Tasting Room Radio

April 6th, 2019- Alberto Antonini/Pedro Parra/Jane Ferrari/Brigitte Raye  

April 3, 2019 Tasting Room Radio 00:49:20

hello

Alberto Antonini/Pedro Parra/Jane Ferrari/Brigitte Raye

  

THE SHOW

Alberto Antonini –  Poggiotondo.  Tuscany, Italy

Pedro Parra – Pedro Parra y Familia  Itata Valley, Chile

 One of the top 5 wine consultants in the World, Alberto watches over many vineyards. They can be found in   Italy, the U.S., Argentina, Canada, Chile, Uruguay, Armenia and Australia.

Alberto also consults for Okanagan Crush Pad, Haywire, Freeform, and Narrative in Summerland.

Okanagan Crush Pad is a state-of-the-art 40,000 case winery, 320-acres of vineyard and farmland, with a focus on creating natural wines exclusively from organic grapes. With home vineyards Switchback and Garnet Valley Ranch now organic certified Haywire is  changing the game in the Okanagan.. Winemaking is in the capable hands of New Zealand native Matt Dumayne who works closely with Alberto Antonini. The entire team is committed to farming wines that are lively and elegant and let the natural beauty of the Okanagan Valley shine through.

Alberto and Pedro Parra were pouring their wines in Vancouver recently in partnership with  Wine + Spirits the newest beverage alcohol sales agency in British Columbia.

 

Pedro Parra & Alberto Antonini at OCP (Van Sun)

Owned by Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie, who also own Okanagan Crush Pad winery in Summerland, the new agency will sell the Haywire and Narrative labels, and debuts with wineries from other countries:  Alberto’s Poggiotondo (Tuscany, Italy), and Pedro Parra y Familia, (Bio Bio, Chile). Coolshanagh  from Naramata  will also be a part of the HQ Wine + Spirits portfolio.

Have a listen to Alberto Antonini.  Few on this planet know wine making better than him.

His partner Pedro Parra is a soil whisperer. With his skills, he can tell the land owner exactly what they should be growing in the earth beneath their feet.

Pedro Parra doing his thing

Pedro poured his delicious Family wines.  Both Alberto’s and Pedro’s wines are now  available in BC.

As expected, the wines are SPECTACULAR.  Best of all they are all Natural Wines.

http://www.poggiotondowines.com/

https://thesourceimports.com/producers/pedro-parra-y-familia/

http://hq-wine.com/ 

Jane Ferrari –  The voice of Yalumba (Barossa, Australia)
Jane is one of the World’s great storytellers and Yalumba is one great
story. Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family owned winery.

Jane Ferrari Yalumba

Right off the top, Jane tells the gripping story of how the family and staff
saved the winery many years ago.

The very best part of this story is that Yalumba make sensational wines –
for the world.

Canada has been a Yalumba fan for years. The other story to watch for is
when its founder Samuel Smith left Dorset England  in 1847 and found himself
in Victoria, BC.  He  fell in love with the location but felt he had to move
on to find a land for his vines.

In 2010, Wine Enthusiast named Yalumba ‘New World Winery of the Year.’ 

Yalumba

“The world of wine is a big family and I like it for many reasons.

“It’s hellishly competitive in a commercial sense, but the Antinoris, Dujacs,
Faiveleys, of the world and the Pol Rogers, Browns, Tyrells, Felton Roads, –
they are all inspirations.”  Robert Hill Smith – Yalumba –  Fifth Generation
Owner

Brigitte Raye  –  co/owner Orto Artisan Pasta

Brigitte Raye

If the name  Brigitte Raye doesn’t immediately connect with your memory bank please let me make an deposit.

For me it starts at La Regelade in West Vancouver.  A Wonderful French Bistro. With Brigitte front of house and Husband Alain in kitchen.

After a shut down and a divorce the parents work with their sons in various bistros.

In the latest installment, Alain takes a break. Son Kevin has been cooking at Langara Fishing Lodge in Haida Gwaii; and son Steve opens Orto Artisan Pasta in North Vancouver with mom Brigitte charming everyone who walks through the door.

Orto means garden in Italian. After all the French cooking, why Italy?  Well, partly because Brigitte married an Italian.  That helps.

 

It’s an old building just off Marine Drive in North Vancouver.

It used to be called Ethical Kitchen.

My old turf where I grew up.

Everything Wine is half a block away. Its well worth the search.

What a find.

Orto shares space with Vadim Mugerman’s Bad Dog Bread. A very good bakery. Exceptional really.  Bad Dog Bread  offers breakfast until 11am.  Next door, the former Ethical Kitchen operator makes kombucha.

You can get the bread and Kombucha all while dining at Orto as well.

The pasta is everything you could want.

There’s a very popular share dish of Burrata & Prosciutto with Bad Dog Bread. Fresh and delish!

What a great room.

As Brigitte explains, all the plates are from thrift stores… only adds to the cool.

Looking for a great personal space to just hang and love the food.,  here it is.

Orto Artisan Pasta

1600 MacKay  North Vancouver.

http://ortoartisanpasta.com/

and we finish Tasting Room Radio featuring  a chat with Pedro Parra.

Find his wines. They are sensational!

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

The Spring wines of Okanagan Crush Pad

Blastedchurch/bonamicci/crescenthill/liquidity/meyerfamily/nighthawk/nobleridge/pentage/play/ Skaha/stagshollow/synchromesh/wildgoose

Naramata Bench Wineries pour in Victoria

March 30th, 2019 – Severine Pinte, Ross Wise, Pouring in Parksville

March 30, 2019 Tasting Room Radio 01:00:09

hello

Severine Pinte  Winemaker at La Stella/le Vieux Pin

Ross Wise – New Winemaker at Black Hills

Plus Pouring in Parksville

  

THE SHOW

It’s the annual Untapped and Uncorked Craft Beer and Wine Festival in Parksville, Vancouver Island.

The featured winemakers are the charming Severine Pintewho was pouring La Stella for a winemakers dinner at Beach Club Resort and for his first ever interview Ross Wise, the brand new winemaker at Black Hills.  Home of Note Bene.

Before we get to those prime feature interviews..let’s head to the “untapped” part of the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave Paul – Head Brewer/Owner Love Shack Libations

We start with the craft beer makers at Tigh-Na-Mara and a guy I’ve been waiting a whole year to reconnect with.  When I interviewed Dave Paul from his Love Shack Libations, just up island from Qualicum Beach, he was about to pour his first beer at his first event EVER.  Like an opening night.

Love Shack is a very popular small brewery that the locals all love and tourists are starting to discover. Dave makes a new beer every month..so depending on when you walk in,  your choices may be different from month to month.

Dave was pouring his latest brew, with the zeal of a mad scientist. It’s called Juicy Juice – Northeast style hazy IPA.   Love Beer. Love Shack.

www.loveshacklibations.com

Dave Woodward –  Head Brewer Mount Arrowsmith Brewing

 A local Dave headed to the UK to start his brewing education.  His career took him through the UK, 5 years at Whistler Brewing,  then Tofino Brewing and  Axe & Barrel Victoria.

Dave Woodward Mt Arrowsmith

Mount Arrowsmith brings him full circle.  Back to where it all began.

All that craftwork resulted in Mount Arrowsmith winning Best Amber Ale in the World, at the 2018 World Beer Awards.

 https://arrowsmithbrewing.com/

Kev Ward – Wolf Brewing Nanaimo

wolf brewing

Kev Ward, a  Liverpool lad,   has been brew master  for about 6  years. First thing he did was change all the recipes. Wolf Brewing still uses old-school techniques in its brewing. Check out the line up.

Golden Honey Ale, Porter, Scotch Ale, Black and Tan, IPA!

He says “hey” to all his buds back in Liverpool listening on The Net!

 http://www.wolfbrewingcompany.com/

 Clay Potter –   Brew Master Moon Under Water

Clay Potter


Clay’s brewing career started at  University of Victoria for Biology & Chemistry and Heriot Watt University in Scotland for the Brewing & Distilling Master’s Program. He was lucky enough to work with and be mentored byPaul Hoyne.

With his family, he took over the Moon Under Water Brewery in 2012.

In 2014, Moon Brewery introduced two new programs: a sour series featuring the beloved Copper Kettle Sour, and line of limited-release barrel-aged beers, such as The Crow’s Nest. These highly-sought after beers are small-batched and aged for 18 month

In December 2017, Clay opened a distillery within the brewery. The Moon Distillery has recently launched their first wave of products, featuring Citrus Gin, Orange Vodka and Espresso Vodka, all made with local malts, fruits and botanicals.

http://ww.moonunderwater.ca/about.php

 Ross Wise – Winemaker  Black Hills

Ross Wise Black Hills

Eric Edwards – Executive Chef    Cedars @ Tigh-Na-Mara

Black Hills is the home of one of Canada’s greatest wines Note Bene. A huge Bordeaux blend and a spectacular portfolio. It includes one of my three favourite BC wines, their Carmenere!   The sale of the winery to Peller sent the Canadian wine industry sideways. The new winemaker has to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Senka Tennant and Graham Pierce.  Ross has the chops to more than do the job.

New Zealand-born Ross Wise joined Phantom Creek Winery  in September, 2016, as the fulltime winemaker. A 2005 enology graduate of Australia’s Charles Sturt University, he started his career as a vineyard supervisor at Felton Road Winery in Central Otago, and moved on to the cellar at the Grove Mill Winery in Marlborough before coming to Canada in 2006.

 He became an assistant winemaker at Flat Rock Cellars in Ontario, becoming the winemaker there in 2009

 In 2012, he launched his own consulting firm, making wines with several Ontario wineries, including Rosewood Estates, Keinte-He Winery, The Organized Crime Winery, Icellars Estate Winery and The Good Earth Winery. The opportunity to make ultra-premium wines in the Okanagan drew him to Phantom Creek, and now, to Black Hills.

 In addition to all that, he is well into his studies to become a Master of Wine.

(from John Schreiner)

This is the first verbal interview Ross has done.  He was great!

On the other hand,  Chef Eric Edwards at Tigh-na-Mara loves a microphone.

He’s outgoing and loves to swap verbs.

Chef paired his food with Black Hills wines. You can hear the delight in his voice.

It helps that he’s a very good chef..with a command of his ever expanding kitchen.

http://www.blackhillswinery.com/Current-Vintages

http://www.blackhillswinery.com/

https://tigh-na-mara.com/dine/cedars-restaurant-lounge

 

Severine Pinte   Winemaker at La Stella & Le Vieux Pin

 Severine makes both La Stella and Le Vieux Pin but on the night she was pouring La Stella exclusively!

a native of Montpellier..

Severine Pinte came to Le Vieux Pin in 2010 with 14 harvests of international winemaking experience under her belt along with 8 years of vineyard management. Severine is a graduate of the illustrious ENSAM (Ecole National Superior Agronomic of Montpellier)

Severine Pinte La Stella

She apprenticed at the Cave de Tecou in the AOC Gaillac before coming for the first time to British Columbia to work for Domaine de Chaberton as an assistant winemaker.

In 1999 she returned to France and worked a year in Bordeaux under the direction of Andre Lurton in Pessac-Leognan then returned to the Languedoc. For nine years Severine was head winemaker and viticultural council for ‘Le Vignoble des 2 terres’ in the Terrasse du Larzac terroir.

In the winter of 2003, she took leave for harvest at Frankland Estate winery in Western Australia and enjoyed learning a different take on her beloved Syrah and Viognier. Curiosity and the pursuit of new challenges brought Severine to the Okanagan and she brought with her an astute understanding of wine and terroir. Her favorite quote is from Jean Hugel: “100% of the quality of a true wine is already in the grapes, not in the cellars where you can only lose quality.”

For her, The Okanagan, with its unique terroir and cool climate, has always been intriguing. As such she is the perfect candidate to craft world class Syrah and Viognier in the South Okanagan.

https://levieuxpin.ca/

  

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Brigitte Raye   –  Orto in North Vancouver

The wineries of Okanagan Falls –The Interviews

Alberto Antonini – his Poggiotondo Wines

Pedro Parra – Pours his wines.

Top Drop 2019

 

 

 

March 23rd, 2019 – Here come the Somms!

March 21, 2019 Tasting Room Radio 00:58:00

hello

Here come The Somms

(4 of the best including Matt Landry  Sommelier of the Year)

 THE SHOW

 som·me·lier

/ˌsəməlˈyā/

noun

  1. a wine steward.

A sommelier, or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role in fine dining today is much more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter.

https://www.eater.com/drinks/2015/6/3/8723085/10-ways-to-spot-a-really-good-sommelier

OK..now that we have the slightly snotty posting out of the way..let’s meet our handpicked Somms.

Kurtis Kolt – It was KK’s wine column at the end of January  in the Georgia Straight that set this thing in motion.

He was saluting the annual Sommelier competition at Rogers Arena.  On this show  Kurtis takes us through this year’s  tough competition.

It not just what you know but how you handle the obstacles the judges throw at you.

And what judges..

Cactus Club Café service director Sebastien Le Goff, B.C. Liquor Stores category manager and Master of Wine  Barbara Philip, and Joey Restaurant group sommelier Jason Yamasaki.

They really do try to throw you off. For example they asked the winner Matt Landry to serve a magnum of champagne to 14 glasses and keep answering questions at the same time.

Kurtis Kolt & Matt Landry at Stable House

Kurtis reveals the unseen side of being a Somm. The career appears glamorous but it’s a lot of mental and physical work. You REALLY want to have to do this.

Kurtis also takes us through the background of two other Sommeliers he’s recommended for the show .

Kurtis Kolt is an educator, wine judge,  consultant and a lapsed Sommelier.

@KurtisKolt

http://www.kurtiskolt.com/

 https://www.straight.com/food/1194466/stable-house-bistros-matthew-landry-can-finally-call-himself-bcs-best-sommelier

  

Matt Landry  Stable House Bistro    GM. Wine/Beverage Director. Sommelier of the Year

Three strikes you’re out!

This was Matt’s third attempt at winning this prestigious competition.

Matt Landry and TDM

He takes us through why he felt he didn’t win the two previous times and what he thought he did this year to win the whole thing.

He grew up in Niagara wine country and started as a server which lead to an opportunity to take over a wine list. He had no idea what he was doing but took the job anyway.

Smart.

He’s taken and passed  Italian and French wine classes. Thinking about Spain now.

Because Stable House Bistro encourages a sharing menu..Matt has to be on his toes as to what he can pair with on those tables.

Matt says that because the fine dining and wine of West is right round the corner he decided to take Stable House almost all Italian wines.

Matt also mentions that in spite of the awards he has earned his greatest achievement may be “getting my Mother to stop drinking Two Oceans”

 http://thestablehouse.ca/

Kristi Linneboe from L’Abattoir and Kelcie Jones from Chambar.

Kristie and Kelcie

 Kristi Lenneboe    Sommelier at  L’Abattoir

  “My biggest turn-off in this industry is ego. It is impossible to know everything about wine, so why get all caught up in who knows more or who drank what? To be honest, the more I learn about wine, the more I realize how much more there is to know about wine. The study of wine is the study of the world – it is social, historical, political and environmental.

Every day I learn something new about topography, geology, geography, climate change, sustainability, and so much more. Wine is alive. It is constantly changing. You can drink a wine from the exact same plot of land year after year and you will never drink the same wine twice. Wine laws, governmental regulations and land ownership are constantly changing, (just as the Earth is constantly evolving), which is why it is important to be constantly immersed in research and information.

Kristi Linneboe – L’Abattoir

 

I think the best part about learning is sharing it with others. I love when people taste a wine, fall in love with it and become inspired and excited to ask questions about what it is and where it came from. Wine is all about the story: who made it, what makes it different from other wines, why it tastes the way it does, and why it is the right wine for that moment.. I love it when an organic conversation about viticulture arises over dinner instead of out of a textbook… Giving people knowledge creates an opportunity to connect people together”

Excerpt from Good Food Revolution.  Author Jamie Drummond

https://www.goodfoodrevolution.com/young-blood-sommelier-kristi-linneboe

https://www.labattoir.ca/

 

Kelcie Jones – Sommelier at Chambar

 Kristi and Kelcie are great friends.

There’s a friendly competitive edge to their conversation about wines, food pairings and what they’re tasting lately.

Kelcie Jones – Chambar

Kelcie is the Wine Director at Chambar and as such is expected to know her wines inside and out and then be able to pass on her knowledge to Chambers’ passionate clientele.

When people talk about a buzz in a restaurant, at Chambar that starts at the front door. People are genuinely excited to be in the rooms and part of the experience.

https://www.chambar.com

One last interview for you.

We did 35 interviews at VanWineFest and this one got left out because of timing.

May I please welcome back  Roland Kruger – General Manager at Wild Goose Vineyards  (Okanagan Falls)

And Garron Elmes – Winemaker and President of Lake Breeze . (Naramata Bench)

https://wildgoosewinery.com/

https://lakebreeze.ca

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Uncorked and Untapped in Parksville
Black Hills pours new releases.
La Stella leans Italian!
Okanagan Falls Wineries pour new releases in Vancouver
Brigitte Raye   Orto Artisan Pasta (bad dog bread) North Vancouver

Tom Seaver – Singular pitcher and  winemaker

 

 

March 16th, 2019 – The 41st VanWineFest Part Two

March 15, 2019 Tasting Room Radio 00:55:46

hello

The 41st VanWineFest Part Two

(Wine Royalty & The Canadians)

 

THE SHOW  

It’s part two of this year’s VanWineFest.

Last week we profiled “The Californians”.

Except for the first two interviews here,   the rest of this Tasting Room is with The Canadians.

 

Our Guests are:

 Gina Gallo – Gallo Family Wines

Jean Charles Boisset –  Boisset Collection.  Raymond Wines.

 Separately they are iconic/driven personalities.

Together as husband and wife  they are one of the best known  families in the Wine World.

Gina is a member of the Gallo family, pioneers of wine-making in California. Jean-Charles is a French vintner and owner of Boisset Collection, which operates two dozen wineries in California, France and Canada.  Has created a wine with John Legend called LVE.

Jean, Gina and Terry

Gina and Jean-Charles!

Met. Married. Created Twins. Ran their Empires. All the while Gina Battled and Beat Back Cancer.

Honoured to welcome them both.

https://www.gallofamily.com

https://www.boissetcollection.com/

Chris Wyse –   President. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery

Wyse-family

Chris is the oldest son of founders Jim and Midge Wyse.

Today, with its dramatic vantage point in the middle of the vineyard, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery is a winemaking facility that combines state-of-the-art technologies with proven, classic winemaking traditions. A gravity-flow system handles ripe grapes delicately, preserving their rich fruit character.

https://www.burrowingowlwine.ca

Barry Olivier – President/Brands  Aquilini Red Mountain Wines

Barry Olivier – Aquilini

Aquilini Wines   headed to the Vancouver Wine Festival to introduce themselves to Canada for the very first time.

They were  pouring

Aquilini Horse Heaven Hills Syrah Rose 2017

Aquilini Red Mountain’s Grand Vin is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

The Second Wine, Aquilini Red Mountain Family Blend,. The Family Blend is constructed of varying levels of Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and occasionally Petit Verdot.

(If you follow Barry and Aquilini, you’ll see the birth of a  wine icon.  This is a story that will be fun to watch unfold)

https://aquiliniredmountain.com

 

John Skinner       Proprietor/ Painted Rock

Matt Dumayne  Winemaker/Okanagan Crush Pad

John Skinner

John Skinner is a leader in and out of the vineyards.

“It is now 13 years since the planting of Painted Rock’s estate and the property is living up to its potential in every regard. Winning 2014/2015 InterVin International “Winery of the Year” and recent generous reviews in Jancis Robinson’s newsletter validate the progress made by the team and steel its resolve. At Painted Rock there is a firm belief that by aiming highly and working cooperatively, British Columbia wines can compete with the finest in the world.”   Painted Rock Website

http://www.paintedrock.ca/

Matt Dumayne is the winemaking leader at Haywire, Free Form and Narrative. All at Okanagan Crush Pad.

Matt Dumayne Okanagan Crush Pad

As well as making articulate wines from its organically-certified home Switchback Vineyard, Okanagan Crush Pad is designed as a hub for local winemakers. Heritage techniques, modern knowledge and the spirit of collaboration fuse to form a vanguard for the Okanagan’s next generation of winemaking. Okanagan Crush Pad’s labels include the single vineyard Haywire collection, Narrative series and Campus wines.

http://okanagancrushpad.com/

 

Chris Jentsch – Owner/Farmer CC Jentsch Cellars

Valeria Tait –  GM and Winemaker  Bench 1775,

  

Val Tait

 Wines from Bench 1775 are produced with the unique expression of fruit grown in the Okanagan Valley from three vineyard locations: Oxbow Vineyard, on the original Golden Mile in Osoyoos, South Okanagan, and at Paradise Ranch Vineyard and Soaring Eagle Vineyard in the Central Okanagan.

Carefully managed vineyards and beautifully balanced wines could not be produced without an amazing team led by Viticulturist/Winemaker Val Tait and  supported by Alain Sutre, wine consultant extraordinaire from Bordeaux France.

https://www.bench1775.com/

Chris Jentsch is a farmer first, then winemaker and finally, a great guy.

Chris Jentsch

At the first Judgment of BC pitting 12 BC Wines against 12 acknowledged global benchmarks  C.C. Jentsch Syrah 2013 from the Okanagan Valley ranked first among the flight of Syrah.

“Long-time Okanagan farmer Chris Jentsch is the guy behind C.C. Jentsch Cellars, a gentle giant of a man whose strong, enveloping handshake exudes decades of hearty farming experience and makes my own handshake seem downright dainty. A warm, humble gentleman.” Kurtis Kolt – Georgia Straight

http://www.ccjentschcellars.com/

 

Randy Picton  – Senior  Winemaker Nk’Mip

Randy Picton

As an exceptionally talented and innovative winemaker, Randy is totally committed to the challenge of producing world-class, award-winning wines.

Randy has handed the day to day winemaking to Justin Hall.

A proud member of the Osoyoos Indian band, Justin works with Randy  to craft the award-winning wines of Nk’Mip Cellars.

http://www.nkmipcellars.com/

 

Stefan Arnason – Winemaker Poplar Grove

Stefan Arnason

 In 2008, Stefan Arnason took on the position of Winemaker.  Each year, Stefan and his team handcraft the Poplar Grove Wines.

Poplar Grove is focused on six core wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and an Icon blend called The Legacy.

https://www.poplargrove.ca/

 

Bill Eggert – Winemaker (and Troublemaker) at Fairview Cellars

FairviewCellarsWineShop

Outspoken. Gifted. A Mentor. Educator. Closet Musician.

Understands winemaking in the Okanagan like no other.

His labels tell you everything about his wines and his character.

Madcap Red. Two Hoots. Bucket O’ Blood. The Bear.

 http://fairviewcellars.ca/

 

Ross Baker –  Winemaker Quails Gate

Quails gate Winery

Ross has been an integral part of the  winemaking team since 2013 and was the protégé of former Winemaker Nikki Callaway. A native of Kelowna, Ross  previously worked at Villa Maria Estates in Marlborough, New Zealand and also at both Red Rooster Winery and Kettle Valley Winery.

https://www.quailsgate.com/

…and finally Nova Scotia arrives in Vancouver.

Keeping an eye on The Maritimes.

Bruce Ewert –  Owner/Winemaker   L’Acadie Vineyards

Rachel Lightfoot – Winemaker Lightfoot and Wolfville

Gillian Mainguy – Sales/Benjamin Bridge

http://www.lacadievineyards.ca/

https://lightfootandwolfville.com/

https://www.benjaminbridge.com/

 

Thank You to :
James Murray – Tech and production
Kristine Wilkinson (ThinkMilk.ca)
Bailey Jelinski (Milk)
Anna Stuber (Milk)

Meg Mulligan

Corey Wood

John De Vries

 

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Uncorked and Untapped in Parksville
Black Hills pours new releases.
La Stella leans Italian!
Vancouver Somms
Okanagan Falls Wineries pour new releases in Vancouver
Brigitte Raye   Orto Astisan Pasta (bad dog bread) North Vancouver

Tom Seaver – Singular pitcher and  winemaker

 

March 9th, 2019 – The 41st VanWineFest Part One – The Californians!

March 6, 2019 Tasting Room Radio 1:06:46

hello

The 41st VanWineFest Part One – The Californians!

By the Numbers..

• Over 25,000 wine fans
• 16 countries
• 160 wineries; including 53 from featured region California
• 50 participating restaurants, hotels, caterers
• 1,450 wines.
• 42,000 bottles poured and/or purchased (2018 stats)
• 82,000 wine glasses used (2018 stats)

Our Numbers …

32 interviews..
25 winemakers
7 CEO’s or General Managers.
Sleepless nights – 2
Hours budgeted for all interviews – 3
Minutes to missing last Harbour Air flight – 1

THE SHOW

41 years ago the Vancouver International Wine Festival opened their doors to the World’s wineries.
Only one showed up. Robert Mondavi brought his California wines to pour that day.
Some say California saved the show.


And so, here we are 41 years later and California is the feature region at the 41st VanWineFest.
What a line up. We couldn’t talk to them all but we did do pretty well.
Seventeen Californians and one certain Washington Red Mountain newbie.
Have a favourite California wine? Check the list below. See if it’s there or see if it’s there but go looking for a new California pal.
FYI – Next Week Gina Gallo. Jean Charles Boisset and 15 Canadian winemakers

Jon Bonne – Keynote Speaker. Author of The New Wine Rules

Here’s why I immediately liked Jon Bonne.
“ Not all pink wine need be Summer water But Whispering Angel should be cast into some Miltonian iteration of Hell”
Jon Bonné is one of the most influential American voices on wine. He is the senior contributing editor for PUNCH, and the author of The New California Wine and The New Wine Rules.
www.punchdrink.com

Jon Bonne

Bob Blue – Founding Winemaker at Bonterra, 1000 Stories and Elysian Collection.

In 2016 the Wine Enthusiast awarded Bonterra as its American Winery of the Year because of its commitment to organic farming and it’s quality of affordable wines. Bonterra is the most popular organic wine in the USA.
Fetzer’s bourbon-barrel-aged Zinfandel 1000 Stories debuted in 2014. In the five years since, production has exploded from 5,000 cases to more than 140,000 annually!
www.bonterra.com
www.fetzer.com

Craig McAllister – Winemaker at La Crema

A New Zealand native, McAllister earned a bachelor’s degree in viticulture and enology from Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand. His deep passion for winemaking has taken him all over the world, from New Zealand to Australia, Chile and Cyprus. Since moving to California, in addition to his work with La Crema, McAllister has also made wine for Wild Ridge, crafting elegant Pinot Noir from vineyards on the rugged Sonoma Coast.
www.lacrema.com

Randy Lange – Owner Lange Twins

Lange Twins

Randy Lange is a fifth-generation winegrower.
During the 1870’s his Great-Grandparents, Johann and Maria Lange, settled in Lodi. By 1916 they had the family’s first grape-ranch. It was on this ranch where their dad, Harold, was born in 1920.
In 1974 they decided to farm on our own. They finally built Lange Twins winery in 2006.
FYI – Lange Lodi vineyard produces spicy old-vine Zinfandel, concentrated Bordeaux-style wines and lively Rhone-style reds and whites—many from organically or sustainably farmed vineyards.
www.langetwins.com

Ondine Chattan –

Chief Winemaker Share a Slash/Cannonball/Cowboys and Angels
High Dive and Astrolabe
Ondine is a passionate Sonoma County winemaker with experience ranging from cult boutique producers to notable household name brands. Her love of the diversity of Sonoma and California at large fuels her enthusiasm for making a range of varietals from Sauvignon Blanc to Cabernet. Started her career at Cline, Beam and Geyser Peak.
www.shareasplash.com

Emma Swain – CEO St Supery

Emma Swain, CSW and CEO of St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery has worked in the wine industry for more than 20 years. Emma started in finance, before joining Niebaum-Coppola Winery and later worked at Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery for thirteen years as Chief Operating Officer
“Our primary focus is on Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, “We’re a 100 percent Estate Winery, which means that we grow and produce everything that we make, without a drop of anything else coming into the process. Of the more than 530 wineries in the area, there are only a handful in the Napa Valley that are 100 percent Estate.”
www.stsupery.com

Paul Wagner – Napa Valley College

Paul Wagner was honored by the American Wine Society as the winner of its annual Award of Merit for 2018. Other recipients of the award include Robert Mondavi, Gina Gallo, Warren Winiarski, etc
“Paul has influenced the way the public drinks wine and thinks about wine”
Paul Wagner has been an instructor for Napa Valley College’s Viticulture and Enology department for the past 23 years. In addition, he teaches at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, is a guest lecturer at many universities and has spoken at more than 80 conferences throughout the world on wine, wine education, wine tourism, public affairs, and wine marketing.
www.rickandpaulwine.com

David Gates Jr – Ridge Vineyards VP Vineyard Operations

After an obligatory stint in Napa Valley he made his way to Ridge in 1989. David’s duties include managing the historic Monte Bello vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Whitton Ranch at Geyserville, and the Lytton Estate vineyards at Healdsburg, as well as monitoring and helping all Ridge growers in Sonoma, Napa, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo Counties.
Ridge’s fame started when it was placed fifth in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting. At the 30th anniversary tasting in 2006 it went several steps further, with its 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet winning first place in the original vintage category and the 2000 ranking top for new vintages.
www.ridgewine.com

Russ Weis – President Silverado Vineyards

In 2005, Silverado Vineyards pioneering winemaker Jack Stuart stepped down as general manager, and Russ Weis took the reins. Russ, a senior vice president with Robert Mondavi (launched Opus One), brought more than twenty years winemaking to Silverado. He is extremely passionate about the winery: “We enjoy an amazing array of meticulously cared for estate fruit. Even in the most challenging years, our vineyards guarantee us a level of quality which we can be proud to call Silverado.”
Silverado makes around 85,000 cases each year, of which 22,000 are Chardonnay and the rest Bordeaux-style wines. The vineyards are in cool climate Napa regions, Carneros and Stag’s Leap.
www.silveradovineyards.com

Harvest Duhig – Atlas Peak Winemaker/Grower Relations Wagner Family of Wines
Caymus.Conundrum.MerSoleil.Emmolo.Red Schooner

Born and Raised in Napa. In September of 2002 she tried selling grapes to Chuck Wagner. He declined the fruit but hired her to work with him.17 years later she’s Mountain Cabernet Winemaker for Caymus Vineyards. Harvest also has her own family winery Duhig, in Coombsville.
www.wagnerfamilyofwine.com

Kristen Barnhisel – Winemaker (White Wines) J Lohr

Also born and raised in Napa, Kristen brings two decades of viticulture and winemaking on three continents to making the whites at J Lohr.
Along the way she worked with mentors Zelma Long at Long Vineyard and Milla Handley at Handley Cellars.
www.jlohr.com

Ray Signorello – Owner/Winemaker Signorello Estates

Ray lost his winery to the Napa fires. The house his Father built and the buildings attached.
Surprisingly his wines mostly survived. Signorello was designed like a Bordeaux Chateau. Everything farmed in-house for the past 40 years. His surviving vines included 38 year old Chardonnay vines with the Cab vines not that far behind.

Ray Signorello

Ray was pouring his fabulous Signorello Estates Cab but also his new wines Fuse, Edge and Trim.
Signorello is Located in the heart of the Silverado Trail. Just North is Stags Leap and just West is Oak Knoll. There’s a new winery being built this year.
Ray on Social Media and Millennials
“They’re different from Gen X and Baby Boomers. They seem to be more interested in trying wines they haven’t heard of before – off-beat stuff – not necessarily the blue chip Napa Valley. So the challenge is how do we in Napa Valley make sure we’re engaging them”
www.signorelloestate.com

Randy Ullom Chief Winemaker at Kendall-Jackson

Randy Ullom

I cannot think of another winemaker who has stayed with the same winery for 28 years.
Randy oversees 12,800 acres of estate vineyards in cooler coastal California winegrowing regions. One third each in North Coast, Monterey and Santa Barbara counties.
www.kj.com

Randy Meyer Senior Winemaker Geyser Peak

A native of Santa Rosa Randy grew up tending the small family Muscat vineyard on their property.
He and his family promptly build a small cellar into a hill on their property and started production. As one does in wine country. Randy has interned at Piper Sonoma and Far Niente before spending 23 years with Korbel and Draxton Wine.
Geyser Peak was named Sonoma Winery of the Year in 2018 by The New York International Wine Competition. Farming in Sonoma plus The Russian River and Alexander Valleys.
www.geyserpeakwinery.com

Karl Wente – Wente Vineyards

Fifth generation winemaker and winegrower Karl Wente grew up working at Wente Vineyards and expanded his experience at the Peter Michael Winery in Sonoma and Brown Brothers winery in Australia. In 2013, Karl was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s “40 Under 40.
www.wentevineyards.com

Thank You to :
James Murray – Tech and production
Kristine Wilkinson (ThinkMilk.ca)
Bailey Jelinski (Milk)
Anna Stuber (Milk)

 

NEXT WEEK :

Gina Gallo and Jean Charles Boisset
Barry Olivier
Matt Dumayne
John Skinner
Valeria Tait
Stefan Arneson
Chris Jentsch
Randy Picton
Roland Kruger
Victor Costa
Bill Eggert
Chris Wise
Ross baker
And the Nova Scotians!!

 

March 2nd, 2019- 41st Van Wine Fest features California Wines – So Do We!

February 27, 2019 Tasting Room Radio 01:03:30

hello

41st Van Wine Fest features California Wines – So Do We!

THE SHOW

Thursday Feb 28 Tasting Room Radio sets up a mobile studio at Vancouver International Wine Festival to record 35 winemaker interviews.
It’s the wine version of an All-Star Game.

First half: all Californian
Second half  Canada, mostly BC.
Those interviews will run for the next several weeks.

We’re starting by going back to last week’s wine stars.
In order to get everyone into the show plus include The Somms and Oscar specials I had to edit their interviews down to a hand full of minutes.
Not This Week.

Here are the feature interviews with:

Joel Peterson – Ravenswood. Chief Winemaker & The Godfather of Zin.
Inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame.

Joel Peterson

One of the leaders in preserving the heritage Zin vines of California. Joel is a true California winemaking Icon and a tremendous person.
https://www.ravenswoodwinery.com/
#VIWF IS ON

Melissa Stackhouse – Meiomi. Head Winemaker

The name Meiomi means “coast” and the brand’s winemaker, Melissa Stackhouse works with coastal vineyards to create one of the most popular Pinots in Canada (and of course The USA)

Melissa Stackhouse Meiomi

 

Born and raised in Michigan, Melissa worked for a number of years at a newspaper in Bellingham, so she’s familiar with Vancouver and its food scene.

Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology at the University of California Davis and her wine career was started. She worked her way through cellars at La Crema, J Vineyards Winery and Clos de Bois. That’s a lot of harvests.

I’m really looking forward to her plans for Meiomi Bubble.
https://www.meiomi.com/

Tom Gore – Farmer and Winemaker Tom Gore Vineyards

Tom Gore is a second-generation grape farmer from Sonoma County and from the time he learned to walk, he was stomping alongside his dad, getting dirty and taking care of the grapes.

For Tom Gore, farming isn’t a profession, it’s a way of life. His family helped develop the vineyards of Northern California into a world-class winemaking region, and Tom’s childhood was spent among the vines.

 

 

He has worked every harvest since he was seven years old, and has always known farming grapes would be his life’s work.

He also has a wicked sense of humor. He’s funny. His wines are serious.
https://www.tomgorevineyards.com/

Mark de Vere Robert Mondavi Wines

Who better to speak to the history and legacy of Robert Mondavi than Master of Wine Mark de Vere?
Robert Mondavi was one of just a handful of California winemakers who became a household name in the 20th century. He and his wife Margrit were one of the founding families of the wine culture in the Napa Valley. Some would argue, the founding family.

One of their original vineyards To Kalon is considered equal to a Grand Cru vineyard.
Google Robert Mondavi. It’s a huge story.
And even though it’s not yet imported into Canada, try to get your hands on their Cab Franc. WoW!

NEXT WEEK –
12 of the very best wine stars from California (Part One)

STORIES WE ARE WORKING ON:

41ST Vancouver international wine festival
18 Californians. Winemakers and Owners
And 15 Canadians. Winemakers and owners
Uncorked and Untapped in Parksville
Black Hills pours new releases.
La Stella leans Italian!
Vancouver Somms
Okanagan Falls Wineries pour new releases in Vancouver
Brigitte Raye Orto Astisan Pasta (bad dog bread) North Vancouver

February 23rd, 2019- Here Come “The Californians” and The Oscars!

February 22, 2019 Tasting Room Radio 01:09:24

hello

Here Come “The Californians” and The Oscars

 

THE SHOW

 

This edition of Tasting Room Radio has a little bit of everything.

Interviews with the wine stars of  Mondavi, Tom Gore, Ravenswood and Meiomi.

Four Sommeliers have recommendations for 41st Vancouver International Wine Festival (starts Saturday)

Kurtis Kolt (Georgia Straight) Kristi Linneboe (L’Abattoir) Kelcie Jones (Chambar) and Somm of the Year Matt Landry (Stable House Bistro)

And we finish with Film and Wine. It’s Oscar weekend (Sunday).  Gary and Hayley Hamilton Cogill created a Podcast that focuses on film and wine because that’s what they both specialize in.

Gary’s picking the winners and so is Hayley.

 

Melissa Stackhouse  

Chief Winemaker  Meiomi

https://www.meiomi.com/

  Melissa brings a unique vision and spirit to her role at Meiomi.

Melissa Stackhouse

 

With as much zeal and enthusiasm as when she first started out in the industry, Melissa aspires to create wines that are meant to be enjoyed while laughing and sharing a delicious meal with friends and family.

While laidback and easygoing by nature, Melissa has an extensive and impressive background at some of California’s top wineries, including:

La Crema, J Vineyards & Winery, Jackson Family Wines, and Clos du Bois.

 

 

Tom Gore

Owner/Winemaker Tom Gore Vineyards

https://www.tomgorevineyards.com

 

 Tom Gore is a second-generation grape farmer from Sonoma County and from the time he learned to walk, he was stomping alongside his dad, getting dirty and taking care of the grapes. For Tom Gore, farming isn’t a profession, it’s a way of life.

Tom Gore

His family helped develop the vineyards of Northern California into a world-class winemaking region, and Tom’s childhood was spent among the vines.

He has worked every harvest since he was seven years old and has always known farming grapes would be his life’s work.

As Tom is most proud of explaining what he does as a farmer—connecting people to the earth and telling the story of where the wine comes from. The work of a farmer.

 

 

Joel Peterson

Founder  Ravenswood Zins

The Godfather of Zin

https://www.ravenswoodwinery.com

In 1976 Joel founded Ravenswood in partnership with fellow wine lover Reed Foster, a Harvard MBA. In 1977, he’d left his job in San Francisco and moved to Sonoma to work in the clinical lab at Sonoma Valley Hospital.

He didn’t quit that job until 1992, a few years after the winery turned its first profit and Robert Parker pronounced Ravenswood wines “first class – bold, dramatic and complex.” Today, Joel works with 100+ northern California growers who provide grapes for Ravenswood.

Joel Peterson

Ravenswood is one of the few wineries that has had the philosophical and winemaking skill of one winemaker for over 30 years.  That  contributes to a consistency of quality and style rarely found in California.

Joel is a current member and former president of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance (S.V.V.G.A.) and is on the Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Vintner. He is a founding Board member and former two-time President of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (Z.A.P.). Joel is also a Senior Vice President with Constellation Wines US. He is also a member of the Vintners Hall of Fame.

A great guy and a true friend to all of us.

 

Mark de Vere – Master of Wine

For Robert Mondavi Winery.

https://www.robertmondaviwinery.com

 

Mondavi

 

41 years ago, when the first wine festival took place… Robert Mondavi was the first and only winery attending.

So it’s a wonderful thing to see them featured 41 years later along with California.

Yes, they will be pouring their famous Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 but do NOT pass up the chance to try their Oakville Cab Franc  2015.  WoW!

 

Mark takes us through the wonderful story of how Mondavi came to be one of the great wineries of the World.

 

Four Sommeliers with tips for VanWineFest

 Who better to give everyone some reminders of how to survive a chase through the VanWineFest Tasting Room. There are hundreds of wines being poured. Its led some attendees to wobble after lunch or after dinner.

Offering help with your plan and some wines to watch for are..

Kurtis Kolt – Georgia Straight and wine educator.

Matt Landry – Sommelier of the Year. Stable House Bistro

Kelcie Jones – Chambar

Kristi Linneboe – L’Abattoir

 

www.KurtisKolt.com

https://www.chambar.com

https://www.labattoir.ca

thestablehouse.ca/

 

 

Make notes and Good Luck.

 

Gary and Hayley Cogill  (Cogill Wine and Film)

Its Oscar weekend. Gary and Hayley have a great Podcast that blends Film and Wine.

Both from Dallas.

Gary has been a  well known TV and Print film critic for many  years.

Hayley Hamilton Cogill is a much admired Sommelier  known for columns and shows like Dallas Uncorked. Red Wine with Breakfast. Hawaii Uncorked etc.

Cogill Wine and Film, A perfect Pairing is their Podcast

Gary and I will go over the Oscar nominations and his projected Winners for

Supporting Actor

Actor

Director

Film.

 

Hayley will pair with a theme or character from the films or roles.

It’s fast and it’s fun.

And the Oscar goes to –

https://cogillconsulting.com

 

SHOWS WE’RE WORKING ON

 

41ST Vancouver international wine festival

18 Californians.  Winemakers and Owners

And 15 Canadians.   Winemakers and owners

Uncorked and Untapped in Parksville

Black Hills pours new releases.

Vancouver Somms

Complete interviews with Mondavi/Tom Gore/Ravenswood/Meiomi

Okanagan Falls Wineries pour new releases in Vancouver

Brigitte Raye  Orto Astisan Pasta  (bad dog bread)  North Vancouver

 

February 16th, 2019 – The Stars of the Vancouver Wine Festival

February 14, 2019 Tasting Room Radio 00:52:27

hello

We have four  stories for you.  A primer of the next VanWineFest, also advance notice on the 3rd BC Cider festival and a check in on 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, Winemaker at Bonterra plus winemaker of a Bourbon aged Zin called 1000 stories.  He’s one of the stars at this year’s Wine Festival.

 

 The SHOW

 Harry Hertscheg  – (Executive Director of 41st Vancouver International Wine Festival)

 

Harry Hertscheg VanWineFest

 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.

This is Harry’s second visit in row. It’s because he can now talk about The Stars who will be appearing and pouring.
From Gina Gallo and Jean- Charles Boisset to Joel Peterson (Ravenswood) Genevieve Janssens (Winemaker Mondavi) Randy Ullom (Kendall Jackson) Christine Coletta(Haywire) John Skinner (Painted Rock), the first pouring on Aquilini Red Mountain Wines and many more.
Harry has the goods.

 

By-The-Numbers

 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.

 

https://vanwinefest.ca

Shawn Pisio – (Organizer/Co-Founder of BC Cider Week)

 

Shawn Pisio

 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 the  highlights of 2018 was attending, tasting and doing interviews at The Pipe Shop, foot of Lonsdale in North Vancouver.

It’s one of the few shipbuilding rooms still standing.

30 plus cider makers all pouring their very best. So many stories and tales.

Cider has just exploded in popularity.  One of the people responsible is Shawn Pisio (and Rich Massey) who has a passion for cider than knows no bounds.

So, just like the VanWineFest, the BC Cider Week is fast approaching from April 26th to May 5.  The last day,  May 5th,  is the third gathering of cider makers at The Pipe Shop

300 Vancouver early bird tickets sold out in 45 minutes.

Shawn is here to tell you all about it.

http://bcciderfest.ca/

Jerome Dudicourt  (Manager of Oyama Sausage. Granville Market\

jerome dudicourt – oyama

Joanne Sasvari (Editor of Vitis and Vancouver Eats cookbook)

 Most line-ups are a pain but at Oyama you need the wait time to check out every square inch of food displayed in the coolers..glorious cheeses, amazing sausages, pate to-die-for, smoked wild Boar, Porcini Mushroom pate, Toulouse Sausages, sweet ham, game everywhere. The signage is fun and informative.

Our first guest is Jerome Dudicourt, the manager & trained chef who speaks of his store  like it’s priceless, which it is.

And then Joanne Sasvari the editor of Vitis  comes into the picture with her wine choices to go with Jerome’s specials.

Joanne Sasvari, Nuvo magazine

From Vancouver Island to the Okanagan Valley, B.C. wine is rapidly gaining global attention for its quality, diversity and innovation.

Vitis aims to capture the excitement by telling the stories of wineries and the passionate people that own and operate them, as well as offering accessible insights into the finer points of wine and current trends.

Keep a notepad handy..there’s something  here for everyone.

http://oyamasausage.ca

https://vitis.ca/

Bob Blue – Founding Winemaker at Bonterra and 1000 Stories

 

Bob Blue. Bonterra – 1000 StoriesIconic winemaker Bob Blue on the phone from Mendocino.  Bob is showcasing his most recent project – 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel-aged Zinfandel 

 A graduate from UC-Davis, Bob is considered a pioneer in the organic wine arena and is the founding winemaker for Bonterra, America’s #1 Organic wine. Bob was mentored by Paul Dolan and Dennis Martin and traveled to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Australia and the Rhone to broaden his sense of style. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Drinks Business Green Awards in 2014, recognizing him for his 25-year commitment to the highest standards of organic viticulture.

Bonterra

Bonterra

1000 stories opens with vanilla and cherries, hints of barnyard.  A sweet attack followed quickly by pepper, cooking spices, vanilla? AND Twizzler. (Liquorice)

By the time you taste that first mouthful you are engaged. Welcome back  to BC Bob!!   http://www.1000storieswines.com/

The second half of the interview is all about Organic wines..their growth and rise in popularity.

Because Bob has been an industry leader in organic wines for almost 30 years he’s the guy to talk to about how organic wines won all of us over.

Winery of the Year in 2014 from Wine Enthusiast.

 

http://www.bonterra.com/

 

 

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Van Wine Fest

The Californians, the Canadians

A Gaggle of Sommeliers

OK Falls pours

Unplugged and Uncorked

 

 

February 9th, 2019 -The debut of Aquilini Red Mountain Wines

February 8, 2019 Tasting Room Radio 00:52:27

hello

The debut of Aquilini Red Mountain Wines.

THE SHOW

We start with Harry Hertscheg  Executive Director of the 41st Vancouver International Wine Festival.

Harry Hertscheg

Harry brings the first of two updates on this years event. (Feb 23- March 3)

https://vanwinefest.ca/

Barry Olivier – President/Brands Aquilini Wines

Barry Olivier – Aquilini

Backbreaking days laying bricks and hauling mortar up rickety scaffolds; young Luigi Aquilini knew he had to find a better means of supporting his family. In 1957, Luigi left his hometown of Brescia, Italy and travelled to North America seeking a new life.

Through strong relationships, saving his wages, and a legendary work ethic, the bricklayer struggled up the ladder – wooden and corporate – doing whatever it took to provide for his wife and three young sons. As his children came of age Luigi brought Francesco, Roberto, and Paolo into his now-thriving construction company.

For three decades they grew the business as a family; diversifying from building skyscrapers, to farming blueberries, to purchasing NHL Hockey Team, the Vancouver Canucks in 2006.

Francesco and Luigi

For these four entrepreneurs, fine wine was a lifelong passion and a natural unity of the pillars on which they’d built their empire: construction, farming, and entertainment

Francesco Aquilini sought out Barry Olivier, a fine wine importer notorious for scouting up-and-coming producers.

Francesco and his brothers had trusted Olivier to build their own cellars for years, and now they recruited him for the ultimate task: create the World’s Next Great Wine.

The opportunity suddenly emerged in November 2013 with the most high-stakes land auction in Washington Wine History.

670 acres of completely unplanted former Government Land on Red Mountain was on the block, and competition was fierce.

Over 40 wineries from across America came to Washington looking for a piece of the Mountain.

Though this was the last virgin acreage on Red Mountain, to acquire and develop that much vineyard all at once was risky.

Luigi and his sons made the call. The Aquilinis outbid the room for the entire 670 acres.

In just 24 hours, the family had become the largest landowner in the AVA.

An overnight turn that left the Pacific Northwest wine community wondering “Who is Aquilini”?

 Philippe Melka joined as Consulting Winemaker. Heralded as one of the most influential wine consultants in the world. Bordeaux-born, Melka apprenticed at Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau Petrus, then crossed the Atlantic to electrify the Napa Valley, working with icons like Quintessa, Bryant, Fairchild and Hundred Acre.

Philippe Melka – Winemaker

Aquilini Wines are  headed to the Vancouver Wine Festival to introduce themselves to Canada.

They’ll be pouring

Aquilini Horse Heaven Hills Syrah Rose 2017

Aquilini Red Mountain’s Grand Vin is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

The Second Wine, Aquilini Red Mountain Family Blend,. The Family Blend is constructed of varying levels of Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and occasionally Petit Verdot.

 

Here’s a first taste with Barry Olivier.

 www.aquiliniredmountain.com

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

 Vancouver Wine Festival

The Californians

BC showcases at Wine fest

BC Sommeliers speak out

Okanagan Falls wineries pour new releases

Unplugged/Uncorked

 

February 2nd, 2019 – Super Bowl Weekend!

February 1, 2019 Podcast, Tasting Room Radio 00:50:48

hello

THE SHOW

It’s Super Bowl Weekend!

Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole from Sports Centre at TSN are paying their annual visit to The Tasting Room.

They began as a humble sports pairing at TSN and we heard from them 7 years ago before yet another Super Bowl.

Then they headed for Fox Sports One in LA only to be shown the door several years later but not before guesting on yet another Super Bowl Tasting Room Radio.

 

There are some saying that it was their appearance on TRR that hastened their exit.  Not True.

It was Jan and Dan’s appearance on Hollywood&Vines TV with Jason Priestley and myself that did them in.

Upon returning to TSN, we were told by their “people” that J&D would never again guest  on Tasting Room or H&V.

Several weeks ago I reached out to Onrait and O’Toole in the hopes they would relent.

They didn’t exactly relent but they simply forgot ever having been on either show.  So we’re good.

Jay and Dan will take us through:

The Game

The Food

The Swill

The Odds

Their Podcast

The Jannies

Jay and Dan Direct.

I was going to ask them for some of their favorite music tracks but when Dan said “Play Dean Martin”  I shut that down Right Away.

https://www.tsn.ca/jay-and-dan/podcast

 Mira Tusz and Daniel Dragert–  Co-owners/Winemakers at Kutatas (Salt Spring Island)

 This is the first in a series of features on new wineries around the Province that we think you may want to know about.

(working title The Chase)

Mira and Dan realized a dream when they recently bought Mistaken Identity Vineyards on Salt Spring Island.

Mira and Dan

Dan had been the winemaker at Averill Creek in the Cowichan Valley and Mira had been working in the vineyards at Unsworth, also in the Cowichan.

I discovered their wines at last year’s Locals Only event that Rich Massey throws at Edible Canada, Granville Island.

The wines were outstanding.

I mumbled something like “who ARE these guys and how did they pull this off”?

Currently,  a majority of their small production comes from 3 acres of Pinot Noir and Ortega in  Deep Cove/North Saanich, on Vancouver Island. These blocks are managed sustainably.

Most of the vineyard is dry farmed to limit yields, restrict berry size and express terroir. They personally hand tend the vineyard to ensure they achieve the highest possible quality.

Now they have their own vineyard and we’re the lucky ones who’ll be tasting their wines in years to come.

Mira and Dan are redesigning their new Tasting Room … so we huddled in the cellar and tasted the whites and reds.

Pinot Noir Rose

Ortega

Pinot Gris

Plus 2 different Pinot Noirs  (Clone #114)

(whole cluster and de-stemmed)

Also, a Bubble program is in the works.

Keep an eye and nose on  Kutatas (Koo Tah Tash)

They hope to be open on Valentine’s Day  Feb 14th

https://www.masseywines.com/kutatas-wines/

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

The Californians

Vancouver Wine festival

OK Falls pours in Vancouver

Aquilini. Red Mountain Wines