"I could never truly walk away from the grape - or the great people in the industry.

It’s an exciting time to be involved in wine in British Columbia and Canada. The quality has never been better, the profile has never been higher."

- Karen Graham

Karen resides in the Okanagan Valley, the heart of B.C.’s wine country, to pursue her passion for all things wine.

She launched WineDrops in 2015 to offer commentary and consulting on the business, policy and regulatory issues that are critical to the success of B.C. and Canadian wine, and to a thriving wine economy and culture.

“Wine will always be a regulated beverage.  That means wine-related businesses must remain current and engaged on public policy.”

While wine has been a consistent passion, Karen maintains a parallel consulting career in public policy, strategic planning, and risk management. Her non-wine roles have included Senior Policy Analyst for the Business Council of British Columbia, Economic/Political Advisor for the United States Consulate-General (Vancouver), and Director of Advocacy and Stakeholder Relations for the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. 

Karen holds a Master of Arts in International Relations and Political Science (York University, Toronto), and a Master of Public Policy degree (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver).

She is very pleased to serve as Vice Chair of Board of Directors of the Vancouver International Wine Festival Society, board member of the Business Alliance for Artisan Fermenters and Distillers (host of the annual Fortify Conference). She is also a founding board member of the Canadian Chapter of the International Wine Law Association/Association Internationale des Juristes du Droit de la Vigne et du Vin (AIDV Canada).

Her thoughts on the Comeau case (interprovincial trade barriers) and the short-lived 2018 Alberta ban on BC wine have been featured in the Globe and Mail. Her report on the pandemic’s impact on hospitality was carried by Global BC, and she has also been interviewed by BNN and CBC/Radio Canada about the WTO trade challenge against Canada for wine-in-grocery and related policies.