The Okanagan gets most of the attention when people talk about BC wine. Bobbi-Rhea Mackie thinks the Fraser Valley deserves a closer look — and she's working to make the case.

Mackie is the director of business development at the Fraser Valley Wine Collective, an organization bringing together local wineries, producers, and hospitality businesses to build a more cohesive wine culture in the region. On August 22, the Collective is hosting its second Summer Sampler at Chapter Estates Winery in Langley Township, with a mix of local and BC wineries, cideries, breweries, distilleries, and non-alcoholic beverage producers gathered for an afternoon of tastings on the winery's lawn.

The first Summer Sampler confirmed something Mackie had suspected: people aren't just looking to taste wine, they want to meet the people behind it.

"To us, wine culture isn't just about what's in the glass," Mackie says. "It's about the people, the land, the stories, the hospitality, and the relationships that bring a region to life."

The Summer Sampler is one piece of a larger vision. The Collective is working toward a seasonal series that follows the rhythm of the wine industry — a summer gathering, a close-of-season event, and a harvest celebration — hosted at different venues across the Fraser Valley to showcase the region's hospitality scene more broadly.

The Fraser Valley already has the ingredients, Mackie says. Exceptional wineries, talented food producers, craft beverage makers, and beautiful landscapes are all here. The gap is in how the story is being told.

"When people visit one great winery, discover another local producer, stay for dinner, return for another event, or make a weekend of exploring the Valley, that's how a destination grows," she says. "Building wine culture happens one relationship and one memorable experience at a time."