(photo: Winemakers (father & son) Luke & Daniel Smith with their Lt. Governor’s Award for Excellence in BC Wines.)
Luke Smith was all smiles in July after learning that Howling Bluff Estate Winery had won a Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines. Howling Bluff becomes 1 of only 3 wineries to win 3 or more of the coveted awards.
“It’s a tough award to win,” he says. “More than 400 entries, no entry fee, no grape categories.” He points to where the 2014 award will be placed on the wine shop wall and says the whole family in what he laughingly describes as a “nepotistic meritocracy—it’s mostly family who work here, but they have to earn it!”
The 2014 LG Award is for the 2013 Summa Quies Sauvignon Blanc Semillon and the first two LG Awards were for Pinot Noirs, proving that Luke and his son Daniel are accomplished winemakers working with great estate-grown fruit.
In the wine shop, Luke is a breath of fresh air. No telling visitors what they are about to experience. “Wine is subjective – we don’t tell people what they will like.” Instead, they get a bit of an education and a lot of laughs from a wine guy who knows his strengths. “I’m going to stick with what we do. It’s working!”
~ Lorne Eckersley