For the first time under one roof in Victoria, importers will be joined by local BC makers from Vancouver Island, Vancouver, the Okanagan, etc., to showcase the best alcohol-free wine, beer, spirits, and packaged cocktails available.
Organized by Kurtis Kolt.
Kurtis Kolt is a Vancouver-based wine consultant who writes about wine, presents seminars, hosts events, judges wine competitions, works with restaurants on their wine programs, etc. His various certifications and credits include London’s Wine & Spirit Education Trust, the Court of Master Sommeliers & the Winemaking Program at UC Davis.
In 2010, when Kurtis received the ‘Sommelier of the Year’ award from both the 2010 Vancouver International Wine Festival and Vancouver magazine, he opted to diversify his focus on wine through different arenas.
In recent years, Kurtis co-founded, curates and runs ‘Top Drop’ in both Vancouver and Calgary, a terroir-focused trade & consumer wine festival Western Living magazine called, “The one wine tasting of the year you shouldn’t miss.”
Guests at Free Spirits, we could find 5 minutes with were:
Kurtis Kolt – See above
Andrea Demers – Softer Drink Store in Victoria. More than 100 different drinks. pouring Zamalek and Fin Soda.
Janet Helou – from Glimmer. pouring Glimmer (BC)
Paul Watkin – from Seacove pouring Medbubble (Spain
Paul Jordan– Mondiale. pouring from Clear Sips (Ontario), Cognato (S. Africa), OddBird (Italy/France,) NOA (Quebec,) Cipriani (Italy)
We started this podcast well over 300 episodes ago. When we started the title was
Mulligan Stew Podcast (Music. Film. Food. Wine)
Over the months the Pod became more music and film than anything else. Just the way the road leads us.
Tasting Room Radio has worked its way back into the mix because of critical dynamics taking place.
Cold damaged vineyards, An agreement between BC Wine Growers and the BC Government to allow the 2024 wines to be grown and harvested in Washinton, Oregon and California.
BC wine battles with political neighbours in Alberta, Tariffs from the USA and more.
All of these subjects were discussed over and over again by the wine trade and fans in attendance.
Tasting Room Radio set up the same home base they always have.
Up to 6 chairs in a circle on the convention centre floor ..leaving room for the invited and the walk-ins.
We couldn’t fit everyone in, so we decided to build the show around the most interesting storylines and storytellers.
With apologies to those we couldn’t fit in, the podcast guests are
Co-Hosts – Jenna Brisco, Maude Renaud-Brisson & Kelcie Jones. Educators and Somms at This is Wine School.
Richard Kanazawa – winemaker at Bench 1775 (Naramata)
Tracey Horneman – winemaker at Blue Grouse (Cowichan)
Kailee Frasch – Winemaker Quails Gate (West Kelowna)
Harry Hertscheg – Executive Director Van Wine Fest
Evan Goldstein – Master Sommelier (SF)
Tony Holler – Owner Poplar Grove (Naramata)
Wine School Team
Taylor Butterfield – White Wine Winemaker Chateau Ste. Michelle (Washington)
Stephen Fearing is a key member of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. Like all three Front Line band mates, they each have their own solo careers.
That’s one of the outstanding elements of their relationship. Freedom to create – together or solo.
Stephen Fearing has just released his newest album, The Empathist.
Co-Produced in East Nashville with Ken Coomer (Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Al Green, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle)
Stephen is a truly talented songwriter, but he also carries with him, his Irish storytelling skills.
The songs on The Empathist beautifully weave those skills together. Currently on tour – link below.
Highly Recommended.
Bill Henderson is the leader of Chilliwack. For some 30 years, they’ve been crafting hits and touring The World.
As lead singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bill has been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock Hall of Fame and made a member of the Order of Canada.
In 2025, the band is on its last tour – Farewell to Friends!!
In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves was found near an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Kamloops. BC, Canada, sparked a national outcry about the forced separation, assimilation, and abuse many children experienced at this network of segregated boarding schools designed to slowly destroy the culture and social fabric of Indigenous communities.
When Emily- a journalist and filmmaker- asked her old friend and colleague, Julian , to direct a film documenting the Williams Lake First Nation investigation of St Joseph’s Mission, she never imagined just how close this story was to his own family. As the investigation continued, Emily and Julian traveled back to the rivers, forests and mountains of his homelands to hear the myriad stories of survivors. During production, Julian’s own story became an integral part of this beautiful multi-stranded portrait of a community. By offering space, time, and profound empathy, the directors unearthed what was hidden. Emily and Julian encountered both the extraordinary pain these individuals had to suppress as a tool for survival and the unique beauty of a group of people finding the strength to persevere.
The film is nominated for an Academy Award. It has already won two Critics Choice Awards.
SUGARCANE Director Julian Brave NoiseCat. (Photo by Emily Kassie)
Julian Brave NoiseCat – Director
Julian is a writer, filmmaker and student of Salish art and history.
His first documentary, SUGARCANE, directed alongside Emily Kassie, follows an investigation into abuse and missing children at the Indian residential school NoiseCat’s family was sent to near Williams Lake, British Columbia. A proud member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq’escen and descendant of the Lil’wat Nation of Mount Currie, he is concurrently finishing his first book, We Survived the Night, which will be published by Alfred A. Knopf in North America.
SUGARCANE Director Emily Kassie. (Photo by James K. Lowe)
EMILY KASSIE
Director, Producer, Cinematographer
Emily Kassie is an Emmy® and Peabody®-nominated investigative journalist and filmmaker. Kassie shoots, directs and reports stories on geopolitical conflict, humanitarian crises, corruption and the people caught in the crossfire. Her work for The New York Times, PBS Frontline, Netflix, and others ranges from drug and weapons trafficking in the Saharan desert, to immigrant detention in the United States. . Her first documentary, I Married My Family’s Killer, following couples in post-genocide Rwanda, won a Student Academy Award in 2015.
Indian residential school history and its impact are not in the past. For more information on the film’s impact campaign, please visit here.
If you need support, the following resources are available:
CANADA
The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides 24-hour crisis support
to former Indian Residential School students and their families toll-free at 1-866-925-4419.
First Nations, Inuit and Métis seeking immediate emotional support
can contact the Hope for Wellness Help Line toll-free at 1-855-242-3310,
One of the true pleasures in a lifetime in music and broadcasting is connecting with artists at the very beginning of their careers.
If the connection is a strong friendship, emotionally you get to go along for the ride.
On the downside, you must be prepared to lose those friends along the way through attrition, lifestyle and medical issues.
I’m pleased to say Colin James has given all of us a great ride.
8 Junos, 31 Maple Blues Awards, Induction into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, Order of BC and turning 60 years old with 21 studio albums under his belt.
Colin has played his way through an amazing collection of audiences. Starting with Stevie Ray style Texas blues, then blues rock, big band swing, roots, Americana and all the way back to blues.
What a Ride!!
Following a stellar concert at Massey Hall, Colin is on a Canadian tour now and he’s heading our way. With the wonderful Terra Lightfoot!
Feb 26 -Grey Eagle Calgary
Feb 27 – N Jubilee Edmonton
March 1 – Orpheum Vancouver
March 3 – Royal Theatre Victoria
March 4 & 5 – Port Theatre Nanaimo
Colin is a master storyteller.
This time he has tales of recovering from a road accident on his scooter in the USA. Damage to his foot and fret hand slowed him down considerably. He has stories of becoming what he dreamed of as an 8-year-old and the biography he’s almost finished writing.
The complete interview can be heard on the Mulligan Stew Podcast and the terrydavidmulligan YouTube Channel.
Allison McGourtey- Producer
Bernard MacMahon. Director
Makers of Becoming Led Zeppelin
A documentary about the first 18 months of Led Zeppelin. Jimmy, Robert. John Paul and John Bonham.
Before it all exploded, and their lives got CRAZY.
And………it’s in IMAX.
The complete story can be heard on Mulligan Stew Podcast and tdm YouTube Channel.
Amazing filmmaking and storytelling.
It’s the first of two Whisky Specials from the 2025 Canadian Whisky Awards and the 2025 Victoria Whisky Festival.
There are always headlining whiskies and star whisky makers in attendance!
Whisky fans want to taste and explore the new releases from Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Forty Creek, Hiram Walker, JP Wiser’s Lot 40, Pike Creek, Gooderham and Worts, Nikka, Amrut, The Dalmore and Glencadam.
For the first time ever, Gisbelle Distillery a distillery from China, would be joining the lineup.
The West Coast and Vancouver Island were well represented.
Stillhead, Odd Society, DubhGlas, Sheringham, Sons of Vancouver & Shelter Point.
Over 200 whiskies were up for the awards. 14 judges from across the country tasted and scored.
The Grand Prize Winner, judged Canadian Whisky of the Year was,
The Peat Project Moscatel Barrique single malt from Macaloney’s Island Distillery (Saanich)
(Heather Leary – Graeme Macaloney – Davin de Kergommeaux)
Here are the guests on part one of the 2025 Whisky Awards and Victoria Whisky Festival
Davin De Kergommeaux – Davin is the flag bearer for Canadian Whisky. He singlehandedly brought Canadian Whisky to the attention of Canada and The World.
His latest book is the updated and expanded third edition of Canadian Whisky – The Essential Portable Expert.
I love the first line.
“Handles, mickeys, shots or drams, no matter what its measure, Canadian whisky is a story of Canada.”
Davin is my ultimate connection to the world of Canadian Whisky. He helped create these awards and leads the judging team.
Davin de Kergommeaux
Grant Stevely – Distiller at DubhGlas (Oliver)
In the fall of 2010, Grant purchased some property at Gallagher Lake near Oliver, B.C.
“I wanted to build a distillery from the ground up, which is distinctly different from a lot of other
distilleries,” he says. “So we built the distillery with expansion in mind.”
Grant Stevely
At the heart of the operation is a German-made Arnold Holstein still.
No sooner did Stevely open Dubh Glas Distillery in the spring of 2015, when he began winning awards
for his first product, Noteworthy Gin.
“Dubh Glas” is Scottish Gaelic for “from the dark water.” It’s pronounced “Douglas,” which happens to
be Stevely’s middle name.
Jason MacIsaac – Distiller. Sheringham (Langford, BC)
Sheringham Distillery won Best Contemporary Gin at the 2019 World Gin Awards
Its Seaside Gin captured the award against World-class competition from 23 countries, including the UK and USA.
“We created Sheringham because we saw a hole in the market: the opportunity to create the world’s most drinkable spirits. This approach has served us well, and in the seven years since founding Sheringham, we have been on the ground building authentic connections with buyers, retailers, and consumers, sharing our story and highlighting our chef-driven approach to innovation and quality.” (Distiller Mag)
Jason and wife Alayne now have their growing portfolio available across Canada and in 15 markets in the USA.
Graeme Macaloney – Master Distiller Macaloney Island Distillery (Saanich)
There once was a wee Scottish lad by the name of Graeme Macaloney who found a summer job bottling
whisky and fell in love with Uisge Beatha, the ‘water of life’. He dedicated his heart to finding a way to
make whisky for a living.
Graeme set up shop on Saanich, just outside Victoria. Some of his favourite Scottish and Irish whiskies were island-made.
Graeme has found his “island” in Canada.
Congratulations Champ!!
– Distillery opened in 2016
– The first whisky made onsite and released in 2020
Founded by the Colebank family, Stillhead Distillery Inc. opened its doors in October of 2017.
After working 15 years in the tech industry, Master Distiller Brennan Colebank left his job to pursue his dream career,
blending the two things he loved most: chemistry and spirits. The chemist has created an amazing portfolio and a home for Whisky in the Cowichan Valley.
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are one of the most interesting bands working anywhere today.
Sometimes they’re in a recording studio time warp with more songs to choose from than Gabriel.
Followed by tours and festivals everywhere.
Then they disappear
The punch line to the tale is, the Blackie guys have their own lives, careers and fan bases.
What’s most remarkable is, after more than 25 years, they are still a band and friends.
For Example:
Stephen Fearing is releasing his next album on March 13 – The Empathist. Wildly outstanding music. (We’ll be talking again.)
Stephen starts his Canadian tour at The Carleton Room in Halifax with two sold-out nights Feb 4-5.
Kicks off album release March 13 at Mary Winspear in Sidney, Vancouver Island.
Alberta dates March 21 Festival Place Sherwood Park, March 22 River Park Church Calgary.
Colin Linden
Colin continues to produce artists at his Pinhead Recorders in Nashville.
He’s also been touring with T Bone Burnett. He co-wrote and co-produced T Bone’s latest album The Other Side. Next week Colin starts a new album, just in time to hit the road again.
Colin begins his own tour – The Ride on Tour – on April 23, hitting Calgary on June 1 and Canmore on June 3.
Tom and Terry
Tom Wilson
I’ll just give you the short version.
Re-recording songs, with son Thompson, from his play Beautiful Scars. Writing and recording soundtrack music for a number of projects including a film by Tanya Tagaq. Between his flourishing artwork, writing a new book, and starting a new album, Tom also enjoys the glow of an Order of Canada induction. That’s the short version.
Blackie – The Band.
Plans are underway for dates in Canada. Winnipeg Folk Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, Belmont Festival Edmonton (June 20)
They are planning shows in Hamilton, Toronto where cameras will be filming. More events to come.
The fires outside Los Angeles had brought tragedy and carnage.
Everything stopped for the firefighters, medical teams, first responders, support teams, and those directly affected by the wildfires.
It’s awards season in LA. The 2025 Critics Choice Film and TV Awards were to take place in January just as the fires were raging. Those fires and the conditions that swept them through homes and communities have subsided enough that the Critics Choice Awards are now taking place on Friday, Feb 7th. 4-7 Pacific/7-10 East On E Channel
It’s also found on FuboTV DirectTV and SlingTV.
Firefighters and first responders will be honoured at the beginning of the broadcast.
