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Discover the Cookbook from The Wickaninnish Inn.  #1 Resort in Canada (Conde Nast)

and face to face with Bella and Lock & Worth   

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  Condé Nast Traveler this week announced the results of its 31st annual Readers’ Choice Awards with The Wickaninnish Inn recognized as the # 1 RESORT in CANADA.

This is the third time the Wickaninnish Inn has received Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Award, taking the number one spot in both 2013 and 2014, and the second award from Condé Nast this year. In January 2018, the Wickaninnish Inn was given the Gold List Award which highlights the editors’ favorite hotels from the best across the globe.

All of that great news was well timed as we were planning on repeating these interviews we aired back in June.

The second half of the show features two of the outstanding new winemaker/owners in the Canadian wine industry.

Jay Drysdale makes Bella – all bubble. All the time. On the Naramata Bench.

And just down the road is Matt Sherlock from Lock and Worth and Nichol Vineyards.

Both are introducing new winemaking methods and attitude. They both sound like preachers in mid-sermon.

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The Show:

The Wickaninnish Inn

The Wickaninnish Cookbook – Rustic Elegance on Nature’s Edge

Executive chef Warren Barr and Managing Director Charles McDiarmid

 ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2018: “On the furthest west coast of Vancouver Island, the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, B.C., has been a destination for visitors from around the world since its opening in 1996, the Pointe restaurant a pillar of the town’s flourishing culinary scene. Their first cookbook gathers signature recipes from former and current chefs and focuses on regional techniques and seasonal west coast ingredients.” The Globe & Mail 

Since the Wick first opened in 1996, it has become a destination for travelers attracted by its rustic elegance, warm hospitality, and incredible west coast cuisine. This cookbook highlights the distinctive dishes (and the stories behind them) that have made The Pointe Restaurant a destination dining experience like no other and captures the spirit of spectacular natural surroundings, west coast life, and scenic ocean-to-table dining.

Memorable recipes from the Wick are coupled with signature recipes from current and former chefs–Warren Barr, Rod Butters, Matthias Conradi, Mark Filatow, Justin Laboissiere, Duncan Ly, Andrew Springett, and Matt Wilson–and combine cutting-edge techniques with fresh, seasonal ingredients, to create a distinctly contemporary, west coast cookbook.

Inside you will find both sophisticated and accessible recipes that speak to the Inn’s longstanding commitment to farm- and ocean-fresh ingredients, and strike a harmonious balance between the bounties of land and sea that surround the Inn. The Wickaninnish Cookbook offers a chance to visit life on nature’s edge and discover dishes from one of the most prestigious kitchens in Canada.

Guests on Tasting Room Radio are  Charles McDiarmid,  Managing Director  (His family conceived of and built The Wick)

And current Executive Chef Warren Barr.

https://www.wickinn.com

Matthew SherLOCK and Ross HackWORTH.  Lock and Worth. 

Jay Drysdale and Bella…

Matt Sherlock – Lock & Worth (VanCourier)

 Want to get a sense of BC’s wine future?  Matt and Jay will be the very front, leading the movement.

Honest, single vineyard wines of time and place – priced for everyday consumption.

Mathew Sherlock

 “We strongly believe that one should be able to drink high quality, single vineyard (non-commodity), small production wines that are priced reasonably from British Columbia. We plan to be around 20 years from now, not by becoming a large company but by creating a sustainable business within our community. For us, part of that means making wines that always over deliver”

 Sherlock and Hackworth farm organically and work the vineyards by hand whenever possible. They use native yeasts for fermentations, limited sulfur, and a gentle touch that avoids punch downs or pumping over or racking during élevage. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration.

Up the road at Bella, is a winery owned by Jay Drysdale and his wife, Wendy Rose. Bella only makes sparkling wines and only works with Chardonnay and Gamay Noir.

Bella ’s annual production is 2000 cases, split between a vineyard series and a natural series. Each wine in the vineyard series highlights a single grape, from a single vineyard, and single vintage. Dry-farmed and organic vineyards from Kelowna to Kamloops supply the fruit. The natural series uses the same vineyards, plus Bella’s four-acre estate vineyard.

The vineyard series wines are made using the traditional Champagne method, with commercial yeasts and sugar added to the wine to trigger a second fermentation. Jay and Wendy make the natural series wines by pressing whole cluster grapes and allowing wild yeast fermentation to begin in neutral barrels.

No additives, allowing fermentation to finish in the bottle.  This process is called méthode ancestral and Bella is the first winery in western Canada to use it.

The natural process causes some of the bottles to be cloudy.  As Jay has said “Yes, they’re cloudy. Get over it”

Here’s a quote from a go-to wine human Kurtis Kolt in the Georgia Straight

 “Natural wine.  It’s wine made with minimal intervention. This means organic (and sometimes biodynamic) farming (without the use of pesticides and such), naturally occurring ferments with wild yeasts in the cellar, and winemaking without fining, filtration, or manipulation”.

https://www.lockandworth.com

http://bellawines.ca/

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STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

A Merlot Special:

Why doesn’t it get more respect?

• Checkmate
• Rhys Pender (MOW)
• Hester Creek
• Eh Nihilo
• Township 7
• Rust Wine
• Road 13
• The 2018 Judgment of BC

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The Fifth Annual Victoria Wine Festival

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As all festivals do, it started with an idea and a dedicated band of volunteers. Five years into its existence it’s become one of the highlights of the year in Victoria.

After talking with some of the perhaps 1500 attending,  two things became apparent.

The women outnumbered the men by a wide margin and I was surprised how many wine fans attending were not from Victoria.

Over 300 wines were showcased and the pop-up store from Vessel was crazy busy.

The Hatch – Andrew Melville.   Chief Steward and Storyteller

…We talk about Black Swift/The Hatch/Dynasty White/Rosso/Screaming Frenzy/Oak Street Vineyard etc

Andrew Melville – The Hatch

https://thehatchwines.com/

Road 13 –  Joseph Luckhurst Managing Partner. Canadian Winery of the Year

Joe talks us through the portfolio  and pours  GSM/Blind Creek Viognier/Stemwinder/Fifth Element/74K

http://road13vineyards.com/

Okanagan Crush Pad  – Mike West.  Mike is pouring and taking us through…

Free Form Ancient Method Sparkling Wine/Vin Gris/Waters and Banks/The Bub/Narrative/haywire/New Narrative Syrah & Cab Franc

http://okanagancrushpad.com/

Rust Winery – Kane Morgan Asst GM.  Pouring and focusing on  Single Vineyard & Single Varietal wines.

3 separate Merlots/Zin/Syrah/Gamay/ Rose from Pinot Noir/Pinot Gris/Riesling.

https://www.rustwine.com/

Wagner Family Wines  – Peter Lindenlaub Division Manager Canada.   A can’t miss portfolio

Caymus/Conundrum/Mersoleil/Emmolo/Red Schooner.

http://www.wagnerfamilyofwine.com/

Stile Brands – Benjamin Philip  Acct Exec.  Specializing in Italian Wines

Cantina Tollo Mo Montepulciano D’ Abruzzo Riserva  2012 &2014/

Altesino Rosso & Brunello/Argiolas Vermentino & Sardegna/Bottega  Prosecco Brut/ Bottega Petalo Moscato/Medici Ermete Concerto Lambrusco

https://stilebrands.com/stilebrands/

Unsworth  Vineyards– Tim Turyk  Owner.   Pouring from the Cowichan Valley

Unsworth Vineyards

Charme De L’lle/Allegro/Sauvignette/ Pinot Noir Rose/2016 Pinot Noir/Ovation

https://www.unsworthvineyards.com/

Hope Family Wines   Ex-pat Cameron Matches returns with wines from Paso Robles.

Hope Family Vineyards

Treana Blanc/Treana Cab/Austin Hope Zin & Cab/Liberty School Cab and Chardonnay.

https://www.hopefamilywines.com/

Many thanks to Heather Wood and Kerry Sedran for their help with shots at the event!

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STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

• Where did Merlot go?
• Ned Bell – Is he a chef or a Food Preacher?
• Tojo celebrates 30 years
• The 2018 Judgement of BC

PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS and GOOGLE PLAY

Streamed on site

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Back to The Okanagan

(Roche – Desert Hills/Ursa Major – Fairview Cellars)

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THE SHOW

 Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Bill Eggert – Owner/Winemaker at Fairview Cellars – The Golden Mile

Bill Eggert

Bill will be speaking his considerable mind to start off the show.

But before he starts firing off one liners and certain people start ducking,  I thought it best to talk about his wines.

The names of these wines on the labels should tell you a great deal about the guy who grew and created them.

Two Hoots – A Cab/Merlot blend

Madcap Red – Merlot based blend

The Bear – The classic Bordeaux Blend

Bucket of Blood – Syrah and Cab or Cab Franc.

Iconoclast – The best of Bill’s Cabernet Sauvignon

There’s also an outstanding Cab Franc, a  stand-alone Merlot that deserves respect, Sauv Blanc that drinks beautifully, Gruner Veltliner that loves the Okanagan and two reds you want to know about

Bill’s making a Pinot Noir that given time and harvests will become an Icon.

Finally we come to The Champ – Fairview Cellars Cabernet  Sauvignon.  They should all be this good.

It’s a Premium single release but also makes Bill’s blends so much better.

As Bill told me years ago “ I taught the wine course in the Valley but I didn’t give away ALL my secrets”

FairviewCellarsWineShop

We welcome back Bill Eggert of Fairview Cellars to Tasting Room Radio.

Please Stand back – this could get nasty.

http://www.fairviewcellars.ca/fairviewcellars.ca

 Dylan & Penelope Roche – Co-owners and winemakers .  Naramata Bench

Roche Vineyards… Naramata Bench Had we stayed in Naramata, Roche would have been our next door neighbour.  That alone makes me interested in their story… but it gets better the more you know.

Dylan grew up in North Vancouver, cycling took him to Europe and an interest in winemaking. Penelope grew UP in Bordeaux..surrounded by Chateaus and Castles. She was expected to take over from her parents and did so for a number of years but she also was looking for something else.

They met in a bar in New Zealand. They shared a beer or two and a realized they both were taking wine courses and they liked the same things about that life.

Dylan, Penelope and kids

Of course they got married and after searching and tasting they decided to start their winery Roche on the Naramata Bench.

At their location on the Upper Bench Road they were at the foot of a slope that had really well grown Zweigelt and Schonberger.  When they discovered how great  Farmer John’s vines were – they were off and running.

Now they’ve planted new varietals because as any fan of French wine knows, you must have a Bordeaux Blend in your portfolio… especially if you are FROM Bordeaux.

In 2017 they  planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Things are getting interesting.

FYI – When I tasted their first ever Chardonnay, from purchased grapes, I declared to anyone within earshot – it was perhaps the best Chard I’d tasted in 5 years in the Okanagan. Keep an eye on their Chard. It’s only going to get better as they grow their own grapes.

Lets head for their tasting room, right next door to where we lived and see what they’ve been up to.

That red barn in behind is where this show was created for the first 5 years.

https://www.rterroir.ca/

Randy  and Rajen Toor –  Father and Son.  Winemakers and owners of Desert Hills and Ursa Major

The address is 4078 Black Sage Road.  That’s ghe epicentre of serious winemaking in the South Okanagan.

Big heat. Serious terroir. Where reputations are grown and created.

Randy has been showcasing his wines for years. Personally pouring his wines at winemakers dinners and media release events. Getting people’s attention one pour at a time. Well, we know who he is now, don’t we?

Randy Toor Desert Hills

Many awards and cases of wine later Desert Hills , for many wine fans and restaurants, is a go to portfolio.

Randy – first and foremost is a grower.  He’s got the goods and he knows it.

The Gamay is truly outstanding. Check out the Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cab Reserve, malbec and blends.

Whites?  Sauvignon Blanc, Unoaked Chard, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Gewurztraminer, etc

Rajen Toor is Randy’s son and has his own vineyards and label – Ursa Major.  He also has  a career as an actor. We’ll get to that part in a sec.

Ursa Major features  BIG red blends..

A cab that’s huge.

A Syrah that’s all spice and black chocolate.

A blend called Borealis.

Oh..and the acting?  Rajen shot a new film in India  called Barefoot Warriors. A true story of a young broke soccer team who qualify for world Cup but get kicked out because they don’t have any soccer shoes. Coming this Fall we hope… just like the wines.

Rajen Toor

https://www.deserthills.ca/Wines/Ursa-Major-Wines

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STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

Next week – The Four F’s – Year Seven!

Fishing, Friends, Food and Fluids. (23 bottles of fluid)

Rhys Pender. Mark Filatow, John Weber and tdm

Fishing Campbell River with Mark Stewart at Gowlland Harbour Resort.

Victoria Wine Festival

Vintage Corks