providing $15,675 to Laughing Stock Vineyards to help the Enns encourage British Columbians to try their wines.

Laughing Stock Vineyards has been operating for over ten years along the Naramata Bench, a popular destination for winery visitors in the Okanagan Valley. The Buy Local funding will be used to promote new ways customers can buy Laughing Stock products, for example, using the company website to make online purchases and take advantage of web-based sales.

Laughing Stock Vineyards is aiming to expand its online wine club by promoting the convenience of buying wines online, right from the vineyard. In addition, this will influence customers to buy more in the future.

The funding will also promote Laughing Stock Vineyards’ wines to B.C. restaurants and wine stores, to reach new buyers and partner with other businesses in promoting B.C. foods and wines. Overall, the winery is targeting a double-digit increase in sales in 2015.

This project is funded by the Buy Local program, which has received $6 million in B.C. government funding since 2012. The program is designed to increase sales of locally grown and processed agrifood and seafood products in B.C. The Buy Local program gives B.C. businesses, like David and Cynthia’s, the opportunity to increase consumer demand and sales of their wines within the province.

Building the local market for B.C. foods is a key commitment of government's Agrifoods Strategy, a component of the BC Jobs Plan, to lead the agrifoods sector growth into a $14-billion-a-year industry by 2017.

The provincial government's Buy Local program is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia. Applications are available at: http://www.iafbc.ca/

Quotes:

Penticton MLA Dan Ashton on behalf of Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick -

“As the Okanagan wine sector continues to grow, online sales represent a new opportunity for British Columbians to explore and enjoy our province’s wines while supporting local economies. The funding will help Laughing Stock Vineyards reach new customers through their website and have an expanded presence in restaurants and retail outlets, and continue to promote the benefits of having B.C. products on the tables of B.C. consumers.”

Cynthia Enns, owner, Laughing Stock Vineyards -

“Finding new ways for B.C. consumers to enjoy B.C. wine is a huge focus for us and we are thrilled to work with the Buy Local program. B.C. continues to be our most important market for the winery.”

Quick Facts:

• The B.C. Wine Industry’s $2 billion economic impact is a significant driver to the B.C. economy. For every bottle of wine produced in the Province, $42 of economic impact is generated.
• The wine sector in B.C. consists of 212 wineries and over 864 vineyards on more than approximately 3,965 hectares (9,800 acres) of land.
• Wine-related tourism welcomes more than 3 million visitors each year, generating more than $1.2 billion annually in tourism revenue and employment.

Learn More:

B.C. Buy Local program:
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=A4C55C0B4AEE49029094AF3D060C0FE5

Laughing Stock Vineyards: http://www.laughingstock.ca/

Media Contacts:

Dave Townsend
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Agriculture
250 356-7098
250 889-5945 (mobile)

Cynthia Enns
Laughing Stock Vineyards
250 493-8466