Tasting Room Radio

The 2018 VanWineFest is fast approaching… we’ll be on site March 1st  recording  two 1 hours shows. The feature regions this year are Spain and Portugal. So this week’s Tasting Room Radio will focus on those two wine producing countries. Spain we know about. Big wines to go with robust foods and lifestyle. Wines with the heroics of a bullfighter and the grace of a dancer.     Reds aged in bottle for two years before release for a fraction of the cost of other regions. What’s not to like?     Portugal on the other hand is well under the radar BUT they also produce amazing wines. Some of their blends have 30-40-50 varietals all in one bottle. Their wines are going to surprise and blow people’s minds this year. This week we present  a primer on Spain and Portugal! Guests include: Cristiano van Zeller  – leading winemaker and unofficial spokesperson for The Douro Region. Norrel Robertson – Spain’s only Master of Wine Domingos Suarez Franco – No relation to James and leading winemaker in Portugal. Daenna van Mulligen – The Wine Diva returns from a visit to Fonseca in Portugal.   If you’re headed to this year’s VanWineFest, this show is a great place to start.   https://vanwinefest.ca Feb 24 – March 4     NEXT WEEK – Dine Out Vancouver 2018 Jade Dynasty Victor at Parq Homer Street Café Juke Fried Chicken Tightrope Vanessa Haywire     Oh Yeah!!!    

Getting ready for Dine Out Vancouver Talking Organic with  Ann Sperling New releases poured in Victoria THE SHOW   Lucas Pavan – Dine Out Vancouver Producer  Dine Out Vancouver Festival is Canada’s largest annual celebration of food and drink. Attracting more than 100,000 locals and visitors, the festival takes over the city with 17 days of culinary events, prix fixe menus at over 300  restaurants. The festival promotes local and regional ingredients, BC wines and the city’s exceptional culinary talent from January 19 to February 4. There is no better voice for a Dine Out Primer than Lucas Pavan who leads an all-star team that begins to build all these events just as August rolls in. Lucas walks us through events such as: Railtown Catering Pop Up Dinner Dinner on the Rocky Mountaineer Taste of the market at Lonsdale Quay Dine out Grand Tasting East Van Craft Beer and Food Tour The art of Tea The Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Tour Urban Wine and Distillery Tour Introduction to Dim Sum Olympic Village Food Tour BC VQA Wine Brunch at Hart House Vancouver Craft Beer and Street Food Tour World Chef Exchange Best of Granville Island Street Food City Seven Mamie’s Low Country Pig Roast And many many more. https://www.dineoutvancouver.com/events/   Ann Sperling:  Sperling Vineyards Okanagan.  Southbrook Vineyards Niagara  One of the very best winemakers in Canada. Creating outstanding, award-winning organic wines at Southbrook in Niagara and at her family’s estate outside Kelowna. Sperling Vineyards has been certified Organic and that’s our starting point with Ann. Why organic?  Other than the obvious decision to take care of the land around them..what else should wine fans watch for with the ever growing organic movement. After all, more and more we are asking questions of our fish, food, and vegetables.  Where was this grown, is it local, is it wild or farmed, was it organically grown?  Why not our wines?   We spend time talking about her glorious Old Vines Riesling. Loved listening to Ann. Truly at the top of her game! http://www.sperlingvineyards.com/ IVSA  New Releases  IVSA (The Import Vintners & Spirits Association) work very hard to keep all of us up-to-date on what’s new in the wine and spirits new releases. I made sure I had fresh batteries in my recorder..found the Delta Ocean Pointe in Victoria and worked the room. Couldn’t talk to everyone..the room as busy with lots of seekers but here’s who I was able to get the microphone in front of… Lionel King – Partner in Bonvida Importers and Distributors   

Tour Number 2 of New Zealand begins in Hawkes Bay where Syrah is King..through the legendary Gimblett Gravels… and finishes on the south Island  in Nelson at NZ’s first Maori owned and operated winery.     THE SHOW   Part 1 of our wine tour of New Zealand took us through the Auckland area and on to Hawkes Bay and that’s where we begin Part 2.   Elephant Hill Elephant Hill is a stunning and innovative winery estate and restaurant located on the idyllic Te Awanga coast, in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. They create 2 very fine chardonnays piggyslots , Sauv blanc, a white & red blends called Le Phant Blanc/Rouge and a 5 star Viognier and favour Syrah on the Red side.. We sit down in their fabulous restaurant with Viticulturist Jon Peet and sales and marketing leader Vince Labatt. The word I get from the NZ wine business is… watch these guys..they’re very good.   http://www.elephanthill.co.nz/ Pask Staying in the Hawkes Bay area on North Island NZ we head for Pask.   On our tour of NZ #1 we talked to Kate Ranburnd the famous winemaker at Pask. This time we take to the Gimblett Gravels fields and meet the guys who grow in that stunning region. Gimblett Gravels     Pask’s 59 hectares of vineyards are located on Gimblett Road where Chris Pask was first to plant in the region now known as the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District®. Formed over 100 years ago when the Ngaruroro River changed its course, the light, stony soils of the region are low in nutrients, completely free draining, and create the perfect environment for growing premium quality grapes. Their  very first vintage of 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded 5 stars in Cuisine Magazine. Since then Pask wines have consistently enjoyed gold medal and  trophy success in London, Australia, Asia, the United States, Canada and New Zealand across a range of varietals and winestyles. Pask is one of New Zealand’s leading wineries with an enviable reputation for excellence  around the world for over 25 years. Pask has been a member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) since its inception. Kate Radburnd spent five years as Chair of the SWNZ advisory/working group. I get to  meet Danny van Selm  the vineyard manager and Greg Allinson – direct sales and marketing manager. Interview takes place on a picnic table under a large tree  in the middle of Gimblett Gravels.   http://www.pask.co.

  The first of several One Hour Specials during a two week wine blitz through New Zealand’s wine regions,  with special interest in their amazing sustainability programs. In this special we start in Auckland and conclude in Hawkes Bay.      THE SHOW  The opportunity was just too good to pass up. For a number of years I’ve been interviewing NZ winemakers as they passed through Canada. The meetings were great but I had no sense of the land. Where these wines were grown and under what conditions. Kiwi’s kept referring to Gimblett Gravels, a place called Nelson, Central Otago and Waiheke Island. I very much wanted to “get it”. To complete my understanding of what went into the astounding success of New Zealand wines – in Canada and around the World. The invite from Wines of New Zealand  to tour the country was Waaaay to good to pass up. 94% of all NZ wines are farmed under sustainable practices. It’s not so much a program as a way of life. New Zealanders are all about being green. Just a note:  I seem to have done enough interviews for at least 2 other specials. They’ll be coming over the next month and a half. Our guests include: Sarah Szegota   New Zealand Winegrowers   www.nzwine.com  Rob Meredith/Connie Festa  Co-Owners of Peacock Sky Vineyard (Waiheke Island)  www.peacocksky.co.nz Beautiful hilltop vineyard, wonderful Bistro. Rob’s retired and works 7 days a week. Connie’s from Montreal. Cooks like her Mom. Staying on Waiheke Island..just off the coast from Auckland..we visit Mike Spratt at Destiny Bay, maker of only three wines.  three Bordeaux influenced red blends..one of which,  Magna Praemia,  is the most expensive wine in NZ.  Mike, his scientist wife Ann and winemaking son Sean lead a stellar team.  http://www.destinybaywine.com/ In between both those Waiheke island wineries we talk to our “host” Phillip Manson, the man in charge of New Zealand’s Sustainability efforts.             He’s proud of New Zealand’s reputation. So he should be. www.nzwine.com Before we leave the dormant volcanoes of beautiful Auckland we visit just one more winery. The most awarded winery in all NZ – Villa Maria!!  www.villamaria.co.nz Sir George Fistonich has spent five decades at the forefront of New Zealand’s wine industry that he helped develop. As an icon of the New Zealand wine industry, Villa Maria is known for bold and industry-changing moves such as moving to 100% screw cap through to the emphasis on sustainable practices in every area of the family owned company. Villa Maria Estate was named the supreme winner at the New Zealand Sustainable ...

More than just  a  cookbook from Jann Arden.  Plus The Comeau Case  with Christine Coletta, Rob Summers & Chef Rod Butters. The SHOW   Jann Arden – Feeding My Mother: Comfort and Laughter in the Kitchen as my Mother Lives with memory loss.  “Jann Arden is one of the most honest and talented women I’ve ever met, and her love for her mother is so rich.” —Chef Lynn Crawford Even though Jann and I have known each other for 30 years it didn’t make the book any easier to read. The pain of watching her Mother fade away commands each and every page of this cookbook and then you turn the page and it’s a recipe for split pea soup. We talk about dealing with the slow loss of her Mother and Candy Grams for Mongo. That’s exactly what a Jann Arden concert is like..crazy fun one moment and heart wrenching  the next. As each day steals more and more of her Mother’s  memory, it’s her  kitchen  and the food in it that connects her Jann and her Mother. Amazing book. Fascinating performer. Wonderful friend. www.jannarden.com https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/562454/feeding-my-mother#9780735273924   Christine Coletta – Co-Founder of Okanagan Crush Pad. The Comeau Case  Christine calls in from Ottawa where she was a very involved by-stander in the Supreme Court of Canada discussion about Canadian Wine laws. It was The Comeau Case. Forty Seven lawyers in one courtroom. It was a big deal. We all have  7 months to wait for the Court’s decision on how wine moves throughout Canada and why it hasn’t moved since 1927. Most of those lawyers were representing Greed. The remaining legal’s were speaking on behalf of you and I. Good Luck. In the meantime, here’s Christine’s take.  http://www.macleans.ca/opinion/gerard-comeaus-free-the-beer-case-shows-canada-isnt-a-true-economic-union/ https://www.freemygrapes.ca/ https://okanagancrushpad.com   Rob Summers – Senior Winemaker/Hester Creek Vineyards  Great guy.  Loves what he does. And what he does is blend some of BC’s best wines. If you haven’t tried “The Judge” I urge you to charge your glass. One of Canada’s best red blends.. Rob takes us through his Character Red and White, his singular Trebianno and the Lieutenant Governors awarded Reserve Merlot Block 2. One of Canada’s best wineries – Hester Creek. On the Golden Mile. South Okanagan. www.hestercreek.com/   Chef Rod Butters – Terrafina (at Hester Creek)/ Raudz/Micro/The Okanagan Table! Rod is on a roll.

The Wine Diva’s Top 100 under $20 plus Winemaker Bob Blue on 1000 Stories & Bonterra   Daenna van Mulligen – The Wine DIva   Just in time for Christmas and the Holidays…Wines 89 points or better and all $20.00 or under. What’s not to LIKE?         Over the course of her tasting year Daenna always starts a Top 100 wine list. These wines have passed her taste test and they’re affordable.   We can’t fit in all 100 wines but there are at least 25 wines here..of all kinds and countries. Plus Daenna throws in 3 more just to finish it off.   If you go to www.winediva.ca you can follow along..Also, at the top of her page there’s a link to a printable list.   Print it up, stick it in your bag! * Sperling Vineyards ‘Market White’, Okanagan Valley BC N/A * Torres ‘5G’, Campo de Borja Spain $16.99 * Bodegas Valparaiso ‘Finca El Encinal’ Ribera del Duero, Spain $18.00 * Bartier Bros. Riesling, Okanagan Valley BC N/A * Blue Grouse Estate Winery ‘Quill’ Pinot Gris, Duncan British Columbia N/A * Falernia Carmenere Reserva, Elqui Valley Chile $19.99 * Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley BC $18.00 * Paul Mas Viognier, Languedoc France $12.99 * Selbach Riesling ‘Fish Label’, Germany $16.99 * The Wolftrap Syrah~Mourvedre~Viognier, Robertson South Africa $13.99 * Masi Passo Doble, Tupungato Argentina $14.49 * Yealands Estate ‘Land Made’ Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough New Zealand $19.99 * Bodegas Borsao Garnacha, DO Campo de Borja Spain $13.99 * Road 13 ‘Chip Off the Old Block’ Chenin Blanc, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley BC N/A * Yalumba ‘The Y Series’ Shiraz Viognier, South Australia $17.99 * Nathalie Bonhomme ‘el petit bonhomme blanco’, Rueda Spain $13.49 * Clos du Soleil Rose, Okanagan Valley $20.00 * Louis.M.Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County California $17.99 * Quails’ Gate Estate Winery ‘Lucy’s Block’ Rose, Okanagan Valley BC N/A * Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards ‘Pink Mile Rose’, Okanagan Valley BC N/A * Tantalus Vineyards Rose, Okanagan Valley BC $20.00 * Tinhorn Creek ‘Oldield Reserve’ Rose, Okanagan Valley BC $20.00 * Bodegas Olivares Rosado ‘Finca Hoya de Santa Santa Ana’, Jumilla Spain $10.00 * C.C Jentsch Cellars ‘The Chase’, Okanagan Valley BC $20.00 * CedarCreek Estate Winery Riesling, Okanagan Valley BC $18.00 or  pocket..it’s invaluable until the next list comes along.

The  Wines of  Bloom and Arterra Wines buy Laughing Stock   Hello December!!   Jay Wright – President and CEO of Arterra Wines Canada Another Okanagan Winery has been scooped up by a much larger company. Arterra Wines Canada announced this week an agreement to acquire Laughing Stock Vineyards on the Naramata Bench. Arterra have been in the BC wine business for more than 30 years with top end vineyards like Black Sage and Sunrock and wines such as Sumac Ridge, See Ya Later, Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin Okanagan and Nk’Mip Cellars. Laughing Stock’s Bordeaux Blend Portfolio is considered one of the best blends in Canada and their Syrah Ain’t too shabby either. Founders Cynthia and David Enns will continue on at the winery. Our guest is Jay Wright, the President and CEO of Arterra Wines Canada.     Bloom VQA Wines in Vancouver (Golden Mile)    Adrian Cassini – Cassini Cellars  It’s sometimes  best when you walk into a room where close to 100 wineries are pouring,  to work the room alphabetically. Unless of course you forget to spit. We start with the winemakers from the C’s (The A’s and B’s didn’t have winemakers available) The hottest C winery this year is Cassini on the Golden Mile Bench. After winning 7 Gold and 5 Silver they were named winery of the year at Intervin and have had an astonishing year in the awards circuit. A record 2 Lieutenant Governors Awards and 2 more Gold in LA.  Our guest is the visionary owner/winemaker Adrian Cassini.  cassini.ca  Chris Jentsch from CC Jentsch also on the Golden Mile Bench   Character guy makes character wines.  His winemaker Amber Pratt has taken  on a much tougher job, being the Mom of three children. Chris has downsized a bit but still he’s a full time working owner and grower. Jentsch continues to win award after award and if you haven’t tasted their Syrah or The Chase, you have a treat waiting for you. www.ccjentschcellars.com   Gene Covert from Covert Farms  Beautifully located at  McIntyre Bluff in South Okanagan. Gene and his family operate a 4th generation 650 acre organic farm, vineyard, and winery. Their organically-grown wine portfolio includes Roussanne/Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Rosé, as well as  proprietary red blends, The Bluff, MDC and the iconic, Amicitia. Yes,  they work tough hours and even tougher conditions but nobody has more fun doing it that the Covert Clan. It shows in their wines.     covertfarms.ca

The 6th annual Friends. Fishing. Food. Fluids. With Rhys Pender. (MW-Little Farm)  Chef Mark Filatow (Waterfront Bistro)   John Weber (Orofino) At Skitchine Lodge.   16 Lakes, 21 wines and 2 Tomahawk Chops. Summerhill Vineyards receives 100 pts for their Ice Wine in SF.   We talk to Ezra Cipes  CEO. THE SHOW   We THINK it’s the 6th  annual  4F trip.  No matter.  It’s still the most fun you can have .   This year, as last,  we head for Skitchine Lodge on the Bonaparte Plateau North of Kamloops. You have fifteen lakes to choose from. In many cases you are the only boat on that lake. Some lakes are catch and release, some you can keep 2,4 or 6 trout.                   Most guests never leave with a trout. Perfect!   Yes,  it’s an excuse to go fishing but it’s also about food and wine.  And friends. John, Rhys, Mark and myself all bring wines we think each other would like. As a result, we have far too many but they all get tasted. Wines from all over the world. All over Canada and all over BC. Chef Mark creates a meal that stays in the memory bank for a long time..and always includes two tomahawk chops from Two Rivers Meats. Always done over an open fire and always brilliant. Our hosts are Mark and Tania Lee and this year Tania is the resort chef. We talk to both about fishing and food.   If you EVER get a chance to visit Skitchine Lodge – GO!!! Good for the soul.   https://skitchine.com https://www.orofinovineyards.com www.littlefarmwinery.ca https://waterfrontrestaurant.ca Ezra Cipes – CEO Summerhill Winery This very month Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna received a perfect 100 point score and double gold medal for its “small lot” Semillon ice wine from the San Francisco International Wine Competition. From a field of 4200 entries from 31 countries. Ezra Cipes is humbled by the awards however he points out that you have to grow great grapes and have exceptional cellar habits to get a perfect score. Summerhill is the same winery that earned the Canadian Winery of the Year award and also won the Best Chardonnay in the World at the Chardonnay du Monde in France with over 700 wines entered from 38 countries. Ezra  and Summerhill exemplify  what it takes to makes great wine. Passion, smarts and a relationship with the Earth.   https://www.summerhill.bc.ca         STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON    

Meet the new “tribute” person at Meyer Family Vineyards.. Plus we talk Fort Berens, Canadian Whisky and Taylor Fladgate. The SHOW JAK Meyer/Donovan Tildesley In 2008, JAK and Janice Meyer launched the release of their inaugural Chardonnay at a reception held at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. The 2006 single vineyard Chardonnay from their estate vineyard on “Old Main Road” in Naramata commemorated the beginning of their “Tribute Series” Chardonnay. The “Tribute Series” is dedicated to a Western Canadian or organization for an outstanding achievement in their field and as a way of encouraging or honouring the legacies of these Canadians, JAK and Janice will make a contribution toward a not-for profit foundation, endowment or scholarship on behalf of the honouree. Over the last decade, Meyer has paid tribute to the following Canadian individuals & organizations through the launch of their “Tribute Series” Chardonnay: Emily Carr, Bill Reid, Steve Yzerman, Kenny McLean, Sonja Gaudet, Winnifred Mary Stewart, Kelly Hrudey, Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship and in 2014, JAK’s parents Art & Viv Meyer. Their 2016 vintage marks the eleventh “Tribute Series” Chardonnay; and this year Meyer is proud to recognize Donovan Tildesley, accomplished blind Paralympic swimmer.   Donovan’s career highlights include a Bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, five Golds and one Silver medal at the 2002 IPC World Championships, 2 Silvers and one Bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, and a Bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics where he was also named flag bearer for Team Canada. In 2012, JAK & Janice Meyer will donate $5,000 in Donovan’s name to The Foundation Fighting Blindness, Canada’s largest not for profit donor to researching cures for retinal diseases. The funds will be earmarked to the “Dr. Robert K Koenekoop Ocular Genetics Laboratory” for research into cures for Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) which is the eye condition affecting Donovan. Meyer produced 697 cases of the 2016 “Tribute Series” Chardonnay and even went to the lengths of including braille on the label.. To purchase this wine or other newly released Meyer wines, visit them online at www.MFVwines.com Rolf de Bruin – Fort Berens co-founder I found Rolf on his way  from the home base in Lillooet to Whistler and Cornucopia. He was about to debut 2015 Red Gold..his sensational blend that is the flagship of FB. 43% Cab Franc/31 Cab Sauv/26% Merlot. And 28% of the Cab Franc was made passimento style. Those grapes were air dried until they were like raisins. Then they were allowed to ferment and become Red Gold.  Many of the same properties and components as Amaretto. Price is around $45.00.  Loved this  blend. Rolf and I also talk about their Reisling, Pinot Gris and the bagfull of awards they’ve won this year. Rolf’s partner in life and wine is Heleen Pannekoek. www.fortberens.ca

Updates on Whistler’s Cornucopia and VanWineFest 2018 plus Kristian Eligh finds his “inner Chef” And Part Two of our Pinot Noir special. THE SHOW   Whistler’s Cornucopia Food and Wine Festival  Samantha Rahn is the Wine Director at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, former Sommelier of the Year and now Cornucopia Ambassador. Who better to talk to about the annual gathering in Whistler? The festival started on Thursday but Sam and I will let you know what happens this weekend and all next week and into next weekend. One of the best things about Cornucopia is it attracts really good wines, winemakers and all the best industry experts AND it’s in Whistler. So..do the drive up. Park THE CAR and walk to the tastings and dinners. Perf!!   www.whistlercornucopia.com https://www.araxi.com Samantha Rahn (@SamanthaRahnGC) · Twitter   Harry Hertscheg – VanWineFest Executive Director Just in time for Christmas! Advance tickets are on sale for the 2018 Vancouver International Wine Festival until December 15th. Festival kicks off February 24th and wraps up March 4. 177 wineries. 16 countries Featured regions are Spain and Portugal. 1 in 3 wineries from those countries are new to Vancouver. Harry explains where the savings are right now and especially what getting a Gold Pass means. (Access to 6 tastings. Delta Lounge. Festival VIP Reception) If you paid for all of them it would be $721.00   The Gold Pass right now is only $480.00 So much to talk about with Harry –  Have a listen and make your plans. https://vanwinefest.ca/ Chef Kristian Eligh –  Brown’s Culinary Development Chef   We met when Kristian was working side by side with David Hawksworth in the Hawksworth and Nightingale kitchens and then on the road as the lead chef during the Hawksworth Young Chefs Scholarship Competition. Kristian is acknowledged as a top flight chef – one of the very best. He also had the best hair! I admit I was amazed when Kristian walked away from the nightly buzz of Hawksworth to become the Culinary Development Chef for the  Browns Social Houses.  Currently 62. Soon to be 65 restaurants!   The conversation starts with my first question “what went into your thinking about moving from such different kitchens and programs?”  His answer was from the Chef Dino Renaerts Play Book. My second question was “how did you change the menu and what were your “stars”?” Chef also walks us through their new Winter menu and spills the beans on their new location...

Two Stories.  The Judgement of BC and BC Pinot Noir Celebration. With a cast of All-Stars.      THE SHOW     It’s the third annual Judgement  of BC.  Presented by Wines of BC 12 from around the World and 12 from BC. Poured head to head to see where BC stands in comparison. This year we tasted the two most grown  varietals in BC  Pinot Gris and Merlot   12 BC Wines against 12 acknowledged global benchmarks. We are proud to announce BC’s Checkmate Black Rook Merlot 2013 from the Okanagan Valley ranked first among the flight of Merlot, and Kim Crawford Pinot Gris 2016 from Marlborough, New Zealand came out on top for the flight of Pinot Gris with BC placing third, fifth and sixth. Hosted by the BC Wine Institute, and curated by celebrated Vancouver wine expert and Director of Wine at NewDistrict.ca DJ Kearney, the Judgment of BC third edition event took place last Friday in Summerland, during which 22 international and national wine judges tasted and ranked 24 wines. So much to talk about.. Each judge had to set aside the style of Pinot Gris that they preferred and just start fresh. And the merlot judging has big bold dark fruit go head to head..with no sign of  lighter style. One esteemed judge could only identify  2 BC wines out of 24 in a blind tasting.  The mind and palette play tricks on you.   Guests include:  DJ Kearney – New District.ca Rhys Pender – Master of Wine Richard Hemming  – Master of Wine Sid Cross – Food and Wine Educator and judge Kurtis Kolt – Wine Expert Michaela Morris – Wine Expert And Yours Truly   Here are the results… PINOT GRIS RESULT ORDER * Kim Crawford Pinot Gris 2016 | Marlborough, New Zealand | 13% | $19.49 * Domaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Turkheim 2014 | Alsace, France | 13% | $41.00 * 50thParallel Pinot Gris 2016 | Okanagan Valley, BC | 13.5% | $19.90 * King Estates Pinot Gris 2015 Willamette Valley, Oregon | 13.5% | $26.49 * Gray Monk Pinot Gris 2015 | Okanagan Valley, BC | 13.4% | $16.99 * Arrowleaf Cellars Pinot Gris 2016 | Okanagan Valley, BC | 13.9% | $20.99 * Pfaff Steinert Grand Cru Pinot Gris 2012 | Alsace, France |13.5% | $30.99 * Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio Vigneti del Dolomiti IGT 2015 | Italy | 12.5% | $25.99 * Blue Grouse Estate Pinot Gris 2016 | Vancouver Island, BC | 13.5% | $22.00 * Haywire Switchback 2015 | Okanagan Valley, BC | 13.6% | $26.99 * Poplar Grove Pinot Gris 2016 | Okanagan Valley, BC | 13.1% | $16.99 * Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio Valdadige DOC 2016 | Italy | 12.5% | $19.99   MERLOT RESULT ORDER

Liam Mayclem[/caption]   He’s been hosting fundraising events in the Bay area and gives us an update on what conditions are like in Napa/Sonoma and what we can do to help those in need… There’s a huge fundraiser coming up next week before American Thanksgiving called ChefsGiving… and all the restaurants will be donating portions of their take.     I’m hoping Vancouver’s culinary teams would consider doing the same. www.redwoodcu.org/northbayfirerelief https://www.facebook.com/chefsgiving/ https://twitter.com/chefsgiving   Chef Kristian Eligh Kristian went from being the right-hand guy for Chef David Hawksworth and 5-star dining to being the Culinary Development Chef at the ever-expanding Browns SocialHouse Group. One job required focused exacting fine dining and the other demanded consistent menu choices across 60 plus restaurants and 60 plus chefs/kitchens. Both tough jobs. That’s why He’s the Guy!! Kristian takes us through what is required for that many culinary teams to get it right…the first time. And what he’s brought to the menu that was a hit from day one. He also has the best hair in food. No.  Not in food but in the food world!  Sorry! www.brownssocialhouse.com Pouring multiple wines from Planeta and Boutinot. and we finally get to air a two label pour that happened when we still had SUMMER. The location was Cinara..great small Italian bistro in the  300 block Pender.  http://cinara.ca/ The bar was completely filled with bottles from Planeta and Boutinot. The tasting was the brainchild of The Wine Syndicate Group. http://thewinesyndicate.ca/ Pouring and talking about Planeta are Jeff Curry and Cameron Walker – Partners at The Wine Syndicate  https://planeta.it/en/   And taking us through the huge story that is Boutinot is Megan Cole.. WSET instructor and Canadian Manager for the family label. http://www.boutinot.com/ STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON * Crisis in our restaurant industry * BC wines making inroad around the World * Winter White Wines.    

InterVin/Lure/The Fighting Five   InterVin 2017 – The Gold Medal Rundown with The Wine Diva Chef Ned Bell releases his cookbook book LURE. He wants your attention. The Fighting Five take on The Supreme Court. I couldn’t be happier.     THE SHOW   Daenna Van Mulligen – The Wine Diva It’s the results of the 2017 Intervin wine awards.   65 wines struck gold at the 2017-18 InterVin International Wine Awards, an intensive three-day blind tasting competition. 1,200 wines from 16 countries judged by a panel of distinguished sommeliers, wine writers and winemakers. “The increase in gold medal winners at this year’s InterVin wasn’t a matter of our standards slipping. The overall wine quality surged, thanks to incredibly strong categories of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Syrah,” says  Christopher Waters, editor of VINES Magazine and head judge of the InterVin International Wine Awards. “InterVin Gold Medals are awarded only those wines judged to be truly exceptional.”   Which is why Daenna van Mulligen – The Wine Diva joined me to talk about the Gold Medal Winners. Here are the top 10 wineries from this year’s competition…   * Cassini Cellars  * Church & State * Wolf Blass * La Frenz * Taylor’s * Nk’Mip * Quails’ Gate * Peller (Niagara) * Inniskillin * Cedar Creek   www.winediva.ca  www.intervin.ca    Chef Ned Bell    LURE.  Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the West Coast. Every chef has a cookbook in them. Ned’s was far more than recipes and photos. He’s on a mission. To change our thinking on the World’s oceans and the fish and shell food in them. He is seriously committed to holding restaurants, chefs, governments, industries and all of us accountable. WE are the keepers of this planet and WE must make our living here sustainable.   Make no mistake, Ned’s also making sure that when you do buy local and sustainable he’s got the recipes to make the table rock. It’s a really fine book and when you’re thinking about Holiday gifts, this book not only gives the owner all the info to set a great table but reminds them that we must leave the planet and its oceans as we found them for our children. Ned is a force. On today’s show he’s also a leader, a speaker and someone who must be paid attention to.     But it’s also a book.. you know, words on paper.  Nothing that can harm you. http://www.figure1publishing.com/book/lure/ http://www.chefsforoceans.com/  

It’s the Vanessa and Victoria Show! Vanessa Wines and Victoria Wine Festival THE SHOW     We spend some quality time at the fourth annual Victoria Wine Festival. It was such fun to walk these rooms and meet old friends. Discover new wines. Pouring on the day were: Peter Lindenlaub  Caymus Wines  (Wagner Family ) www.caymus.com Jacques LaCoste – Co-Founder Paul Brunner – Blue Grouse (Cowichan) www.bluegrouse.ca Chris Turyk – Unsworth Vineyards (Cowichan)www.unsworthvineyards.com Robert Ketchin – NZ Wine Growers (Canada) https://www.nzwine.com Curtis McBride – 689 Wines/Killer Drop (Napa) www.689cellars.com Katrina O’Reilly Ryan – Chayee Bourras (Argentina) http://www.bodegabourras.com.ar/ www.vicwf.com    Vanessa Vineyards  (Similkameen Valley)  This is a winery to follow. They have made it known that Vanessa Winery will be nothing less than the best Red Wine makers in Canada. Vanessa is making wines in a valley that looks like a Mars landscape.  Tough conditions but if the vines survive and dig deep..perfect for exceptional fruit. Have a look at the winemaking pedigree. The master wine maker is Howard Soon, one of the groundbreaking originals in BC Wines.     His signature winery was Sandhill, where he made Small Lots offerings that became the stuff of legends. One of the reasons he was so successful was his ability to recognize the perfect wine growing regions of The Okanagan.     One of the vineyards that Howard worked with was The Vanessa Vineyard in the Similkameen Valley. Howard was also smart enough to work with old friends Richard Cleave and Roberts Goltz… who know the valley better than ANYBODY.   We talk to Howard Soon, and  co-owners Suki Sehcon and John Welson.                   This is going to be a fantastic story to follow. http://vanessavineyard.com/ (Our apologies for the audio issues on this video)   STORIES WE ARE WORKING ON: * The Wine Diva judges The Intervin Wine Awards * Ned Bell   Lure – The Book * Chef Kristian Eligh – From Hawksworth to Browns..    

  THE SHOW   It was windy and wonderful. The invite was from The Mark Anthony Group, who distribute beautifully chosen wines to this part of the World. Would I be interested in interviewing some of their top winemakers from around the World..on the top of the Telus Building on Georgia? Yes Please. If you’re seeking new fresh wines and winemakers here’s some top level suggestions..   Dlynn Proctor – Winemaking Ambassador – Penfolds ( Australia ) Darryl Brooker – Winemaker – Mission Hill Family Estate. (BC) David Adelsheim – Founder and Director – Adelsheim.  Willamette Valley, (Oregon) Thibault Brotte – Export manager – Maison Brotte (France) Vincent Thebaud – Export Director – – Brumont (France) Rachael Watson – Canada Manager – Henkell Co. (Germany) Johannes Hasslebach – Winemaker – Gunderloch  (Germany) We had time to taste and talk about their wines..what were they pouring and why? Whats available in BC and what are the price points. Several of these guests were missing harvest back home and couldn’t wait to get back but they had a  story to tell. About their wines and their home. This was such fun.  Touring the Wine World 23 floors up. Did I mention it was Windy?? www.markanthonywineandspirits.ca   Thank You Aimee Williams   We finish the show with Hometown Blues – in memory of Tom Petty. STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON * Victoria Wine Festival * Planeta and Boutinot pour in Vancouver * Barone Ricasoli.  The oldest winery in Italy and second oldest in the World and where the recipe for Chianti Classico was developed. The history of Italian wine in a bottle. * Vanessa Winery raises the bar in the Similkameen * With winemaker Howard Soon * Chef Ned Bell