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When the Alberta government lifted its ban on B.C. wine back in February, winery owners west of the border like Andy Gebert didn’t know if tensions at the time would bring a chill to summer sales.

Despite the ban only lasting a couple of weeks, there was concern threats of larger boycotts by Albertans in response to the B.C. NDP government’s attempts to slow the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline might have carried over to the warmer months.

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Gebert, co-owner of St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Winery in Kelowna, said that would have surprised him.

“There’s a huge difference between people that in live in a province and call it a home and work there and politicians who just have to stay alive trying to get re-elected,” he said.

As it turned out, Gebert’s summer sales are as strong as ever. He said there’s been no drop in business from Albertans.

“Actually, we see a lot of Albertans coming over here,” Gebert said. “One of the things which politicians are somehow forgetting to understand is many Albertans are extremely proud of the Canadian wine industry. When you see the visitors that stay at the hotels, I mean there’s so many Alberta plates here. Many Albertans have a summer cottage somewhere in B.C. here.”