Victoria’s The Courtney Room is honoured to receive the highest designation for its wine program, announced last week at the 2024 Vancouver International Wine Festival. Named to the Platinum-tier of the Wine Program Excellence Awards, The Courtney Room was both the very first restaurant on Vancouver Island to achieve the highest distinction, as well as the sole Platinum-level list outside of Vancouver this year.
“The recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team,” says Colin Davidson, Wine Director at The Courtney Room. “We couldn’t be more proud of our wine program, which focuses on both local Vancouver Island treasures and a collection of international labels, both the classics as well as those harder-to-find wines that offer deep value for the quality. We are honoured to be in amazing company alongside the six other restaurants in Western Canada to achieve this incredible accolade: Hawksworth Restaurant, Nightingale, Elisa, Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar, AnnaLena and L’Abattoir.”
To achieve recognition in the Wine Program Excellence Awards, restaurant wine lists are evaluated based on their originality and creativity by an esteemed panel of judges, representing some of the most respected names in the industry, including Tom Doughty, DJ Kearney, William Mulholland, Chris Turyk and Emily Walker. The wine list was built to enhance Chef Brian Tesolin’s menus, which focus on locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients from Vancouver Island’s farms and fields, while also offering delicious options by the glass for guests to enjoy.
