Tasting Room Radio

Heads UP/VanWineFest/BC Cider Week/Wine &  Oyama Sausage/1000 stories  Making plans for the run-up to Holidays or for  early 2019? We have three stories for you.  A primer of the next VanWineFest, also advance notice on the 3rd BC Cider festival and a check in on the amazing December to be had at the wildly popular Oyama Sausage at Granville Market.  Joanne Sasvari editor of Vitis will pair wines with Oyama’s legendary offerings. And we finish with Bob Blue, maker of a Bourbon aged Zin called 1000 stories.  Ready?   The SHOW Harry Hertscheg  – (Executive Director of 41st Vancouver International Wine Festival)  Vancouver International Wine Festival has been described as “the largest wine festival in the Americas” with 25,000+ admissions. It is Canada’s premier wine show and widely considered to be one of the best wine events in the world. At age 41, it is also among the oldest. Its slogan is “The Wine World is Here”. For the past six years, VIWF has been voted the #1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada by New York’s BizBash. 41st annual (founded 1979) 8 days, Feb 23-Mar 3 (Bacchanalia Gala, Feb 23) 25,000+ admissions 16 countries 160 wineries; including 53 from featured region California 54 events (20 are California events) 1,500 wines projected, including an estimated: 42,000 bottles poured and/or purchased.   Harry Hertscheg is the perfect guy to guest here as he loves his WineFest numbers  plus he’s been on TRR many times and we seem to have developed a “shorthand” in getting through all the information the festival contains. Most importantly, California is the featured wine region this year.  After all the fires, droughts then  floods they could use all the love we have to offer. Remember, one of the ways we can help them recover from the disasters is to buy their wines and send our support.  California is the single most popular wine region in BC.  Now is when they need us most. But first, you have to have a ticket to get in.  Harry has some ideas for you. https://vanwinefest.ca Shawn Pisio – (Organizer/Co-Founder of BC Cider Week)  When he’s not organizing BC Cider Week, Shawn and his team run TXOTX – (pronounced Choech)  which is Basque for “to drink cider from a barrel” One of my highlights of 2018 waas attending,

A Church. A Fort. A Chef and One of NZ’s Best,  Felton Road. OK.  Let’s take them one at a time. Evan Saunders –  Winemaker at Blasted Church  (Okanagan Falls) Evan grew up on the Canadian prairies. Became a Micro-Biologist at UVic. Which led to the wine course at Brock in Ontario and finally his first winery at Osoyoos La Rose and a 3-year mentorship with their winemaker Pascal Madevon. Now Evan’s  talent has been fully recognized at Blasted Church, south of Penticton, overlooking Skaha Lake and part of the Okanagan Falls Winery Assn. Blasted Church is unlike any other winery in Canada. They make over 30 different wines, even though they keep changing, their labels are totally one-of-a-kind  and very likely bother some wine fans who happen to be religious. Best of all, they make wine fun and funny AND they come through with solid wines in the bottle. Evan has created several new wines. The revered series featuring Answered Prayers AND Nectar of the Gods (in partnership with pal  Pascal Madevon) Plus Bible Thumper. Down the road watch for Evan’s influence on the Blasted Church reds  That’s his specialty. Heads UP – we didn’t have room for all of Evan’s recommendations for last week’s Winter Whites. Here’s his list of Winter Whites  which he talks us through on today’s show . 2017 Sauvignon blanc – 25% barrel fermentation, about 6% Semillon, estate Sauvignon blanc 2017 Small Blessings Semillon – about 45 cases, barrel fermentation, 11 months on lees, Semillon from the North shore of Osoyoos Lake 2016 Bible Thumper – barrel fermentation, Viognier, Roussanne blend 2016 Nectar of the Gods – Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cot noir blend, 22 months in barrel, about 50% new French oak  ( It’s not White. Evan will explain) https://blastedchurch.com <https://www.ofwa.ca/> https://www.ofwa.ca/ Rolf de Bruin – Fort Berens co-founder. (Lillooet BC) Rolf and his wonderful wife/partner Heleen Pannekoek share the management duties at  Fort Berens  in Lillooet, BC They were the first winery in the area but  Rolf tells us about the four growers now operating in the area plus yet another winery   Cliff and Gorge will open at Texas Creek Ranch,  Spring 2019.  Plus a new GI has been

Winter White Wines – If they exist, what are they?     THE SHOW It was a comment about a year ago. Almost blew by me. A winemaker used the phrase “I’m making Winter Whites”. I’m sorry – what?   “A Winter White – what is that? Well,  it’s a white wine that has enough texture and mouth feel to pair with Winter roasts, stews, soups, root vegetables etc. OK..what whites have that ability?” That’s where the whole idea got started.  This hour is dedicated to focusing in on white wines than can carry their weight through the Winter. I sought out winemakers and wine experts who could explain Winter Whites and then recommend wines we could get our hands on. Our guests include: Chris Rielly – Head Sommelier at (David Hawksworth’s)  Nightingale Restaurant in Vancouver https://hawknightingale.com/   Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson – Drinks Editor Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winealign.com/profile/43820-Ben-MacPhee-Sigurdson Kurtis Kolt – Georgia Straight Wine Writer http://www.kurtiskolt.com/ Rhys Pender – Master of Wine  https://www.mastersofwine.org/en/meet-the-masters/profile/index.cfm/id/dfb8a043-5e4b-e211-a20600155d6d822c Michaela Morris – Wine writer and judge  https://michaelamorris.ca/ Jason Parkes – Winemaker The Hatch https://thehatchwines.com/  Valeria Tait – GM and Winemaker at Bench 1775  https://www.bench1775.com/ Kathy Malone – Winemaker at Hillside https://www.hillsidewinery.ca/ If you join us for the hour you will indeed find out that Winter Whites do exist and we’ll tell you which wines to look for.   Here’s Chris Rielly’s List 2016 Clos du Soleil Capella Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion Similkameen Valley 2013 Haywire Vintage Bubb Okanagan Valley 2016 Gustave Lorentz Pinot Gris Alsace france 2016 Pietradolce Carricante Etna Bianco Sicily Italy 2017 Yalumba “Y” Series Viognier South Australia Aus   Here’s Ben’s List:   Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne (McLaren Vale, Australia) $23 Everything Wine Guigal 2016 Cotes du Rhone white (Cotes du Rhone, France) $29 Everything Wine 60% Viognier, 15% Roussanne, 10% Marsanne, 8 % Clairette, 5% Bourboulenc, 2% Grenache blanc. Torres 2017 Esmerelda (Catalunya, Spain) $16.99 BCLDB Moscatel and Gewurztraminer, spice and stone/tropical fruit with a hint of sweetness.

A BC Pinot Noir Celebration. With a cast of All-Stars.      THE SHOW   Everyone is talking about and buying BC  Pinot Noir these days. If you ask growers and winemakers, they are pretty much agreed that BC is perfect for growing and harvesting Pinot Noir. We truly hope you find your new best Pinot here with TRR.   The fourth annual BC Pinot Noir Celebration brings together 34 of the province’s best Pinot Noir producers to celebrate the varietal that is defining the region.   Co-Organizer JAK Meyer said “This is an important time in BC, where Pinot Noir is starting to emerge as a signature grape with lots of different expressions. More wineries are coming on board as they find that their land is well suited to the grape. The BC Pinot Noir Celebration is not a competition, but rather a way to showcase what BC can do.”   The BC Pinot Noir Celebration.  Linden Gardens,  Kaleden, BC The fourth annual BC Pinot Noir Celebration brought  together 34 of the province’s best Pinot Noir producers to celebrate the varietal that is defining the region.               More than 300 guests  sipped, swirled and discovered the nuances of BC’s Pinot Noirs on Saturday, August 19th at Linden Gardens  in Kaleden. The event paves the way for provincial, national and international recognition of BC Pinot Noirs as a wine of excellence. There were lively breakout sessions, special key note speaker with special keynote speaker Master of Wine Richard Hemming. Pairing only the best foods were  Cameron Smith & Dana Ewart from Joy Road Catering, Alex Sielmann  from Frog City Café, former Okanagan Chef Matt Batey  & Mike Bernardo from Vij’s and Sutra in Victoria.      Our guests include:  Barb and Iain Phillip – Wine Experts Chris Turyk – Unsworth  https://www.unsworthvineyards.com/ Jak Meyer – Meyer Family Vineyards   https://mfvwines.com/ Christine Coletta – Haywire and OK Crush Pad   http://okanagancrushpad.com/ Thorsten Allander – Foxtrot  https://www.foxtrotwine.com/ Doug Reimer – Mirabel  http://www.mirabelvineyards.com/ Leslie d’Andrea – Noble Ridge https://www.nobleridge.com/ Jeff Martin – La Frenz  http://www.lafrenzwinery.com/ Curtis Krouzel – 50th Parallel  https://www.50thparallel.com/ DJ Kearney –  New District.

THE SHOW Hosted by the BC Wine Institute, and curated by the best in the business, wine expert DJ Kearney, the Judgment of BC took place in Kelowna several weeks ago.   I was pleased and honoured to be part of thirty nine international/national wine judges. We blind tasted and ranked the 24 wines. 12 were traditional method sparkling wines and 12 were Bordeaux-style red blends. 6 of each were from BC and 6 were international benchmarks. After ranking the wines, we then had to say whether the wines in question were from BC or the World. Some were easy. Many were impossible. That’s a good sign.     Final Results at the bottom of the page “The annual Judgment of B.C. allows us to gain insights and knowledge into how we compare internationally,” said Kearney. “Introspection is a critical part of ensuring we continue to make high quality wines, and also allows us to collectively celebrate as an industry. We have so many reasons to be proud, and the future is very bright.” Global News. Our guests include: DJ Kearney – WineDistrict.ca Kurtis Kolt – The Georgia Straight Michaela Morris – Educator and expert Rhys Pender – Master of Wine Mark Filatow – Owner/Executive Chef Waterfront Bistro Ingo Grady – President of Poplar Grove Winery. SPARKLING WINE RESULTS 1. Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut NV California | 12% | $46.99 2. Champagne Veuve Clicquot Brut NV France | 12% | $69.99 3. Champagne Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles Bouzy Grand Cru Extra Brut XIII France |12.5% | $67.99 4. Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars Blanc de Blancs R.D. 2010 Okanagan Valley, BC | 12.5% | $39.90 5. Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery The One 2012 Okanagan Valley | 12.0% | $47.90 6. Sperling Vineyards Brut Reserve 2011 Okanagan Valley, BC | 11.5% | $50 7. Graham Beck Brut Zero 2011 South Africa | 12% | $29.99 8. Tantalus Vineyards Blanc de Noir 2015 Okanagan Valley, BC | 12.0% | $30 9. Segura Viudas Heredad Brut Reserva Spain | 12% | $33.99 10. The View Winery Pearls Traditional Brut 2016 Okanagan Valley, BC | 11.8% | $30 11. Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards Fitz Brut 2015 Okanagan Valley, BC | 11.6% | $32.99 12. Mumm Napa Brut Prestige NV California | 13% | $25.99 RED BLEND RESULTS 1. Poplar Grove Winery The Legacy 2014 Okanagan Valley, BC | 14.0% | $52 2. Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio 2015 Okanagan Valley, BC | 14.9% | $50 3. Blackbird Arise 2015 Napa Valley, California | 14.5% | $86 4. Dominus Estate Napanook Napa Valley Red 2014 California | 14.5% | $125.99 5. Intersection Estate Winery Axiom 2014 Okanagan Valley, BC | 13.9% | $39

Shane Taylor’s  ‘Dilettante’ Garnet Valley Pinot Noir 2017 THE SHOW There are three different elements in today’s show title. First is Shane Taylor. Sommelier of the Year. As the winner, Shane gets  to make a small lot wine using the grape variety and style of his choice. Second is Dilettante  the wine that Shane created. If you’ve followed BC wine news, you’ll know that  Okanagan Crush Pad is on a roll. A 45,000 case roll. However, if you talk to ANYONE at OCP what they really want to talk about is Garnet Valley, the vineyard above Summerland that they’ve planted with the next generation of vines. The star of the valley will almost certainly be Pinot Noir. Shane’s Dilettante just happens to be the first Pinot Noir release from Garnet Valley. The Third element is Garnet Valley itself. Currently it’s the highest planting in the Okanagan. With the winemaking and growing skills of Alberto Antonini and Pedro Parra in play, you know this valley is about to become very much talked about and admired. Plus its organic all the way. Last week, Shane Taylor and Christine Coletta from Okanagan Crush Pad debuted Dilettante at CinCin on Robson Street in Vancouver. Shane Taylor is the Wine Director in this very popular restaurant. That means he gets to pour his own wine for diners in the room.  How cool is that? Christine Coletta  – Okanagan Crush Pad Okanagan Crush Pad was founded on a long history of friendship, a mutual respect for land and wines that articulate “place”, a love of music and admiration for one-another’s accomplishments. When friends come together in this fashion, wine flows naturally and easily. The journey began in 2005 when David Scholefield convinced Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie to plant a small vineyard in Summerland. David had a vision for the Okanagan, a young wine region that was trying to find its soul. Christine and Steve, who have a well-earned reputation of making projects come to life, began putting his plan in place, first by farming, albeit in a conventional manner, with the idea to craft wines that were as naturally beautiful as the Okanagan. David persuaded Alberto Antonini and Pedro Parra to come to the Okanagan and with their arrival,

THE SHOW   Jack : If they want to drink Merlot, we’re drinking Merlot. Miles Raymond : No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any f#*king Merlot!   Somewhere on this website  is the famous Merlot scene from the film  Sideways, spoken with outrage and indignation by the sublime Paul Giamatti as Miles Raymond, failed writer and wine snob. The film came out in 2004 and the sales of Merlot dropped like a stone. In some markets it has  never really recovered. (Director and Writer Alexander Payne starts the show)   I had this nagging question hanging over me for a while now. Is BC Merlot being taken for granted? Has it lost its luster and ranking to the wine fan? The most planted grape in BC is Merlot  but, except for Vancouver Sun wine writer Tony Gismondi, I’m not seeing a lot articles or headlines on BC Merlot. In the next hour you’ll hear from many of BC’s Best Merlot winemakers. Many of the questions are the same… Is Merlot being taken for granted? What was the effect of Sideways? What makes BC Merlot outstanding? When did you fall in love with this grape? Have we all changed our wine tastes? Many of the questions were the same ..but the answers were  all wildly different.   Our 12   Merlot guests include   Alexander Payne – Screenwriter and Director of Sideways https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0668247/ Rhys Pender – Master of Wine   http://www.wineplus.ca/ Mary McDermott – Winemaker at Township 7  https://www.township7.com/ Mike Raffan – GM at Township 7   https://www.township7.com/ Phil McGahan – Winemaker at Checkmate Wines. (Winner: 2017  Judgement of BC) https://www.checkmatewinery.com/ Jeff Harder –  Co-Owner Ex Nihilo  https://exnihilovineyards.com/ Peter Lindenlaub –  Wagner Family Wines (Napa)  http://www.wagnerfamilyofwine.com/ Kane Morgan –  Co-Owner Rust Wine https://www.rustwine.com/ Joseph Luckhurst –  Managing Partner  Road 13  http://road13vineyards.com/ Larry Gerelus – Co-Owner  Stags Hollow  (OK Falls) https://stagshollowwinery.

Discover the Cookbook from The Wickaninnish Inn.  #1 Resort in Canada (Conde Nast) and face to face with Bella and Lock & Worth      Condé Nast Traveler this week announced the results of its 31st annual Readers’ Choice Awards with The Wickaninnish Inn recognized as the # 1 RESORT in CANADA. This is the third time the Wickaninnish Inn has received Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Award, taking the number one spot in both 2013 and 2014, and the second award from Condé Nast this year. In January 2018, the Wickaninnish Inn was given the Gold List Award which highlights the editors’ favorite hotels from the best across the globe. All of that great news was well timed as we were planning on repeating these interviews we aired back in June. The second half of the show features two of the outstanding new winemaker/owners in the Canadian wine industry. Jay Drysdale makes Bella – all bubble. All the time. On the Naramata Bench. And just down the road is Matt Sherlock from Lock and Worth and Nichol Vineyards. Both are introducing new winemaking methods and attitude. They both sound like preachers in mid-sermon. The Show:    The Wickaninnish Cookbook – Rustic Elegance on Nature’s Edge Executive chef Warren Barr and Managing Director Charles McDiarmid  ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2018: “On the furthest west coast of Vancouver Island, the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, B.C., has been a destination for visitors from around the world since its opening in 1996, the Pointe restaurant a pillar of the town’s flourishing culinary scene. Their first cookbook gathers signature recipes from former and current chefs and focuses on regional techniques and seasonal west coast ingredients.” The Globe & Mail    Since the Wick first opened in 1996, it has become a destination for travelers attracted by its rustic elegance, warm hospitality, and incredible west coast cuisine. This cookbook highlights the distinctive dishes (and the stories behind them) that have made The Pointe Restaurant a destination dining experience like no other and captures the spirit of spectacular natural surroundings, west coast life, and scenic ocean-to-table dining. Memorable recipes from the Wick are coupled with signature recipes from current and former chefs–Warren Barr, Rod Butters, Matthias Conradi, Mark Filatow, Justin Laboissiere, Duncan Ly, Andrew Springett, and Matt Wilson–and combine cutting-edge techniques with fresh, seasonal ingredients, to create a distinctly contemporary, west coast cookbook.

The Fifth Annual Victoria Wine Festival   As all festivals do, it started with an idea and a dedicated band of volunteers. Five years into its existence it’s become one of the highlights of the year in Victoria. After talking with some of the perhaps 1500 attending,  two things became apparent. The women outnumbered the men by a wide margin and I was surprised how many wine fans attending were not from Victoria. Over 300 wines were showcased and the pop-up store from Vessel was crazy busy.   The Hatch – Andrew Melville.   Chief Steward and Storyteller …We talk about Black Swift/The Hatch/Dynasty White/Rosso/Screaming Frenzy/Oak Street Vineyard etc https://thehatchwines.com/   Road 13 –  Joseph Luckhurst Managing Partner. Canadian Winery of the Year Joe talks us through the portfolio  and pours  GSM/Blind Creek Viognier/Stemwinder/Fifth Element/74K http://road13vineyards.com/   Okanagan Crush Pad  – Mike West.  Mike is pouring and taking us through… Free Form Ancient Method Sparkling Wine/Vin Gris/Waters and Banks/The Bub/Narrative/haywire/New Narrative Syrah & Cab Franc http://okanagancrushpad.com/ Rust Winery – Kane Morgan Asst GM.  Pouring and focusing on  Single Vineyard & Single Varietal wines. 3 separate Merlots/Zin/Syrah/Gamay/ Rose from Pinot Noir/Pinot Gris/Riesling. https://www.rustwine.com/   Wagner Family Wines  – Peter Lindenlaub Division Manager Canada.   A can’t miss portfolio Caymus/Conundrum/Mersoleil/Emmolo/Red Schooner. http://www.wagnerfamilyofwine.com/   Stile Brands – Benjamin Philip  Acct Exec.  Specializing in Italian Wines Cantina Tollo Mo Montepulciano D’ Abruzzo Riserva  2012 &2014/ Altesino Rosso & Brunello/Argiolas Vermentino & Sardegna/Bottega  Prosecco Brut/ Bottega Petalo Moscato/Medici Ermete Concerto Lambrusco https://stilebrands.com/stilebrands/   Unsworth  Vineyards– Tim Turyk  Owner.   Pouring from the Cowichan Valley Charme De L’lle/Allegro/Sauvignette/ Pinot Noir Rose/2016 Pinot Noir/Ovation https://www.unsworthvineyards.com/   Hope Family Wines   Ex-pat Cameron Matches returns with wines from Paso Robles. Treana Blanc/Treana Cab/Austin Hope Zin & Cab/Liberty School Cab and Chardonnay.

Year Seven of The Four F’s (Food. Fishing. Fluids and Friends) As all good things sometimes do..it started with a “what if”. What if I put together some of my food and wine friends who loved fishing – and we all went fishing together but we also brought along wines we wanted to share and food we wanted to cook? Except for several years when one of them was just too damn busy,  the friends line up has been pretty much the same. Here are some links on “the friends” Basically, these are gents and artists you would love to hang with.   Chef Mark Filatow  Waterfront Bistro  (Kelowna)  https://waterfrontrestaurant.ca John Weber – Orofino Wines (Similkameen)  https://www.orofinovineyards.com/about-2/ Rhys Pender – Little Farm Wines (Similkameen) and Master of Wine.  http://littlefarmwinery.ca/ The really interesting thing with this group is that at times the fishing is EVERYTHING. Then the Wines become EVERYTHING. Then the food becomes EVERYTHING.   We dive into all three with a shared passion that seems to know no bounds.   For example – Fishing – Except for this year we have always fly fished in the interior of BC. Skitchine Lodge, Cathedral Lakes, 7  Half Diamond Ranch , Tunkwa Lake. This year we head for Campbell River on Vancouver Island and some Salmon Fishing. Our home base was the gorgeous Gowlland Harbour Resort on the jewel known as Quadra Island, just off downtown Campbell River. And most importantly,  our guide was one of the very best Mark Stewart from East West Charters in Campbell River. http://eastwestcharters.com/ So, here’s Mark with a boat build for four..now holding 5. As the rods went off..all four reaching for the now bouncing rod. Surprisingly, it all went very well thanks to Mark Stewart and his 28 years of experience. We caught and released lots of wild coho..kept one hatchery coho. John caught a Spring and everyone caught sockeye and pinks. We were chased by dolphins who surfed in the wake of the boat as we cut through the water. Exhilarating! We tasted Moscato d ‘Asti for breakfast..memorable. Wines – We each like to bring wines that we think the group would find interesting. A grand total of 22-25,  depending on who you talk to. Wines from Croatia that Mark brought back from his summer trip there. I brought a Viognier from France John from Italy and Orofino. Rhys from EVERYWHERE. Palo Portado for one A Spectacular Education. Food – Chef Mark has always traditionally brought to these trips his gift of making something truly special from an assorted bag of goodies. We know there will always be two Tomahawk Chops ...

Back to The Okanagan (Roche – Desert Hills/Ursa Major – Fairview Cellars) THE SHOW  Don’t say we didn’t warn you! Bill Eggert – Owner/Winemaker at Fairview Cellars – The Golden Mile Bill will be speaking his considerable mind to start off the show. But before he starts firing off one liners and certain people start ducking,  I thought it best to talk about his wines. The names of these wines on the labels should tell you a great deal about the guy who grew and created them. Two Hoots – A Cab/Merlot blend Madcap Red – Merlot based blend The Bear – The classic Bordeaux Blend Bucket of Blood – Syrah and Cab or Cab Franc. Iconoclast – The best of Bill’s Cabernet Sauvignon There’s also an outstanding Cab Franc, a  stand-alone Merlot that deserves respect, Sauv Blanc that drinks beautifully, Gruner Veltliner that loves the Okanagan and two reds you want to know about Bill’s making a Pinot Noir that given time and harvests will become an Icon. Finally we come to The Champ – Fairview Cellars Cabernet  Sauvignon.  They should all be this good. It’s a Premium single release but also makes Bill’s blends so much better. As Bill told me years ago “ I taught the wine course in the Valley but I didn’t give away ALL my secrets” We welcome back Bill Eggert of Fairview Cellars to Tasting Room Radio. Please Stand back – this could get nasty. http://www.fairviewcellars.ca/fairviewcellars.ca  Dylan & Penelope Roche – Co-owners and winemakers .  Naramata Bench   Roche Vineyards… Naramata Bench Had we stayed in Naramata, Roche would have been our next door neighbour.  That alone makes me interested in their story… but it gets better the more you know. Dylan grew up in North Vancouver, cycling took him to Europe and an interest in winemaking. Penelope grew UP in Bordeaux..surrounded by Chateaus and Castles. She was expected to take over from her parents and did so for a number of years but she also was looking for something else. They met in a bar in New Zealand. They shared a beer or two and a realized they both were taking wine courses and they liked the same things about that life. Of course they got married and after searching and tasting they decided to start their winery Roche on the Naramata Bench. At their location on the Upper Bench Road they were at the foot of a slope that had really well grown Zweigelt and Schonberger.  When they discovered how great  Farmer John’s vines were – they were off and running. Now they’ve planted new varietals because as any fan of French wine knows, you must have a Bordeaux Blend in your portfolio… especially if you are FROM Bordeaux. In 2017 they  planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Things are getting interesting.

Cowichan Valley Wine Festival 2018!   There are a lot of great places in Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley to hold a wine festival. For several years it was called Savour and was on a dock over the water in Mill Bay. The valley is located halfway between Victoria and Nanaimo with the closest town being Duncan. The 2018 Festival may have found the perfect home at Shawnigan Lake School. It’s like holding a wine festival at Yale… except greener! We gathered at the Field House between Rugby Fields… you couldn’t help but feel relaxed and eager at the same time. My job was to start the interviews as they gathered at 5PM because when 6PM rolled around it was Game On. Two questions I wanted to ask were “What are you pouring?” and… “If The Cowichan Valley had to be known for just two wines – a red and a white – what would they be?”  Lots of different answers but as we went along it became apparent that the red would be Pinot Noir.  The white?  Have a listen. We also talked about the culinary side of the valley and how it’s growing. Are you ready to meet 11 of the principals behind The Cowichan Valley?  They are a  diverse and very interesting  group, much like their wines. Isn’t it time you visited The Cowichan Valley? FYI – If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind accommodation location, you couldn’t do better than The MoonWater Lodge ! The views are truly west-coast spectacular!     On the newly paved stretch of the Malahat Highway, it overlooks “everything”.  Ocean, islands, forest in most directions and has its own restaurant.   https://moonwaterlodge.com/ Contact Lori Strandlund – moonwaterlodge@gmail.com   Here’s your Guest List:  Miranda Thorne   (Tourism Cowichan)  Executive Director     www.tourismcowichan.com  Unsworth  ( Tim Turyk ) Proprietor  www.unsworthvineyards.com  Enrico  ( Lorin Inglis ) General Manager  https://enricowinery.com  Venturi-Schulze ( Marilyn Venturi)   Proprietor www.venturischulze.com   Zanatta  ( Loretta Zanatta ) Proprietor  https://zanatta.ca/  Cherry Point Estate Wines   ( Xavier Bonilla ) Proprietor  http://cherrypointestatewines.com/  Damali ( Kennedy Saville ) Proprietor  http://www.damali.ca/

Tantalus. Adorada. Il Falcone & Colin Linden Remembers Aretha   Il Falcone –Chef Andrey Durbach  (Courtney BC)  Andrey and Sian Durbach moved to the Comox  Valley, Vancouver Island almost  a year ago from Vancouver. They had been  running three downtown  Vancouver restaurants. High Tempo Rooms. Before he became an outstanding graduate of the CIA,  Culinary Institute of America in NYC, he had first made a name for himself in Vancouver working with Bishop’s, Il Giardino and Café de Paris.  He launched Etoile in 96.  There he learned the hard lessons of running a restaurant. Sold the place and hit the road re-learning the trade. When Sian and Andrey returned to Vancouver 2 years later they partnered with Chris Stewart and opened Parkside, La Buca and Pied-a-Terre. Cafeteria followed with its $20 or less menu. My favourite was Sardine Can. A tiny room in Gastown. No matter what the location I always noticed and liked his cooking. Well,  imagine my delight to discover that Sian and Andrey had opened Il Falcone in downtown Courtney. Why Courtney? Andrey explains in the interview that he and Sian finally wanted to work for themselves and the best place was a former Mexican restaurant in Courtney. Surrounded by burnt yellow stucco walls enclosing  a courtyard filled with black cherry, fig and other fruit trees..you swear the restaurant was somewhere in Italy.  Perfect. We’ve been three times and all three we sat outside under those trees. Glorious.   And the food?  To die for. Italian dishes with no excuses..Nothing but the best. It helps that they’re surrounded by hundreds of farms, fisheries specialists and foragers working the land. One of the best cheese makers in Canada is right around the corner. Andre says he and Sian pretended to be Italians moving to the Comox Valley and they did what they’d do back in Italy..source and cook local. Cook like the Italians would. The wine menu?  Almost exclusively Italian. For anyone who’s travelled to Italy..no matter what small town you were in, there would always be one Italian restaurant as its centerpiece. That’s what they’ve tried to do here. Just off the beaten path..a discovery waiting to happen. Is it worth the flight or ferry. Yes and absolutely yes. As Andrey told Montecristo magazine..  “My kind of diner is one who loves unctuous, delicious food, and is willing to chance the unfamiliar. It’s a diner who knows and trusts the kitchen and the servers, a person who wholeheartedly invests in the visceral experience of a meal.

Welcoming The Winners Guests include Road 13, Fitzpatrick and Township7  Every year in Canada Wine Align, the toughest wine competition in the country, announces its list of winners. This week We welcome The Winners. After being  a top 10 winery for many years Road 13 has finally found the #1 position. In 2018, over 1800 wines from 257 wineries were in competition for the National Wine Awards.  Judging were 22 of the very best tasters in the country. After winning 15 individual awards including a rare Platinum for their Roussanne Road 13 were given the coveted title Canadian Winery of the Year.  I found  managing partner and son of founders Mick and Pam Luckhurst , Joseph Luckhurst  in the barrel room and cellar recently. Still enjoying the glow of the awards we talked about The Golden Mile, the dirt, what effect this may have on their wines and winery and why they made the decision to make Rhone style wines. Congratulations to winemaker Jeff Del Nin, his team in the Vineyards and in the q, the tasting room staff, growers, distributors, marketing and media teams,. Enjoy the ride while we enjoy the wines. www.road13vineyards.com www.winealign.com The other segment of the same competition that interests me is Top 10 Small Wineries. (annual production of 10,000 cases or under) Ontario’s Two Sisters and Hidden Bench were 1&2. Third was BC’s Fitzpatrick Family Wines who won 5 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze to become this years #3 Small Winery in Canada and #1 Small Winery in B.C.  Gordon Fitzpatrick is well known to  Canadian wine fans. In 1986 his family started Cedar Creek  Estate Winery and 8 years later they bought Greata Ranch located on the  main highway between Peachland and Summerland. In 2014 Cedar Creek was sold to the Von Mandl Family and Gordon made serious plans for Greata Ranch, which has been somewhat forgotten over the years. A mere 4 years later Fitzpatrick Family Wines have become a destination for fresh whites and a serious house of bubble. I found Gordon on the back deck overlooking the Chardonnay and Pinot Vineyards and Okanagan Lake. Congratulations again to the complete team that helped to create a rising star in Canadian Wine. www.fitzwine.com

13 guests for The Annual “Locals Only 3.0″The Artisans of Vancouver Island & The Gulf Islands.   THE SHOW    It was an afternoon exploring the diversity & creativity of our coastal producers. Through the interviews below we get to meet the farmers, fermenters and distillers that define our cool climate coastal appellation.     This is Locals Only 3.0 – 2018 No fancy marketing campaigns or graphic trickery.  Just an opportunity to taste clean honest products from the producers who are defining our cool climate coastal appellation.  * Speak with the producers who were natural before it was fashionable * Learn more about distilling while speaking with a Master * Meet and taste with the people who planted the vines and then made the wine Locals Only is about keeping it real, real honest and really local.   Organic estate farming , clean winemaking , neutral barrels & vessels, amphora, orange wines, concrete, spontaneous ferments, dry farming + way more. Discover the next destination you just have to check out. Off Shore craft makers.   Guests include:  Massey Wines –  Louise Fedyk.  Co-Organizer of event  http://www.masseywines.com/  Mike Rathjen – Rathjen Cellars  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgo92Vuntu8/ Mike Nierychlo –  Emandare Vineyards  http://www.emandarevineyard.com/     Dave Brimacombe – Wayward Distillery (Unruly Gin/Vodka) https://www.instagram.com/p/BgpPVn3Hw0U/ Jason MacIsaac – Sheringham Distillery  https://www.sheringhamdistillery.com/ Andy Johnson  – Averill Creek  https://www.averillcreek.ca/ Loretta Zanatta – Zanatta Vineyards https://zanatta.ca/ Chris Turyk – Unsworth  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgr0mocH0rh/ Bailey Williamson – Blue Grouse https://www.bluegrouse.ca/Home Dan Dragert – Kutatas Vineyards ( Koo Tah Tass) You’re on your own. Well worth The Search. Brenda Hetman-Layne – 40 Knots  https://www.instagram.com/p/BgkFfRknXdL/    Marilyn Venturi –   Venturi-Schulze Vineyards  https://www.instagram.com/p/BgraOj7nK_o/ Julia Powell – Alderlea Vineyards  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgtz5m0HCrX/   @averillcreek @unsworthvineyards