Tasting Room Radio

Jim Cuddy doesn’t like Rosé !  Plus Moon Curser and Mayhem!   THE SHOW   Jim Cuddy – Cuddy Wines by Tawse Jim Cuddy does not like Rosé ! But he basically likes everything else. As you know, Jim is the co-writer and co-singer with Blue Rodeo, The leader of the Jim Cuddy Band and recipient of The Order of Canada. When he decided to put his name on a wine bottle he was smart enough to partner with one of the very best names in Canadian wine. Tawse. They’ve release a Chardonnay, Cab/Merlot and Sparkling Riesling. No Rosé . We talk about that and other wines. AND we also talk to his winemaker Paul Pender. I’m working on the Rosé  thing. He needs to taste some of the incredible BC Rosés! https://www.tawsewinery.ca/cuddy-by-tawse/ www.bluerodeo.com www.jimcuddy.com Chris Tolley – Co-Owner/Co-Winemaker Wines.   Moon Curser won the 2019 Wine Align Best Small performing Winery in Canada. At the end of the competition, the winery walked away with several medals led by a Platinum for its remarkable ode to the Douro Valley, the 2017 Touriga Nacional. They followed that up with six gold medals for a 2015 Tannat, think Uruguay; 2018 Dolcetto, that’s Italy; a 2017 Malbec, that’s Argentina; a 2017 Tempranillo, a nod to Spain; a 2017 Petit Verdot a classic from Bordeaux; and one final gold for a 2017 Dead of Night, a blend of Syrah and Tannat. Well, you get the picture, this is one very different producer, and in many ways, a poster child for what we always hoped would be the kind of innovative, family estate winery that would grab the title of the Best Performing Small Winery in Canada. All that is left for you to do is try the wine and eventually visit the winery to experience what the Tolleys did when they first got into the business, something new and intriguing and most of all different. Anthony Gismondi – Co-Head Judge Moon Curser’s Medal Winning Wines Platinum:  Moon Curser 2017 Touriga Nacional, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Gold: Moon Curser 2015 Tannat, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Moon Curser 2018 Dolcetto, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Moon Curser 2017 Malbec, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Moon Curser 2017 Dead of Night, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Moon Curser 2017 Tempranillo, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Moon Curser 2017 Petit Verdot, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Silver: Moon Curser 2017 Carmenere, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Moon Curser 2018 Arneis, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Bronze: Moon Curser 2017 Syrah, Okanagan Valley,

THE THIRD ANNUAL BC CIDER FEST… BIGGER AND BETTER!   The third annual BC Cider Week. This week long craft cider celebration saw many cider events, tastings and festivities throughout British Columbia with tasting events from Kelowna to Vancouver Island, including tap takeovers, cider pairing meals, and much more throughout the week. The highlight for me and many others is the final event. The gathering of up to 40 Cideries at The Pipe Shop foot of Lonsdale in North Vancouver. It’s one of the buildings my father Pat worked in during WW2. The first interview had to be with Shawn Pisio, who co-founded the B.C. Cider Festival three years ago. Just how popular is this event? It sells out within minutes. Cider is going through the very same revolution that craft beers did 10-15 years ago. The opportunity to grow more cider apples in B.C. is unlimited, but BC is already home to many excellent craft cideries. One of the cideries we interviewed was Twin Island Cider on Pender Island. They were voted most popular Cidery at this event. Finally, for those of you who still think that ciders are not for you because they’re too sweet or something…FORGET ABOUT IT.. It’s a whole new world out in the orchard. Enjoy!!!! Our guests are: Shawn Pisio – Txotx/ Co-Founder Russ Johnson – Owner/Cidermaker Truck 59 Kelowna Sydney Bottomley – Asst Cidermaker Broken Ladder Kelowna Nick Farrer – Founder The Bricker Cider Co Sechelt Mike Lachelt – Co-owner/Cidermaker Salt Spring Wild SS Island Mathew Vasilev Co-Owner Twin Island Cider Pender Island David Schneider – Persephone Brewing Gibson’s BC Kathleen van der Ree – Northyards Cider – Squamish Mike Petkau – Nomad Handcrafted Cider – Summerland Glenn Ennis – Owner Geo Cider Co – Squamish Lynn Colliar – Geo Cider Squamish Jeff Nairn – Co-Founder Windfall East Van   http://bcciderfest.ca/ Photos by Linda C STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON: Melissa Etheridge and Cannabis infused wine Bloom in Victoria Top Drop in Victoria A special on field blends Fire Season in The Okanagan Rose Day June 8th Charles Smith in Jet City Seattle (Rose all day) Tofino Food and Wine festival The Wick reopens a spectacular cellar Tofino mid-week

Jason Priestley. Willie Mitchell. Brendan Morrison AND  Andrea Sartori (121 years of Wine)    THE SHOW  Jason Priestley – BH90210. Private Eyes. Jason has never really stopped working. If he’s not acting, he’s directing. Sometimes at the same time. Right now, he’s doing a lot of everything. One of the most iconic series ever shot has made a return to TV. Beverly Hills 90210.  Ran for 10 season on Fox, the whole of the 90’s. The series and Jason  became  global teen sensations. I saw the full effect of his star power as we travelled Europe and South America shooting Hollywood and Vines TV. Fans hiding in bushes..behind posts..and full-on swarming in city squares. Jason is a West Coast guy and any chance to get back AND  go fishing is not to be taken lightly. He flew in with his  fabulous wife Naomi and their kids. We met up  at Willie Mitchell’s Tofino Resort and Marina. Willie took us fishing on his glorious boat as part of Brendan Morrison’s  Salt Water Classic  fundraiser. During a lull in the action, I grabbed my microphone and recorder and hit record. We talked 90210. The loss of his friend Luke Perry. The amazing success of Private Eyes on both sides of the border. The  wines he and Chad Oakes created with Les Behrens at Spring Mountain,  St Helena, California How much better I was a at fishing than he was.  Enjoy!! Brendan Morrison and Willie Mitchell – Both X-NHL stars. Both West Coast guys . Both are fishing freaks. Good Friends.     In its 10th year, the Tofino Saltwater Classic fishing derby was created by former National Hockey League player Brendan Morrison as a fundraiser for a long list of Tofino youth and  community initiatives. More than $575,000 CAD has been raised thus far. 130 anglers. Catch and release components. Largest was a Chinook weighing 31.2 lbs. When I did finally get the boys to stop and sit together for 10 minutes  we talked about the Saltwater Classic . However,  what we  really wanted to talk about was, preserving the West Coast fishery. Now that’s a subject everyone is focusing on. From fishing boats  to sport fishing to chefs and restaurants.  The fundraising silent auction was winding down and the announcer on the dock was squeezing the last dollar out of wet jeans. So at times, there’s a lot of talking going on.     BUT,  important funds were being raised and so we carried on. https://www.facebook.com/Tofino-Saltwater-Classic-159522527439806/ Andrea Sartori – 5th generation of Sartori du Verona For over a century, Sartori, a leading name in fine wines from northeast Italy’s Veneto region, has stood for traditional values and — above all — a boundless passion for quality winemaking. The family took its first step in 1898, when Pietro Sartori This marked the advent of Sartori di Verona. A few years later, Pietro’s son, Regolo, built the winery into the family’s core business, and by the 1950s Regolo’s two sons expanded the winery and brought these wines to international recognition, they then bought Villa Maria, a vineyard with a small cellar attached, in the heart of the Veneto region’s Valpolicella district, to assure a source of high quality wine for his hotel.tion, exporting them around the world.   Today, Andrea Sartori, Pietro’s great-grandson, is at the helm. Like his forefathers, he has taken steps to broaden the reputation of Sartori di Verona and to guarantee the quality behind it. In 2002, the company joined with Cantina Colognola, giving the family rare guaranteed access to more than 6,200 acres of high-quality grapes in the Soave and Valpolicella zones, where few wine houses control their own vineyards.   In 2003,

The 41st VanWineFest Part Two (Wine Royalty & The Canadians)   THE SHOW   It’s part two of this year’s VanWineFest. Last week we profiled “The Californians”. Except for the first two interviews here,   the rest of this Tasting Room is with The Canadians.   Our Guests are:  Gina Gallo – Gallo Family Wines Jean Charles Boisset –  Boisset Collection.  Raymond Wines.  Separately they are iconic/driven personalities. Together as husband and wife  they are one of the best known  families in the Wine World. Gina is a member of the Gallo family, pioneers of wine-making in California. Jean-Charles is a French vintner and owner of Boisset Collection, which operates two dozen wineries in California, France and Canada.  Has created a wine with John Legend called LVE. Gina and Jean-Charles! Met. Married. Created Twins. Ran their Empires. All the while Gina Battled and Beat Back Cancer. Honoured to welcome them both. https://www.gallofamily.com https://www.boissetcollection.com/ Chris Wyse –   President. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Chris is the oldest son of founders Jim and Midge Wyse. Today, with its dramatic vantage point in the middle of the vineyard, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery is a winemaking facility that combines state-of-the-art technologies with proven, classic winemaking traditions. A gravity-flow system handles ripe grapes delicately, preserving their rich fruit character. https://www.burrowingowlwine.ca Barry Olivier – President/Brands  Aquilini Red Mountain Wines Aquilini Wines   headed to the Vancouver Wine Festival to introduce themselves to Canada for the very first time. They were  pouring Aquilini Horse Heaven Hills Syrah Rose 2017 Aquilini Red Mountain’s Grand Vin is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon The Second Wine, Aquilini Red Mountain Family Blend,. The Family Blend is constructed of varying levels of Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and occasionally Petit Verdot. (If you follow Barry and Aquilini, you’ll see the birth of a  wine icon.  This is a story that will be fun to watch unfold) https://aquiliniredmountain.com   John Skinner       Proprietor/ Painted Rock Matt Dumayne  Winemaker/Okanagan Crush Pad John Skinner is a leader in and out of the vineyards. “It is now 13 years since the planting of Painted Rock’s estate and the property is living up to its potential in every regard. Winning 2014/2015 InterVin International “Winery of the Year” and recent generous reviews in Jancis Robinson’s newsletter validate the progress made by the team and steel its resolve. At Painted Rock there is a firm belief that by aiming highly and working cooperatively, British Columbia wines can compete with the finest in the world.”   Painted Rock Website http://www.paintedrock.ca/ Matt Dumayne is the winemaking leader at Haywire, Free Form and Narrative. All at Okanagan Crush Pad. As well as making articulate wines from its organically-certified home Switchback Vineyard, Okanagan Crush Pad is designed as a hub for local winemakers. Heritage techniques, modern knowledge and the spirit of collaboration fuse to form a vanguard for the Okanagan’s next generation of winemaking. Okanagan Crush Pad’s labels include the single vineyard Haywire collection, Narrative series and Campus wines. http://okanagancrushpad.com/   Chris Jentsch – Owner/Farmer CC Jentsch Cellars Valeria Tait –  GM and Winemaker  Bench 1775,     Wines from Bench 1775 are produced with the unique expression of fruit grown in the Okanagan Valle...

The 41st VanWineFest Part One – The Californians! By the Numbers.. • Over 25,000 wine fans • 16 countries • 160 wineries; including 53 from featured region California • 50 participating restaurants, hotels, caterers • 1,450 wines. • 42,000 bottles poured and/or purchased (2018 stats) • 82,000 wine glasses used (2018 stats) Our Numbers … 32 interviews.. 25 winemakers 7 CEO’s or General Managers. Sleepless nights – 2 Hours budgeted for all interviews – 3 Minutes to missing last Harbour Air flight – 1 THE SHOW 41 years ago the Vancouver International Wine Festival opened their doors to the World’s wineries. Only one showed up. Robert Mondavi brought his California wines to pour that day. Some say California saved the show. And so, here we are 41 years later and California is the feature region at the 41st VanWineFest. What a line up. We couldn’t talk to them all but we did do pretty well. Seventeen Californians and one certain Washington Red Mountain newbie. Have a favourite California wine? Check the list below. See if it’s there or see if it’s there but go looking for a new California pal. FYI – Next Week Gina Gallo. Jean Charles Boisset and 15 Canadian winemakers Jon Bonne – Keynote Speaker. Author of The New Wine Rules Here’s why I immediately liked Jon Bonne. “ Not all pink wine need be Summer water But Whispering Angel should be cast into some Miltonian iteration of Hell” Jon Bonné is one of the most influential American voices on wine. He is the senior contributing editor for PUNCH, and the author of The New California Wine and The New Wine Rules. www.punchdrink.com Bob Blue – Founding Winemaker at Bonterra, 1000 Stories and Elysian Collection. In 2016 the Wine Enthusiast awarded Bonterra as its American Winery of the Year because of its commitment to organic farming and it’s quality of affordable wines. Bonterra is the most popular organic wine in the USA. Fetzer’s bourbon-barrel-aged Zinfandel 1000 Stories debuted in 2014. In the five years since, production has exploded from 5,000 cases to more than 140,000 annually! www.bonterra.com www.fetzer.com Craig McAllister – Winemaker at La Crema A New Zealand native, McAllister earned a bachelor’s degree in viticulture and enology from Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand. His deep passion for winemaking has taken him all over the world, from New Zealand to Australia, Chile and Cyprus. Since moving to California, in addition to his work with La Crema, McAllister has also made wine for Wild Ridge, crafting elegant Pinot Noir from vineyards on the rugged Sonoma Coast. www.lacrema.com Randy Lange – Owner Lange Twins Randy Lange is a fifth-generation winegrower. During the 1870’s his Great-Grandparents, Johann and Maria Lange, settled in Lodi. By 1916 they had the family’s first grape-ranch. It was on this ranch where their dad, Harold, was born in 1920. In 1974 they decided to farm on our own. They finally built Lange Twins winery in 2006. FYI – Lange Lodi vineyard produces spicy old-vine Zinfandel, concentrated Bordeaux-style wines and lively Rhone-style reds and whites—many from organically or sustainably farmed vineyards. www.langetwins.com Ondine Chattan – Chief Winemaker Share a Slash/Cannonball/Cowboys and Angels High Dive and Astrolabe Ondine is a passionate Sonoma County winemaker with experience ranging from cult boutique producers to notable household name brands. Her love of the diversity of Sonoma and California at large fuels her enthusiasm for making a range of varietals from Sauvignon Blanc to Cabernet. Started her career at Cline, Beam and Geyser Peak. www.shareasplash.com Emma Swain – CEO St Supery

Harry McWatters dies. Raise a glass.   THE SHOW   Harry McWatters died in his sleep in Summerland this week. He was 74. Harry was one of the singular leaders who paved the way and built the framework for the Canadian Wine Industry. From opening the first estate winery Sumac Ridge, to the first sparkling wine – Steller’s Jay, Launching the Okanagan Wine Festival, introducing Meritage blends into our lexicon, Launched BC VQA, the BC Hospitality Foundation, founding chair BC Wine Institute, Director BC Vintners Assn, started Encore Wines, Time Wines, McWatters Wines. Vintage Consulting, Time Winery and Kitchen. Harry had just celebrated his 50th vintage..and the first year for his downtown winery in Penticton.   On and On. We’ve all  lost a leader and a great friend. This tribute to Harry consists of moments from the many interviews we did together. Starting with one of my first for Tasting Room Radio –  Summer 2007. In Penticton after Harry had swept the wine awards. Cheers Harry. https://timewinery.com   In honouring the builder and legend Harry McWatters, I felt the feature also needed another voice other than mine.  It was a natural move to pick up the phone and talk to Christine Coletta. Co-Founder of Okanagan Crush Pad and one of BC’s  current  wine leaders.   She was also a dear friend of Harry’s and as she explains..there would be no Okanagan Crush Pad or Christine Coletta in the wine business without the guidance and support of Harry McWatters in the early years. I’m so pleased  I made the phone call. https://okanagancrushpad.com Interstellar Rodeo.  Pairing live music and wine   with Gurvinder Bhatia The last segment of the show is a yearly story for Tasting Room Radio. First there’s Gurvinder Bhatia..Quench Magazine Wine Editor, Global TV (Edmonton)  Wine Columnist, International Wine Judge, Italian wine  specialist and friend of Harry McWatters. And then there’s Interstellar Rodeo this weekend in Edmonton. It features a wide portfolio of artists..some “artists to watch for” and many artists who’ve created their own fan base over many years of recordings and touring.  Headliners and those who want to be headliners. Artists include Whitehorse, Rheostatics, Aloe Blacc, Sheila E, Southern Ave, Lucius, Asleep at the Wheel, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Gurvinder studies the music of each and then pairs his best wines to match the vibe and texture of the music.   Even if you can’t attend..you can find the artists on the Interstellar Website with their matching wines..and do your own Rodeo.     Here’s the link https://interstellarrodeo.com/edmonton/beer-wine/     STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:   Jim Cuddy – Cuddy by Tawse Wines A special feature on “field blends” Willie Mitchell & Brendan Morrison  speak out on their/our  role in saving fishery Chris Tolley Moon Cursor Fort Berens Andrea Sartori and 121 years of Italian Winemaking Jason Priestley – 90210 and his California wine. Parking in The Passion Pit  with John Weber at Orofino!  

BC Chefs work to save our fishery and Cowichan Valley Wine Festival    THE SHOW  Three stories from Vancouver Island. We start by heading back to the 13th annual BC Seafood Festival in Courtenay-Comox.   For some it’s a getaway weekend.   However, for those who want to get involved..there’s oyster shucking on a massive scale, cooking classes, a chef competition that loves  a vocal audience, gala dinners, brunch heaven plus you get to connect with your new favourite chef. However, this year all the talk among the chefs was saving our fishery.   We are/were so spoiled on the West Coast. Our fishery was the envy of all. Not anymore. It’s been overfished and as a result it’s starting to affect the food chain for whales, orcas, eagles, bears  and feed fish. Chef Ned Bell says we’re so used to getting the centre of the plate.  Spring and Coho salmon. It’s time to start working “the edges” of the fishery.  Sole, shellfish, sardines, herring.  Eating down the food chain.   Chefs have to convince their customers that if they order alternative fish they can help save the fishery we’ve come to love. Ask questions. Know your fisherman. Take a break from some species. Find a few fish. Pinks for one. Responsible aquaculture starts to become very important. So, really this sustainability comes from the chefs, the fishermen, first nations, fish farms AND You and I. The customers. Every one of the guest chefs had something to say to all of us. Ask questions…know your fisherman..if your restaurant can’t tell you where your fish is from , don’t order it. Here  we go: * Chef Ned Bell –  Executive Chef, Ocean Wise, Vancouver, BC; * Jean-Francis Quaglia, Exec Chef/Founder. Provence Marinaside * Nathan Fong, Executive Chef Producer of the BC Seafood Festival; Fong on Food * Ricardo Valverde, Exec Chef Ancora Vancouver and West Van. * Quang Dang Exec Chef Top Table Group * Ryan Bissell  Director of Food and Beverage Villa Eyrie Resort Malahat * Chris Andraza   Exec Chef  Fanny Bay Oyster Bar and Restaurant The 2nd annual Cowichan Valley Wine Festival takes place August 23-25. In order that you can pull off a master plan for the weekend..we have invited three local  influencers to join us on a park bench in Ladysmith for a chat about who, why and where you should be heading for the Cowichan. Mike Nierychlo  Co-founder/Winemaker Emandare Vineyard  Duncan Lorin Inglis   Manager Enrico Winery Mill Bay Karen Elgersma  Tourism Cowichan For your master plan, here’s the layout of The  Cowichan Valley Wine Festival Aug. 23 – 25 Aug. 23     Party at the Pavilion Shawnigan Lake School 6pm – 8pm – Kick off Public Tasting Aug. 24 – 25   Winery Tour Weekend All local wineries will be hosting free tastings and events over the weekend. Check with the winery websites for what they’re up to.. https://www.tourismcowichan.com/ …and while we’re on Vancouver Island I had the distinct pleasure of tasting the wines of Brent Rowland from Averill Creek. Brent creates the Averill portfolio but he’s also released two very special wines. They’re called Joue. There’s a Field Blend White and Field Blend Red…and unlike almost everyone  else in the BC wine business he puts the name field blend right on the label. Brent has created wines all over the World. Alpha Box and Dice in Australia. By Farr in Australia, Calera in California, Escarpment in New Zealand and most recently at Pearl Morissette in Niagara He wants these Joue wines to have perfume, poise, tension, elegance. Consummate wines. “for me the field blend spirit is the clearest segue from the vi...

Naramata Winemakers: ReWined 2019 (17 Naramata Bench Winemakers pour on Vancouver Island)   THE STORY   Tasting Room Radio began in a studio/barn on The Naramata Bench. For those who’ve never been to The Bench, it’s just above Penticton on the East side of the Okanagan Valley. Naramata Road winds down the bench with wineries on both sides..appearing then fading in the rear-view mirror. It’s spectacular and so are the wines. The locals are great neighbours. The Bench was voted 2018 BC’s Best Wine Trail.   In total? A one-of-a-kind place. This is our coverage of ReWined 2019 which took place at the classic Chrystal Gardens in Victoria Its Year 2 raising funds for Make-a-Wish and the 11th year NBWA have poured Spring releases in Victoria. There are 30 wineries in the Naramata Bench Winery Assn. (with more coming) They all get together September 14th for the annual Tailgate Party. This year at the gorgeous Heritage Inn.   (Be warned, it sells out every year – tickets at www.naramatabench.com) We welcome these friends on today show : Val Tait – Bench 1775 Winemaker and GM Senka Tennant – TerraVista Vineyards -Winemaker/Co-Owner Kathy Malone – Hillside Winery – Winemaker Kon Oh – MoCoJo Winery Winemaker/Owner Gustav Allander – Foxtrot Winemaker Lyndsay O’Rourke Tightrope Winemaker/Co-Owner Garron Elmes – Lake Breeze Winemaker/President Jeff Martin – La Frenz Production/Vineyard Manager/Co-Owner Nikki Callaway – Laughing Stock Winemaker Riley Hollenback – Red Rooster Winemaker Dell Halladay – Elephant Island Winery – Winemaker/Co-Owner Bob Ferguson – Kettle Valley Winery Winemaker/Co-Owner Matt Mikulic – Three Sisters Winery Winemaker Katie O’Kell – Serendipity Winery Winemaker/Co-Owner Dick Lancaster – Black Widow Winery Winemaker/Co-Owner Gavin Miller – Upper Bench Winery Winemaker/Co-Owner Will Hardman – Deep Roots Winemaker Plus Simone Conner Make-a-Wish Director, Vancouver Island https://makeawishbc.ca/vancouver-island http://naramatabench.com <http://naramatabench.com/> Thank you Tina and Hugh Baird for your support and friendship   STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON Jim Cuddy – Cuddy by Tawse Wines A special feature on “field blends” Fire Season in The Okanagan BC Shellfish Festival / Courtenay-Comox Cowichan Valley Wine Festival Assorted Chefs, Willie Mitchell & Brendan Morrison  speak out on their/our  role in saving fishery Chris Tolley Moon Cursor Fort Berens Andrea Sartori and 121 years of Italian Winemaking Jason Priestley – 90210 and his California wine. Terry Meyer – Mayhem Wines.  The new releases..    

It’s Tofino Two – The Industrial Way Artisans and The 17th Food and Wine Festival.    THE SHOW Last week’s show was all about  spending weekdays in Tofino.  The Chefs of Tofino / Ucluelet  and Willie Mitchell..The Prince of Tides.  This week, it’s about the craft artisans on Industrial Way  (Charcuterie, Brewing, Spirits & a very popular bakery.) Then it’s off to the 17th annual Tofino Food and Wine Festival.  Most wine festivals take place in hotels, conventions centres and meeting rooms.  Not this one.   As always it takes place in the Tofino Botanical Gardens. As you stroll to the many tasting stations you come to realize you’ve left the “gardens” behind and now you’re surrounded by a Rain Forest. Surreal and very memorable. I swear the location makes  the wines taste better.  Just saying!   As a stark contrast we start the show on Industrial Way in Tofino.   Like all other towns and cities, Tofino has an industrial area where craft businesses share space with construction equipment, fishing supplies, boat and floats.   As Tina Windsor from Picnic Charcuterie  says of Industrial Way  “there’s no point in putting lipstick on a pig.  It is what it is but still people seek us out.  It’s high class, low brow” Besides Picnic, we’ll spend time discovering the people and the craft behind Tofino Brewing, Tofino Distillery and Summit Bakery.   At the Tofino Food and Wine festival we’ll taste and talk with: Kira Rogers The Food and Wine Fest  Producer, Culmina, Black Market, Pentage, Tantalus/Stoneboat/Summerhill/Township 7 and Burnt Timber.       Then a wonderful surprise,. I bumped into David Gouge  co-owner of Sea Star Vineyards. (Pender Island/Saturna Island) and  got caught up on one of the really fine winery stories in BC.  Today’s guests are: From Industrial Way: Tina Windsor – Picnic Charcuterie https://www.picniccharcuterie.com/ Bryan O’Malley  – Tofino Brewing   http://tofinobrewingco.com/ Neil Campbell – Tofino Craft  Distillery https://tofinocraftdistillery.com/ Brendan Foell/Cassidy McCaughan – Summit Bread Company https://www.summitbreadco.com/ From 17th Tofino Food and Wine Festival Kira Rogers – Producer https://tofinofoodandwinefestival.com/ Sara Triggs – Culmina Vineyards  https://www.culmina.ca/ Rob Hammersley – Conviction Ridge Vineyard/Black Market Wine Co. https://blackmarketwine.ca/ Paul Gardner – Pentage Wines   https://pentage.com/ David Gouge – Sea Star Vineyards https://seastarvineyards.ca/ Chris Smith (WayWestWines) – Tantalus, Burnt Timber, Summerhill, Township 7, Stoneboat.  https://twitter.com/waywestwines?lang=en       STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON   Jim Cuddy – Cuddy by Tawse Wines A special feature on “field blends” Fire Season in The Okanagan BC Shellfish Festival / Courtenay-Comox Cowichan Valley Wine Festival Assorted Chefs, Willie Mitchell & Brendan Morrison  speak out on their/our  role in saving fishery Chris Tolley Moon Cursor Fort Berens Andrea Sartori and 121 years of Italian Winemaking Jason Priestley – 90210 and his California wine.  

  THE SHOW    When someone says  “Go West ” Tofino is as far as you can go in Canada. Originally  is was nick-named  “tough city” now shortened to “Tuff City”.  That’s because the road,  which was formidable, ended in Tofino. For many years stories on this stunning coastline were about the surfing and fishing. Then it started to get noticed as a culinary destination. That’s because the  entire area was loaded with chefs. (The local food truck Tacofino became so popular they moved operations into Vancouver and now have 8 locations including Tofino.) What’s remarkable is that there are less than 2,000 Toficians in town but almost 500 business licences. Summer brings what feels like “The World.”  Walking miles of beaches, forest walks here are called forest bathing , swimming, surfing, fishing, diving  and dining have become part of the allure. This is part one of four days spent in and around Tofino.  Trying to answer the question, what’s Tofino like on a Wednesday or  Thursday?  Is it different from crazy times on the weekend? Every guest on this show has a story to tell and one of them reveals a surprising announcement. What doesn’t seem to change is the food and the accommodations. I found both at the world famous Wickaninnish Inn.   I also discovered their new breathtaking “Howard’s Wine Cellar.”  That’s where we start.    Guest Toficians  include: Charles McDiarmid – Managing Director/Founding Family The Wickaninnish Inn Ike Seaman – Director of Food & Beverage/Sommelier/The Howard Wine Cellar  The Wick Executive Chef Carmen Ingham – The Pointe Restaurant , The Wick Chef/Owner/Author Lisa Ahier (eye-aye) – Sobo                     Willie Mitchell – X-NHL, Partner/President at Tofino Resort and Marina Executive Chef Paul Moran – Top Chef Canada Winner  1909 Restaurant at Tofino Resort and Marina Chef Warren Barr and Lilly Verney-Downey – Pluvio Restaurant & Rooms  Ucluelet https://www.wickinn.com/ https://thepointerestaurant.ca/dining/ https://thepointerestaurant.ca/wine-cellar/ http://sobo.ca/site/ https://tofinoresortandmarina.com/ https://tofinoresortandmarina.com/restaurant/1909-kitchen/ https://www.pluvio.ca/ https://tourismtofino.com/ https://www.tourismvi.ca/   (NEXT WEEK  -Part Two features craft artisans on Industrial Road and The Annual Tofino Food and Wine festival)   STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON: Jim Cuddy – Cuddy by Tawse Wines A special feature on “field blends” Fire Season in The Okanagan Tofino Part Two – Includes food and wine festival BC Shellfish Festival / Courtenay-Comox Cowichan Valley Wine Festival Chefs speak out on their/our  role in saving fishery Chris Tolley Moon Cursor Fort Berens Andrea Sartori and 121 years of Italian Winemaking  

TOP DROP 2019 / FIRST TIME IN VICTORIA The press release came in loud and clear. For the very first time Top Drop was coming to Victoria. Frankly, that’s all I needed to know. I’ve been happily covering this small wildly successful wine gathering for Six Years but Top Drop in Victoria is a whole other event. Why? Because Victoria is a great wine town. TOP DROP is Vancouver based so they needed a Victoria Host. Turns out the Vessel crew have been watching this independent, craft wine festival seed and grow in Vancouver, and spread to Calgary in 2018. This was their year to launch it in Victoria for ONE DAY . Top Drop is an opportunity to celebrate authenticity in farming, terroir and wine, with winery principals from around the globe. Mirroring Top Drop Vancouver and Calgary’s flagship experience, the public event is a walk around, grazing-style tasting where attendees enjoy sips and stories from the principals of international and local wineries. There has never before been a wine tasting of this scope and caliber in Victoria. For me and TRR, the voice and face of Top Drop has always been Kurtis Kolt. Wine educator and Wine writer for the Georgia Straight. Because of the foul weather, Kurtis and his partners were delayed in Vancouver and could not attend while I was there. Once again Kurtis Kolt and his partner Jeff Curry and a sensational team have convinced some of the very best winemakers to pour at Top Drop. What they have in common is craft and care! In Kurtis’ column in the Georgia Straight he said this: “Each year, our process begins the same. Our team casts out a wide net to British Columbia-based importers and wineries, asking for winery applications to participate in the event. First and foremost, Top Drop wineries must fit with our general philosophy: that wines, indeed, express terroir or offer a sense of place. Whether we’re talking vines grown in mineral-rich soils or under cool-climate growing conditions bringing bright acidity or in sun-drenched regions offering generous, opulent fruit and so on, we want those elements to be notable in the glass and for them to have arrived there authentically, rather than via heavy-handed additions in the winery. Sustainable farming is also key. There is a high priority on those who employ these methods while farming their own fruit or who work with growers who fit the mold.” Winemaking Guests in Victoria: (Check them out – Winners All!!) Ross Borland Managing Partner/Vessel Liquor Victoria www.vesselliquor.com Mitch Renaud Asst manager Vessel Liquor Victoria www.vesselliquor.com Rhys Pender (MW) Little Farm/Similkameen Valley http://www.littlefarmwinery.ca/ Angus Thomson Urlar/ Gladstone NZ http://www.urlar.co.nz/ Kelsey Rufiange – Echo Bay/OK Falls www.echobayvineyard.ca Grant Biggs – Kitsch wines/Kelowna www.kitschwines.ca Tyler Knight = Lightening Rock/Summerland

BC’s VQA Wineries showcase Spring/Summer wines at Bloom 2019 in Victoria   THE SHOW Wine fans across Canada and now around the world are increasingly aware of what British Columbians have known for years – BC produces some of the world’s most unique and in some cases very best wines * Each year BC wineries contribute $2.8 billion annually to the provincial economy and welcome more than 1,000,000 visitors. * There are more than 10,499 acres under vine in British Columbia with nine geographical indications (GIs) and two sub-geographical indications (sub-GIs): Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, Thompson Valley, Lillooet, Shuswap, and Kootenays. Two sub-GIs include Golden Mile Bench and Okanagan Falls, and fall within the larger Okanagan Valley GI. Every Spring the wineries select their showcase wines, hit the road and gather in Vancouver and Victoria. It’s the perfect opportunity for wine lovers to kick off the season, celebrate new wine releases, meet the actual makers of these wines and reconnect with those who share the same passion. This feature is for those who attended and wanted to make further notes on their experience.(which can be a busy blur) However, it’s really for those of you who didn’t get to taste and make notes.   As a public service and for “research purposes” we hit the floor of the Crystal Ballroom in downtown Victoria and tasted our way through some 40 wines. As always, we simply didn’t have time to talk to everyone. So we sought out winemakers, owners and growers who took the time away from home and vines to join us. Very much appreciated. If you are confused by the growing number of BC wines available we truly hope this week’s show helps you find your Wine of the Year or at least The Summer. There is one special story here. Michael Mosny was winemaking in Slovakia when he became a fan of Hollywood and Vines TV co-hosted by Jason Priestley and myself. When he and his wife Martina saw Jason and I visiting vineyards in The Okanagan it helped inform the decision to move here. Years later we finally get to meet. Thank You to Kimberly Hundertmark – BC Wine Institute www.winebc.com Guests  this week include: Joe Luckhurst – GM. Road 13 (Golden Mile) 2018 Canadian Winery of the Year www.road13vineyards.com Stefan Arnason – Head Winemaker Poplar Grove/Monster Wines (Naramata Bench) www.poplargrove.ca www.monstervineyards.ca Michael Mosny Winemaker and Co-Owner Winemakers Cut (Oliver) www.winemakerscut.ca Bobby Gidda – Owner and President Volcanic Hills (West Kelowna) https://volcanichillswinery.com/ Jeff Hundertmark – Head Winemaker Mt Boucherie (West Kelowna) https://mtboucherie.com/ Tim Turyk – Proprietor Unsworth Vineyards (Cowichan Valley,

THE THIRD ANNUAL BC CIDER FEST… BIGGER AND BETTER!   The third annual BC Cider Week, took place from April 27th to May 5th. This week long craft cider celebration saw many cider events, tastings and festivities throughout British Columbia with tasting events from Kelowna to Vancouver Island, including tap takeovers, cider pairing meals, and much more throughout the week. The highlight for me and many others is the final event. The gathering of up to 40 Cideries at The Pipe Shop foot of Lonsdale in North Vancouver. It’s one of the buildings my father Pat worked in during WW2. The first interview had to be with Shawn Pisio, who co-founded the B.C. Cider Festival three years ago. Just how popular is this event? It sells out within minutes. Cider is going through the very same revolution that craft beers did 10-15 years ago. The opportunity to grow more cider apples in B.C. is unlimited, but BC is already home to many excellent craft cideries. One of the cideries we interviewed was Twin Island Cider on Pender Island. They were voted most popular Cidery at this event. Finally, for those of you who still think that ciders are not for you because they’re too sweet or something…FORGET ABOUT IT.. It’s a whole new world out in the orchard. Enjoy!!!! Our guests are: Shawn Pisio – Txotx/ Co-Founder Russ Johnson – Owner/Cidermaker Truck 59 Kelowna Sydney Bottomley – Asst Cidermaker Broken Ladder Kelowna Nick Farrer – Founder The Bricker Cider Co Sechelt Mike Lachelt – Co-owner/Cidermaker Salt Spring Wild SS Island Mathew Vasilev Co-Owner Twin Island Cider Pender Island David Schneider – Persephone Brewing Gibson’s BC Kathleen van der Ree – Northyards Cider – Squamish Mike Petkau – Nomad Handcrafted Cider – Summerland Glenn Ennis – Owner Geo Cider Co – Squamish Lynn Colliar – Geo Cider Squamish Jeff Nairn – Co-Founder Windfall East Van   http://bcciderfest.ca/ Photos by Linda C STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON: Melissa Etheridge and Cannabis infused wine Bloom in Victoria Top Drop in Victoria A special on field blends Fire Season in The Okanagan Rose Day June 8th Charles Smith in Jet City Seattle (Rose all day) Tofino Food and Wine festival The Wick reopens a spectacular cellar Tofino mid-week

New Zealand Pure Discovery 2019 THE SHOW New Zealand is recognised as one of the world’s premium wine regions, mainly due to the success of their Marlborough region Sauvignon Blanc   This explosive varietal introduced the world to New Zealand Wine. In 2019 they would like to celebrate the success of their famous white through sub-regional expressions as well as showcase the lesser known varieties such as Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Rose. Several weeks ago I was offered the opportunity to “speed date” a handful of New Zealand Winemakers as they passed through Vancouver. I sat at a desk and they showed up one at a time..each with a wine in hand. Frankly, it was a blur. In listening back to the discussions several things became clear. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is World Class but now it’s time to check out sub regions of the North and South islands. Simon Toneycliffe GM Whitehaven. (Marlborough’s Golden Mile) Whitehaven wines are grown, crafted and bottled in Marlborough. Each wine is a powerful, elegant and consistent expression of Marlborough’s classical wine styles. The white label is the flagship. Their growth has been nothing short of fantastic. Whitehaven has been successfully exporting to the United States since 2004 when its first shipment totaled just 5,000 cases. In 2015 Whitehaven celebrated the export of its millionth case of wine to the US. Canada is showing the same kind of growth. The reason is simple. Affordable World class wines. www.whitehaven.co.nz Wayne Leadbetter – VP Sales Te Awanga Wines (Hawkes Bay) Planted 25 years ago by a group of friends in one of Hawke’s Bay’s oldest wine growing areas, they dreamt of making the region’s greatest wines. They say they’re still working on it but believe their vineyard, right by the coast truly captures something unique. Sitting on an elevated site in the Te Awanga foot hills, the cellar door has views down through our vines, across the Te Awanga basin and out to the Pacific Ocean. Spectacular. Syrah and Chardonnay are exceptional. www.teawangaestate.co.nz Jim Robertson Global Wine Ambassador NZ Brands – Stoneleigh/Pernod Ricard (Marlborough) Stoneleigh Vineyard is situated in the heart of the Rapaura area on the northern side of the Wairau valley in Marlborough, New Zealand. The ‘Golden Mile’ of vineyards. Stoneleigh takes its name from the stones that cover the vineyard – land that’s now home to some of the oldest grafted Sauvignon Blanc blocks in Marlborough. The stones store and reflect the sun’s heat up into the vines, enhancing the ripening process and contributing to the unique taste of Stoneleigh wines. Jim travels the World – a natural storyteller and what a story. NZ wines are recognized the World over. http://www.stoneleigh.com <http://www.stoneleigh.com/> Joel Watson – Winemaker at Luna (Martinborough) Luna Estate has been lovingly renovated and transformed into one of Martinborough’s premier wineries. While their main love is Pinot Noir, they also produce elegant Pinot Meunier Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay,

Naramata Winemakers: ReWined 2019 (17 Naramata Bench Winemakers pour on Vancouver Island)   THE STORY   Tasting Room Radio began in a studio/barn on The Naramata Bench. For those who’ve never been to The Bench, it’s just above Penticton on the East side of the Okanagan Valley. Naramata Road winds down the bench with wineries on both sides..appearing then fading in the rear-view mirror. It’s spectacular and so are the wines. The locals are great neighbours. The Bench was voted 2018 BC’s Best Wine Trail.   In total? A one-of-a-kind place. This is our coverage of ReWined 2019 which took place at the classic Chrystal Gardens in Victoria Its Year 2 raising funds for Make-a-Wish and the 11th year NBWA have poured Spring releases in Victoria. There are 30 wineries in the Naramata Bench Winery Assn. (with more coming) They all get together September 14th for the annual Tailgate Party. This year at the gorgeous Heritage Inn.   (Be warned, it sells out every year – tickets at www.naramatabench.com) We welcome these friends on today show : Val Tait – Bench 1775 Winemaker and GM Senka Tennant – TerraVista Vineyards -Winemaker/Co-Owner Kathy Malone – Hillside Winery – Winemaker Kon Oh – MoCoJo Winery Winemaker/Owner Gustav Allander – Foxtrot Winemaker Lyndsay O’Rourke Tightrope Winemaker/Co-Owner Garron Elmes – Lake Breeze Winemaker/President Jeff Martin – La Frenz Production/Vineyard Manager/Co-Owner Nikki Callaway – Laughing Stock Winemaker Riley Hollenback – Red Rooster Winemaker Dell Halladay – Elephant Island Winery – Winemaker/Co-Owner Bob Ferguson – Kettle Valley Winery Winemaker/Co-Owner Matt Mikulic – Three Sisters Winery Winemaker Katie O’Kell – Serendipity Winery Winemaker/Co-Owner Dick Lancaster – Black Widow Winery Winemaker/Co-Owner Gavin Miller – Upper Bench Winery Winemaker/Co-Owner Will Hardman – Deep Roots Winemaker Plus Simone Conner Make-a-Wish Director, Vancouver Island https://makeawishbc.ca/vancouver-island http://naramatabench.com <http://naramatabench.com/> Thank you Tina and Hugh Baird for your support and friendship   STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON   Melissa Etheridge and a Cannabis Blend. The Kiwi’s are coming Bloom in Victoria (BC Spring pours) Top Drop 2019 (In Victoria) A special on Field Blends Commentary on Fire Season