Osoyoos, British Columbia — Destination Osoyoos, in tandem with promoting sponsor Black Hills Estate Winery and the business community of Osoyoos, are announcing today that Hollywood stars will invade Osoyoos, BC for the first annual Osoyoos Celebrity Wine Festival from June 12 to 14, 2009. This special weekend is a veritable Meritage of different food and wine pairing events from regional Chefs and Winemakers. It will provide participants with the unique opportunity to rub shoulders with A-listers from the Film & Television Industry while enjoying the region’s best cuisine and wine. So far, the following celebrities have confirmed their attendance at the inaugural festival: Jason Priestley (Beverley Hills 9020, Hollywood & Vines), Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek, National Treasure), Dean Cain (Superman), Tiffani Amber Thiesen (Saved by the Bell, Beverly Hills 90201), David Cubbitt (Medium), Singer Jann Arden, Canadian Olympic Gold-medal winning athlete Michelle Cameron, Chef Ned Bell (Food Network), Terry David Mulligan (The Tasting Room) and Chad Oakes (Emmy award-winning producer). Other invited stars to the event include Paul Gross (Men with Brooms, Paschendaale), Erika Eleniak (Baywatch), and many others.

The event is co-hosted by Jason Priestley and Chad Oakes who will bring along a bunch of their Hollywood friends. “This is the first time that a Celebrity-oriented wine auction like this has taken place in Canada. It’s a great opportunity for participants to meet and mingle with celebrities. We are looking forward to bringing Hollywood to the beautiful Osoyoos region,” says Jason Priestley. “There are so many exceptional wineries in the area, and this event and the media coverage we’re creating will help bring some richly deserved exposure to the great wines of the region”. The Celebrity Wine Auction takes place on Friday June 12, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Walnut Beach Resort (website). Tickets are $99.00 each.

To make matters more exciting, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT CANADA, Canada’s most watched entertainment news program, will be on site in Osoyoos to capture all the fun. ET Canada will broadcast a special week of coverage from the region and has your VIP pass into the parties and behind the scenes with the celebrities. Senior Executive Producer, Tamara Simoneau says “The Okanagan is becoming a very hot celebrity destination and ET Canada is looking forward to bringing all the highlights to our viewers.”

“We encourage everyone to come out and be part of the filming of these shows during this exciting weekend” says Jo Knight, Director of Tourism with Destination Osoyoos. “There are four different events going on as part of the inaugural Osoyoos Celebrity Wine Festival, each one promising to be a very entertaining experience.”

The keynote event is the Osoyoos Celebrity Wine Auction, with proceeds benefiting children’s charities. Participants can sip wines from an array of South Okanagan wineries and nibble on delicious appetizers from local restaurants in the “20 km Diet”. Then they can bid on rare wine from great Canadian wineries in both the Silent and Live Auctions. All proceeds go to the 2009 beneficiary which is the Providence Children’s Center. (www.providencechildren.com).

In addition to the Osoyoos Celebrity Wine Auction, three other great events are happening during the festival:

1) The Nota Bene Release Party
Featuring host Jason Priestley, Celebrity Chef Ned Bell, and winemaker Graham Pierce. Celebrate the release of the latest wines from Black Hills Estate Winery while tasting the cuisine of Ned Bell and listening to the music of DJ Jenn Goulet and the live tunes of Double Magnum.
Saturday June 13, 3:00-7:00 pm, Black Hills Estate Winery. Tickets are $149.00 each.

2) Burrowing Owl Winemakers Dinner
Featuring Chef Bernard Cassavantes and the exceptional wines of Burrowing Owl
Friday June 12, 7:30-10:30 pm, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery. Tickets are $125.00 each.

3) Desert Spirit BBQ: The official after-party!
Featuring Chef Jonathan Thauberger and wines from the South Okanagan. Enjoy a casual BBQ and opportunity to socialize in an upbeat setting.
Friday, June 12, 7-11 pm, Spirit Ridge Resort. Tickets are $49.00 each.

Tickets and further information
• Tickets for all events are available for online purchase at: http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=22441
or visit www.blackhillswinery.com
• For accommodations contact the Walnut Beach Resort at www.walnutbeachosoyoos.com, or call 1-877-936-5400
• For general information on Osoyoos, call Destination Osoyoos at 1-888-676-9667