Mission Hill Family Estate Celebrates Winery of the Year: Fine Wine and Epicurean Winemaker Dinners Across Canada This Summer

Westbank, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia – June 27, 2008 – Mission Hill Family Estate and Wine Access magazine are pleased to announce a series of culinary and wine evenings in Canada’s premier restaurants this summer. The winemaker’s dinners in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver are in honour of Mission Hill's Winery of the Year award by Wine Access, Canada's foremost authority on wine and food. As part of the celebration, Mission Hill’s premium wines, will be offered for tasting along with a limited allotment of futures for sale, including the Bordeaux-inspired, iconic blend, Oculus and the Select Lot Collection range, which are highly allocated and can be found in top restaurants and wine boutiques around the world.

"These dinners are the perfect marriage of the best in Canadian food and wine. What better way to celebrate our award for premier winery in the nation then by a coast to coast set of dinners at the best dining establishments in the country? We look forward to sharing our finely crafted Okanagan wine paired with fresh, local cuisine -- true harmony on the plate and palate," said Dan Zepponi, President, Mission Hill Family Estate.

"At Wine Access we put a great deal of energy into the Canadian Wine Awards as we seek to evaluate and discover Canada’s finest wines. In 2007 Mission Hill Family Estate stood above all other wineries claiming the coveted Canadian Winery of the Year award and we are delighted to be able to join proprietor Anthony von Mandl and President Dan Zepponi and share with Canadians what it takes to be the best in Canada," Anthony Gismondi, Editor-in-Chief, Wine Access magazine.

These memorable epicurean evenings at Canoe, Teatro and Blue Water Café will begin with a tutored wine tasting lead by Wine Access Editor-in-Chief Anthony Gismondi along with Mission Hill Family Estate Proprietor Anthony von Mandl and President Dan Zepponi. The tasting will be followed by a multi course dinner paired with Mission Hill's internationally acclaimed wines including: Oculus, Select Lot Collection Sauvignon Semillon, Select Lot Collection Syrah, Select Lot Collection Riesling Icewine, and Reserve Chardonnay.

Critically acclaimed to be among Canada's best restaurants, Canoe's breathtaking Toronto city view and stylish environment, is a brilliant reflection of the country's rich and raw environment. This same brilliance is captured in the flavours and textures of Chef Anthony Walsh's regional Canadian cuisine. Held on Wednesday, July 9, the menu is inspired by the best in Canadian gastronomy and wine. To purchase tickets please contact Canoe Sommelier William Predhomme at (416) 364-0054 or william.predhomme@oliverbonacini.com.

Calgary's Teatro embodies the Mission Hill, cuisine de terroir philosophy and at their restaurant fresh is the rule, using local ingredients where possible, and crafting their own bread, pasta, bruschetta, chocolates, and other Artisanal delectables. They hold a special relationship with Mission Hill, with our own Winery Chef Michael Allemeier, previously the Executive Chef at this distinguished restaurant. The five course Italian themed feast by Teatro's Executive Chef Dominque Moussu will be held in the stunning Opera room on Thursday July24. To purchase tickets please call Teatro at (403) 290-1012.

An anchor in Vancouver's culinary landscape, Blue Water Café is lauded as the City's definitive destination for seafood. Executive Chef Frank Pabst is known for his innovative and brilliantly executed West Coast plates, using seafood from wild and sustainable harvest. Held in Blue Water Café's historic Wine Room on Wednesday July 23, the menu celebrates the ocean harvest. To purchase tickets please call Blue Water Café at (604) 688 8078.

About Wine Access Magazine and Canadian Wine Awards
With assemblage of Canada’s most celebrated and respected wine critics, Wine Access magazine is Canada’s authoritative wine and food publication. Offering more than 100 reviews and scores in each issue, Wine Access speaks to Canadians at all levels of wine discipline: from casual weekend drinkers to passionate industry specialists. www.wineaccess.ca.

As Canada's leading national wine competition, the annual Canadian Wine Awards by Wine Access is open to all wines that are 100 per cent Canadian grown, fermented and bottled. The 2007 competition was the largest and most comprehensive yet, with results presented in 23 categories. For the second time in the history of the Awards, Mission Hill Family Estate garnered the title 'Winery of the Year.' The title is based on the winery’s overall performance versus all other wineries in the competition and over 800 wines entered and judged by an esteemed panel of industry stakeholders.

About Mission Hill Family Estate
Mission Hill Family Estate, Canada’s Winery of the Year, is world renowned for its award-winning wines, stunning setting and architecture, and its Cuisine de Terroir-based Terrace restaurant. The family estate vineyards are located in five distinct growing regions of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Reflective of the origin and unique character of the Valley and of the careful ‘pruning to bottle’ program, Oculus, our signature Bordeaux-inspired wine, represents the pinnacle in premium winemaking. Proprietor Anthony von Mandl and winemaker John Simes produce elegant internationally acclaimed wines with New World flavours and Old World refinement from this incomparable lakeside mountaintop winery. Visit www.missionhillwinery.com for more information.

Media Contact:
Lori Pike, Director of Public Relations
lpike@missionhillwinery.com
1.604.808.6655