Grape growers honoured

The recent annual general meeting of the BC Wine Institute saw veteran Okanagan viticulturists Robert Goltz and Richard Cleave receive the BC Wine Institute Award of Distinction for their service to the industry.

Goltz and Cleave are partners in R&R Management Services, which has overseen key vineyards for producers such as Andrew Peller Ltd.

On presenting the award, BC Wine Institute president and CEO Miles Prodan said the two men were key players in developing most of the premium vineyard sites in the Okanagan following the pull-out of 1989 that reshaped the industry. Part and parcel of this work was introducing cutting edge management techniques that helped elevate the quality of the fruit wineries received, which in turn supported the advance of winemaking in BC.

Goltz’s son Nathan is now involved in the business, working closely with Vanessa Vineyards near Cawston and others to advance management techniques in a new generation of producers.

In addition to Goltz and Cleave, the BC Wine Institute honoured Jeffrey Thomas, former chair of the BC Wine Authority, and Save-On-Foods president Darrell Jones with its industry award.

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