Harry McWatters – father of the B.C. wine industry – passes

A few words upon learning the heartbreaking news about the death of Harry McWatters, who I believe is the de facto father of the B.C. wine industry. Harry was a larger than life individual, and in my view a true gentleman.

Harry was a mentor to many in the industry. He can lay claim to seeing the establishment of vineyards up and down the Okanagan Valley, as well as in the Fraser River canyon with his support of Fort Berens Winery in Lillooet. Among his many accomplishments was building the industry by securing a partnership with Vincorp, a large company that remains intact today as Arterra Wines. Harry also championed the adoption of the Meritage red wine blend designation that was America’s answer to the Bordeaux red blend.

I first met Harry as a fumbling wine blogger with a video camera. He patiently answered my questions when I cornered him outside a Vancouver International Wine Festival seminar. Harry remained incredibly supportive of people like Stacey and myself who cherish our vital indigenous wine sector. When I called him out of the blue back in 2014 looking for new ways to support the sector, he graciously met with me for over an hour to talk about the biz.

Harry’s capacity to hand-sell wines continually amazed me and many others. He and his lovely partner Lisa Lalonde would suffer thousands of kilometres of road trips to make sure they would be available to pour Harry’s wines at a grocery store or liquor store, almost anywhere in the province.

When I was invited to facilitate the BC Wine Appellation Task Group in 2015, Harry was incredibly accommodating and knowledgeable on almost every aspect of the history of B.C. wine, and the Vintners Quality Alliance (BCVQA) certification of which he was a founder and early adopter. Incredibly to me at the time is that, while he defended the BCVQA certification against its critics, he was alway prepared to accept the judgment of his peers on whether it remained as an industry standard.

Harry was in the business from the time of his youth. In what will be the most captivating hours in my life as a B.C. wine enthusiast, I recollect an early morning swim in Harry’s stunning infinity pool at his Summerland home. I arrived about quarter past 6am at his house on a clear summer morning. Steam was rising off his pool, which I estimate was about 50-feet long and 10-feet wide.

Harry’s pool is a feat of engineering. On one side there was a tall wall of bricks built up a tall slope beside his Summerland home that I put into the Great Wonders of the World category. Just taking a dip in it was a delight.

With my inquiring mind about the history of the wine industry in B.C., Harry could not have been a more perfect companion. Harry was a veritable coffee table book/encyclopedia of industry knowledge. To me one of the great regrets of his passing is that book does not exist.

As we soaked in his pool that early summer morning back in 2015, floating from end-to-end in the pool, Harry told me accounts of the industry going as far back as the 1930s. Though he was not there then, he knew all the players who were. One of the funniest stories he shared is waiting to be interviewed for a sales job by the legendary Ben Ginter, aka Uncle Ben of the famous stubby bottle root beer fame. Ben was one of those infamous B.C. business legends who wound up mired in legal troubles, and Harry’s tale gave me an indication why.

Last summer, when Stacey and I were traveling in the Okanagan, I longed for a repeat experience at Harry and Lisa’s beautiful pool. Sadly, the weather gods were not kind, and instead of taking a dip, we all had to huddle indoors due to the clouds and cool, wet weather rolling in. However, the warmth of Harry and Lisa were no match for the cool August day we visited.

Harry leaves a gigantic legacy as a wine industry pioneer, as a great British Columbian and Order of B.C. recipient. He partnered with his dynamic daughter Christa-Lee McWatters in many ventures, including the TIME urban winery in downtown Penticton. Christa-Lee today is one of B.C.’s most influential leaders, as chair of the B.C. Wine Institute and in her role with the Canadian Vintners Association.

In fact, Stacey and I first experienced Harry’s wines when his son Darrien poured a flight of Sumac Ridge wines at Cornucopia in Whistler in 1998. Harry’s children embody the incredible influence of Harry McWatters.

Our deepest condolences go out to Lisa, Christa-Lee, Darrien and all who loved and knew Harry. This is a great loss for the B.C. wine industry, which would not be as strong and dynamic if not for Harry. May he rest in peace.