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Part Two of Victoria Whisky Festival

THE SHOW 

It’s the second half of the 2025 Canadian Whisky Awards and  Victoria Whisky Festival  

Our guests this week are:

The Sons of Vancouver: (East Van)

Jenna Diubaldo –   Blender and Whisky Program Manager

James Lester – Founder-Blender-GM. (Middle)

Jenna –  A grad of SOV Distillery School and the Seibel Institute in Chicago.  Originally from Winnipeg.  Oversees the whisky program and manages production at distillery. Insisted the bar get a slushy machine.  She and the machine very popular.

James – One of the founding owners of SOV, he started the distillery in 2005.  James has a vast knowledge of the whisky industry and spent time making bourbon in Seattle. Quirky and funny, like his label names and overall design.  Clever and very interesting , like his blends.

 Forty Creek 

Bill Ashburn – Master Blender (Grimsby Ontario)

Bill has been a part of Forty Creek since John Hall acquired the plant from Otto Reider in 1992. After it was purchased by the Italian brand Campari Group in 2014, happily Bill remains the Master Blender to this day.

Still making Barrell Select and Special Reserves.  Bill and Forty Creek are winners of many awards!!

Bill won Master Blender of the Year and Whiskey Maker of the Decade in 2020.

The Strath (Victoria) and Odd Society (East Van)

Adam Bradshaw – Whisky Specialist The Strath Liquor Store

Gordon Glanz – Odd Society

Adam and The Strath are known as one of the premier locations in Canada for whisky lovers. Also  Vancouver Island’s home for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, as well as founder of the 1200+ member strong Whiskey Folk.

Gordon Glanz – Founder and distiller holds a MSc in brewing and distilling from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished his education with a week at whisky school at  SpringBank in Campbeltown

Gordon Glanz

 Hiram Walker and Sons (Windsor, Ont)

Dr. Don Livermore – Master Blender. 

Dr Don Livermore and TDM

Responsible for many of Canada’s award-winning whiskies, such as JP Wiser’s,  Lot 40, Pike Creek, and Gooderham and Worts. He has also created the Canadian Whisky Flavour Wheel. Now in over 150 countries.

Author – The Keeper of History Vol 1

Author – Blending 101 Vol 2

In 2019 and 2020 the Canadian Whisky Master Blender of the Year

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

A Spring full of Surprises

Grant Stanley – Spearhead Surprises.

Michal Mosny – Winemakers Cut

Hanks – Duncan

Hester Creek

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Alderlea (Cowichan) and Meyer/Mayhem (Okanagan Falls)

THE SHOW

North of Duncan, Vancouver Island lies Alderlea Vineyards.  Formerly home of Roger and Nancy Dosman.  Roger would talk about his Pinot Noir plantings until you ran out of batteries.

Rightly so.  For over 20 years, they had beautiful Pinot Noir harvests.

When they sold, Zac and Julie were the perfect couple to carry on.

Julie and Zac

Think of their training.

Zac had been involved in personal security in places he can’t talk about (and had grown up in Port Hardy. Had family still on the island.) Julie had spent her life in executive training and leadership. No mention of wine until….

They began to  make and blend wines at home but this was a chance to really create on another level.

They started with Pinot Noir vines over 20 years old.  Such a blessing.

As I was doing this  series of interviews about the state of wineries in the Okanagan that had been decimated by cold snaps,  I was also aware the Cowichan Valley had not been touched by that Artic weather. The Cowichan is not called Warmland for nothing.

Julie ands Zak did make and send wines for several winery friends in the Okanagan.

They’ve created a really fine uptake on Island wines. Wine fans have taken notice.  Me included.

Whites, reds and Rose.

Bacchus, Pinot Gris, S Blanc, Pinot Noir, PN Reserve, Merlot, Clarinet, a fabulous red blend called Valerie. Named after Julie’s Mother and more.

I talked to Zak about how they handled the Winter conditions on Island and what their plans were for 2025.

Find Alderlea – in bottle or in Duncan. Its a classic small winery that’s really going to grow.

www.alderlea.ca

JAK Meyer – Meyer Family Vineyards (OK Falls)

Terry Meyer Stone – Mayhem Wines  (OK Falls)

The Meyer Family is a real family. Not just a name on a label.

JAK Meyer runs Meyer Family Vineyards. The #2 winery in Canada. As voted by Wine Align Canadian Wine Awards.

Terry Meyer Stone runs Mayhem Wines. Both are in the Okanagan Falls Sub Region.  Brother and Sister.

Terry Meyer Stone (Western Living Mag)

JAK makes sublime Pinot and Chardonnay that wins awards every year.

TDM with JAK & Janice Meyer

Terry runs Mayhem.

Fun and affordable wines, also in OK Falls.

I was looking for answers to:

How did your vineyards do in the cold snap?

What grew and what died?

What varietals did you harvest in Washington State?

How’s your Alberta base doing?

What’s next?

www.mfvwines.com

SHOWS WE’RE WORKING ON

VICTORIA WHISKY AWARDS

VANCOUVER WINE FESTIVAL

SPEARHEAD WINES

HESTER CREEK

FORT BERENS

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New wineries in Garnet Valley, Solvero & Garnet Valley Ranch Plus  Two from Bottleneck Drive,  Dirty Laundry and Pamplemousse Jus.

As much as I like to follow the wines we all share, I’m equally driven by the people who make them. The battles they wage against weather and mankind!

Best of all are the stories they tell. Every wine has a story.

Those are the people and stories I want to share with you on Tasting Room Radio.

Christine Coletta – Co-founder of Okanagan Crush Pad/Haywire etc and now Garnet Valley Ranch Wines

Alison Moyes – GM and Winemaker at Solvero Wines in Garnet Valley.

Discover Garnet Valley Ranch, a quick 7 minute drive from the town of Summerland!  The 320-acre ranch is a working farm that is surrounded by natural habitat, organic vineyards, fields of ground crops and a lavender farm. A small pond attracts more than 70 species of birds and wildlife. With no immediate neighbours, the site is tranquil and relaxing. There are places to hike and horseback riding options, or go off grid, listen to nature, and read a book while you sip wine.

Christine talks about the wines being planted, grown, harvested and released.

Christine Coletta is one of the veteran leaders in the BC wine industry. We’ll also be talking about the future of BC wine.

Her only “next door”  neighbor in Garnet Valley  is Alison Moyes and the team at Solvero Wines.

“It was just a dense forested mountainside, very steep slopes, very challenging terrain to farm. But over the course of two years, a 16-acre vineyard was planted in 2016. Then we started building the winery in 2020 to be able to produce the wines. And then finally, we’ve just finished this beautiful new tasting room and  we’re ready to launch this year.” Alison Moyes (Global TV)

This destination, is one of the highest vineyards in BC,  almost 600 metres. Its perfect for growing their signature  releases  of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

By hiring Alison Moyes, they’ve found the final piece of the puzzle.

She learned her  winemaking craft through years at Stoneboat, Osoyoos Larose and Liquidity.

Enjoy the conversation between acknowledged winery leaders and  neighbours. Both creating new wines in a new  destination. We get to taste and compare the same varietals from both locations.

www.solverowines.ca

www.okanagancrushpad.com

Then a short trip down the road to Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive.

Jordan Kubeck – owner/winemaker Pamplemousse Jus natural winery  (Bottleneck Drive)

Jordan Kubeck winemaker/owner at Pamplemousse Jus

One of BC’s most admired new wineries is Pamplemousse. Not only making highly creative natural wines, they are  also creating “natural” converts with every season.

Jordan has been making wine in BC since 2010. After working at Cellar Tek, Okanagan Crush Pad and Lightning Rock, Jordan was excited to launch her own project along with her husband Tyler Knight and business partner James Langford-Smith in 2021.

Pamplemousse Jus is natural wine! Neutral vessels, basket press, manual labor and wild ferments create these wines. The wines are made in a garage turned winery with basic winemaking equipment and a whole lot of happy hearts. The Pamplemousse Jus team works hard, experimenting with unusual blends and winemaking styles to bring you the freshest, yummiest wines possible.

Mason Spink  Winemaker at Dirty Laundry (Bottleneck Drive)

Mason Spink

When the recent Top 50 BC wines were announced, at the very top of the list – the wine of the year was

Dirty Laundry’s 2022 Cellar Series Gamay.

“this wine stood out among all entries for it’s exceptional quality and distinctive character, earning the highest honor in the competition.” Okanagan Wine Festivals.

dirty laundry

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Mason Spink winemaker at Dirty Laundry Vineyards

After study at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont. by 2009, he was making wine and, in 2013, he left See Ya Later Ranch to join Dirty Laundry. Since Mason Spink took over as winemaker in 2013, Summerland’s Dirty Laundry Vineyard has doubled production. He likes to make serious, interesting wines but they don’t have to be pretentious. Over his time at Dirty Laundry he has been evolving the house style and winning awards. Including #1 at the new Top 50 in BC hosted by the Okanagan Wine Festivals

The vineyards were originally planted in the 1970s and are now some of the Okanagan Valley’s oldest vinifera vines.

Mason takes us through some of their recent releases and their plans for replanting vines lost in the latest winter freeze.

The other voice you hear belongs to Leeann Froese, the owner of Town Hall Brands. An outstanding  wine advisor and marketing firm.

www.dirtylaundry.ca

www.pamplemoussejus.ca

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

Meyer Family

The Hatch

Township 7

Fort Berens

Hillside

Black Swift

Howling Bluff

Artema

Hester Creek

2025 Van Wine Fest

The State of BC Wine

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Dining at Pluvio – Top Chef with Lisa Ahier  and Two great locals you should know about.

Life on The Edge in Ucluelet

THE SHOW 

It started with the wild idea of fishing in Ucluelet, in early September when the crowds had gone home.

I had in my pocket a card from James Costello, the masterful guide and fishing expert for the Tofino/Ucluelet area.

His boat and company are called Maximum Coastal Adventures.  www.maxcoast.ca

James knows the waters and everything that’s swimming in them.

His buddy is Mike Marriott from Eagle Marine, Columbia Fuels and Long Beach Charters.  He also has a great rental house (up and down)  Right across from The Marina.  Much appreciated At 5am

www.longbeachcharters.com

I wanted to know if they would share the real Ucluelet. Not the one on posters and banners.

We start the show with Warren Barr and Lily Verney-Downey who conceived and created Pluvio Restaurant and Rooms. One of Canada’s best dining experiences, found only in downtown Ucluelet.

Warren Barr and Lily Verney-Downey

Needless to say, Pluvio has been a success right from the start:

Chef Warren Barr and the team prepare creative and inspired Canadian cuisine, focusing on seasonal and wild ingredients foraged from the Ucluelet forests and coastline, with a few sneaky international treats! You are as likely to find spruce and wild rose as you are truffle and caviar on our menu.

One of Best restaurants in Canada!

We are honoured to have been selected as Canada’s 33rd Best Restaurant for 2023, and ‘Best Destination Restaurant’ and 37th Best Restaurant for 2022 by ‘Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants’, Canada’s ‘Best Fine Dining Restaurant‘ for 2022 by the Trip Advisor Community, and  ‘4th Best New Restaurant in Canada’ in 2019 by Air Canada’s enRoute magazine at the ‘Canada’s Best New Restaurant’ awards.

Check out the menu and one of a kind wine list    www.pluvio.ca

Lisa Ahier is known far and wide as the owner and chef at Sobo in Tofino.

Lisa Ahier

Sobo is the kind of dining and room you like so much, you send all your best friends there.

Its the centre of the town. Locals meet there for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Lisa has moved on from Sobo and is now making notes for her third book and has become the darling of this years Top Chef competition.

Five shows in and she’s still there, the oldest competitor since they started years ago.

We have lots to talk about – lean in, its a hoot.

https://www.instagram.com/lisaahier/

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

2025  Van Wine Fest

The Hatch

Howling Bluff

Artema