Elephant Island Winery and Naramata Cider Company want British Columbians to enjoy their 100% B.C.-grown wines and ciders.

To promote and increase wine sales, the Buy Local program is providing Elephant Island with $15,497 of funding to reach its next level of success.

Located on the world-renowned Naramata Bench, Elephant Island Winery is known for the astonishing variety of fruits used in their line of orchard wines. From black currents to crab apples, the orchard line is crafted from 100% B.C. fresh grown fruits and grapes. In 2011, its portfolio expanded to include the focused line of estate-farmed premium vinifera wines, designed to showcase the skill of the farmer and winemaker: `I Told You So’ Viognier, `The Other Way` Chardonnay and `Naysayer` Cabernet Franc.

This year, Elephant Island is launching a sister company, Naramata Cider Company, to target customers looking for an alternative to wine and beer. Crafted with 100% local fruit, the Naramata Cider Company will showcase everything the company believes cider should be (just fruit) and satisfy what its research says is insatiable demand for gluten-free products. Funding through Buy Local will support Naramata Cider Co.’s new website and online store, increasing brand awareness and providing a mobile portal for online sales.

Potential customers will have the opportunity to “taste the difference” as wine and cider tastings will be offered at events and farmers’ markets throughout the province. Leveraging existing infrastructure, vehicles will be sign-wrapped to create brand awareness and direct customers to the Elephant Island and Naramata Cider Company websites.

Elephant Island has been operating for 15 years. Locally run and operated, owners Miranda and Del Hallaway pride themselves in showcasing exceptional B.C.-grown fruits, in their orchard wines, vinifera wines ─ and now ciders.

This project is funded by the Buy Local program, which has received $6 million in B.C. government funding since 2012 to increase sales of locally grown and processed agrifood and seafood products 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:

Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick -

“Elephant Island offers unique flavours that bring the taste of B.C. to its consumers. Today, with the advantages of social media and online purchasing, the opportunities to reach new markets and to promote products are limitless. The Buy Local program allows for local businesses to reach above and beyond their potential.”  

Miranda and Del Halladay, owners, Elephant Island -

“Elephant Island Winery and Naramata Cider Co. are honoured to be recipients of Buy Local funding. As committed members of our own local community we see the investment as an opportunity to not only increase awareness of our own wines and ciders, but to spread the mantra and share a taste of our friends and neighbours throughout B.C. who are growing, harvesting and producing exceptional B.C. food and beverages. We look forward to showcasing unparalleled BC taste in a number of events throughout BC. By matching our own investment, these dollars are allowing us into markets that have previously been unattainable.”

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 3,965 hectares (9,800 acres) of land.
• Wine-related tourism welcomes more than three million visitors each year, generating more than $1.2 billion annually in tourism revenue and employment.

Learn More:

B.C. Buy Local program: http://www.gov.bc.ca/agri/buylocal.html

Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C.: www.IAFBC.ca

Elephant Island Orchard Wines: https://www.elephantislandwine.com

Media Contacts:

Jillian Milne
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Agriculture
778 676-4460

Miranda and Del Hallaway
Elephant Island Orchard Wines/Naramata Cider Company
250 496-5522