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Okanagan Crush Pad owner Christine Coletta said she was inspired to organize the event after seeing reactions to Alberta’s recent wine ban online.

“It pushed me to do something proactive to show Albertans that the wine industry does appreciate their business and their visits to wine country,” she said.

In short order, she contacted “a few of my wine friends” then approached Edible Canada with the idea. The event had a date, a location, a name and a logo by the next day.

A ticket to the event costs $55, with all proceeds going to the B.C. Hospitality Foundation.

Coletta said she hopes the event will “show Alberta and the rest of Canada that the B.C. wine industry views itself as a ‘national’ product and as such should not be restricted by provincial borders or used as a political pawn.”

Moreover, Okanagan Crush Pad and others in the B.C. wine industry want to make it clear that, despite Alberta’s decision to attack their industry, they are opposed to acting in kind.

Edible Canada is the ideal partner for this event, Coletta said, due to its commitment to showcasing Canadian cuisine from coast to coast.

“Edible Canada’s owner Eric Pateman is one of the leading culinary crusaders of our land. He dedicates his efforts to promoting Canadian cuisines and our farmers and producers.”

Edible Canada is also no stranger to wading into national controversy with its dishes. For this year’s Dine Out Vancouver Festival, Paterman included Newfoundland seal meat on the menu despite backlash from animal-rights activists and threats online.