hello

    Sam Roberts says he learns about wine through Volume. The Wine Diva says this list is all about BC’s best. A year ago Richard Parsons was talking about his top end Italian wines. Now he’s been asked to bring the LA Clippers back to respectability. And we finish with The Best weekend party this summer on the Coast. Hawksworth/Pino/Ed Robertson BNL/Ann Lindsay/ John Skinner Painted Rock/Torsten Allander @ Foxtrot and two..count them..Two Cuddys. Jim and Devon. All at the sensational  Clayoquot Wilderness Resort.   

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THE SHOW

The Sam Roberts Band released their new album Lo-Fantasy in February. Sam Roberts  is a huge wine fan. When Jason Priestley and I were shooting HollywoodandVinesTV in Ribera del Duero Spain, we were deep into the Neo cellar and we found a barrel signed by Sam Roberts. I’ve been waiting 5 years to ask him how that barrel came to be.

Sam’s parents moved from South Africa to Montreal where Sam was born months later. He attended McGill and then hustled the music scene through various bands until he found the right song and the right band. The song was “Brother Down” and the band became The Sam Roberts Band. This was fun!!  Enjoy.   www.samrobertsband.com   [divider] Daenna van Mulligen presents her best of BC Wine List. The Diva takes great care to taste and recommend these wines.

Kettle Valley Viognier, Okanagan Valley BC Upper Bench Estate Winery Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley BC Lake Breeze Vineyards ‘Seven Poplars’ Merlot, Okanagan Valley BC Fort Berens Estate Winery ‘White Gold’ Reserve, British Columbia Haywire Gamay Noir, Okanagan Valley BC, 2011 Mission Hill ‘Oculus’ Okanagan Valley BC, 2009 Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley BC, 2009 Clos du Soleil ‘Signature’, British Columbia, 2010 McWatters Collection Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley BC, 2011 Black Hills Estate Winery “Nota Bene”, Okanagan Valley BC Painted Rock Syrah, Okanagan Valley BC Stoneboat Vineyards ‘Chorus’, Okanagan Valley BC, 2011   www.winediva.ca   [divider]   Richard Parsons  New CEO of the LA Clippers  

A year ago I had the pleasure of sitting and talking with retired business executive Richard Parsons about his Italian Winery. Neither one of us would have any idea that today Richard is truly back in the spotlight..as the new CEO of The LA Clippers. The team is in the middle of a huge press storm and the NBA Playoffs. It takes a very solid individual to step into that mess and make it better. I thought you’d like to get a sense of the man, his life and his wine. Former Citigroup Inc.  Chairman Richard Parsons, whose career in banking and media saw him at the helm of the industries’ biggest companies, is betting he can make money in retirement in the wine-rich Tuscan hills. Twelve years after buying Il Palazzone, a Montalcino vineyard perched on the ancient trail to Rome, Parsons is getting serious about winemaking, turning a hobby into a business. He’s built a new cellar he inaugurated with this year’s harvest and plans to double production of his finest wine, Brunello, turning Il Palazzone into a profitable activity within five years. Despite its name, il Palazzone, or “the big palace” is actually quite a small winery making less than 1,000 cases of Brunello di Montalcino annually. While the estate is roughly 20 acres, the vineyard area authorized for the production of Brunello di Montalcino is a mere 10 acres. Il Palazzone recently completed construction of a new cellar, designed to blend beautifully into the landscape and minimize its carbon footprint. While the cellar utilizes the best of modern technology, the vineyard still creates its Brunello in the traditional method by aging the wine in large, Slavonian oak barrels for nearly four years. Great story this.

1. ilpalazzone.com

[divider]   Let’s go Glamping!!         Today’s guests are:   John Caton – Managing Director CWR Tim Cormode – Exec Director/Founder of Power to be Tereza Roux – CWR Wine Director 

Once again I’m delighted to  host Canadian singer and song writer Jim Cuddy, his son Devon, Ed Robertson from Bare Naked Ladies, Anne Lindsay,  John Skinner from Painted  Rock, Torsten Allander from the legendary Foxtrot vineyards on the Naramata Bench plus two of the most awarded chefs in Canada David Hawksworth and Pino Posteraro. All helping to launch the 2014 (June – September) season of the award winning Clayoquot Wilderness Resort. Partial proceeds  raised go to  www.powertobe.ca  Surrounded by glacial mountains and lush rain forest, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is located in British Columbia’s fragile Clayoquot Sound UNESCO World Biosphere reserve, right at the mouth of the Bedwell River, approximately 40 minutes outside of Tofino, BC. Tickets for the event June 19 – June 22 are $12,000 per couple, with room for 12 couples. This includes return floatplane flights from Vancouver International Airport (approx. 1.hr) or water taxi pick up at the docks in downtown Tofino (approx. 40 minutes), welcome reception, wine and food pairings with presentations from the wine makers, guest chefs and the resort’s Executive Chef Ryan Orr, as well as tasting notes from Sommelier Tereza Roux, … and performances from Jim Cuddy, Devon Cuddy, Anne Lindsay, Ed Robertson and the resort’s own house band. .


A Canadian Tourism Commission Signature Experience, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort has helped define the experience of ‘glamping’, camping deep in the Canadian wilderness yet offering all the creature comforts like warm, soft beds in romantic large white canvas tents, antique furniture, hot showers, gourmet dining, an unbeatable wine cellar, spa treatments and a wide array of outdoor experiences that showcase the spectacular scenery deep in the heart of a west coast rainforest and on the edge of the ocean. All of the resort’s activities including deep sea salmon fishing, horseback riding, hiking, whale watching, bear watching, kayaking both flat water and swift water, archery, shooting, stand-up-paddle boarding, and spa!! For more information and to book the Wilderness Wine, Music and Adventure Weekend, visit www.wildretreat.com  or call 1-888-333-5405.

 

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STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

  3 day tour of the Okanagan Argentina Tour Part 2 (Patagonia/Mendoza) New Zealand Tour Part 2 (Hawkes Bay/Gimblett Gravels/Marlborough) The Naramata Bench pours in Vancouver Wine Tour of Oregon David Lebovitz / My Paris Kitchen Lisa Ahier / The Sobo Cookbook

hello

 
Here they come THE CALIFORNIANS..Four Top Wineries Pour North.
Bill Jones..Chef and Author releases the Deerholme Foraging Book
And it’s the opening of the Prawn Festival again in Vancouver this weekend.
Nessa Van Bergen. Chef Ned Bell and The Wine Diva are Prawn Stars.
For the Okanagan audience..300 runners remember Chris Walker  in Summerland.
 

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THE SHOW

 

Canada is one of the best friends that California wine has. Anywhere.
Once a year the California Wine Tour passes through Canada’s major cities, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.
We find our guests this year in Vancouver.
Rick Slomka – The Canadian Director Wine Institute of Canada.
www.discovercaliforniawine.com

 
 
 
 
Rosalind Manoogian VP and Co-Owner of Fog Crest  Vineyard  Russian River Valley Sebastopol   This wonderful winery releases gorgeous Chardonnays and  Pinot Noirs. If you love discovering and searching for small wineries worth the effort..check out Fog Crest.
www.fogcrestvineyard.com
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Mike Hendry from Hendry Wines

Hendry vineyard manager Mike Hendry walks and talks the history of Napa.
The Hendry family has been farming the same 114 acre vineyard situated in the hills northwest of Napa since 1939. This location allows  them to grow 10 different varietals distributed among 47 vineyard blocks.
Through the subtle use of oak and restraint in ripeness, Hendry wines are crafted to perfectly highlight the terroir of the vineyard.
Their Zinfandels are legendary!!
www.hendrywines.com
 
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Mike Benziger from Benziger Family Wines
THIS is a winemaking Family. From New Jersey no less.
Mike is the Vineyard Manager, GM and winemaker for the sensational blend Tribute.
Organic and Biodynamic Benziger leads the way when it comes to Green.
Tribute, which started its wine life in Canada is one of California’s highest rated blends. Period.
www.benziger.com

 
 
 
 
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Tom Tiburzi is the Head of the Bubble Program at Domaine Chandon.
Over 20 years of bubble winemaking has made Tom one of the very best in all of California. Chandon remains one of the leading super and ultra-premium sparkling wine producers in the United States.

www.chandon.com
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Bill Jones – The Deerholme  Foraging CookBook

Bill Jones is a chef and author based on Deerholme Farm in the Cowichan Valley. He is a French-trained chef, author of 12 cookbooks, winner of 2 world cookbook awards and busy journalist, food consultant and community builder. Bill’s latest book is the Deerholme Foraging Cookbook, his 11th cookbook.  He opens up the world of  edible plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Loved talking to Bill. Every one of us has a chance to forage food, we just have to know where they are  and what to look for.
That’s what this interview is all about.
www.deerholme.com
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The 8^th annual Spot Prawn Festival kicks off Saturday down by Granville Island.
We find Chef Ned Bell from Yew at The Four Seasons and Nessa Van Bergen from Chef Table Society.

They fill us in on what’s happening on the fishing docks Saturday and also best ways to cook those just caught beauties.
And then Daenna van Mulligen – The Wine Diva –  has recommendations for wine pairings with spot prawns.
www.chefstablesociety.com
www.yewseafood.com

 
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For our Okanagan audience we include an interview with Ellen Walker Mathews who lost her young son Chris to cancer one year ago.
Over 300 runners will remember Chris and raise funds Saturday in Summerland.  It’s the soon to be annual Giant’s Head Grind.  A story that will move you.

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STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

3 days in the Okanagan
David Lebovich – My Paris Kitchen
Tour of New Zealand – Part Two
Naramata Bench pours their new releases
All things McGuiggan

hello

The first of several One Hour Specials recorded  in March during a two week wine blitz through New Zealand’s wine regions,  with special interest in their amazing sustainability programs. In this special we start in Auckland and conclude in Hawkes Bay.   

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THE SHOW

 The opportunity was just too good to pass up. For a number of years I’ve been interviewing NZ winemakers as they passed through Canada. The meetings were great but I had no sense of the land. Where these wines were grown and under what conditions. Kiwi’s kept referring to Gimblett Gravels, a place called Nelson, Central Otago and Waiheke Island. I very much wanted to “get it”. To complete my understanding of what went into the astounding success of New Zealand wines – in Canada and around the World.

The invite from Wines of New Zealand  to tour the country was Waaaay to good to pass up. 94% of all NZ wines are farmed under sustainable practices. It’s not so much a program as a way of life. New Zealanders are all about being green. Just a note:  I seem to have done enough interviews for at least 2 other specials. They’ll be coming over the next month and a half.

Our guests include: Sarah Szegota   New Zealand Winegrowers   www.nzwine.com  Rob Meredith/Connie Festa  Co-Owners of Peacock Sky Vineyard (Waiheke Island)  www.peacocksky.co.nz

Beautiful hilltop vineyard, wonderful Bistro. Rob’s retired and works 7 days a week. Connie’s from Montreal. Cooks like her Mom. Staying on Waiheke Island..just off the coast from Auckland..we visit Mike Spratt at Destiny Bay, maker of only three wines.  three Bordeaux influenced red blends..one of which,  Magna Praemia,  is the most expensive wine in NZ.  Mike, his scientist wife Ann and winemaking son Sean lead a stellar team.  http://www.destinybaywine.com/ In between both those Waiheke island wineries we talk to our “host” Phillip Manson, the man in charge of New Zealand’s Sustainability efforts.

He’s proud of New Zealand’s reputation. So he should be. www.nzwine.com Before we leave the dormant volcanoes of beautiful Auckland we visit just one more winery. The most awarded winery in all NZ – Villa Maria!!  www.villamaria.co.nz Sir George Fistonich has spent five decades at the forefront of New Zealand’s wine industry that he helped develop. As an icon of the New Zealand wine industry, Villa Maria is known for bold and industry-changing moves such as moving to 100% screw cap through to the emphasis on sustainable practices in every area of the family owned company. Villa Maria Estate was named the supreme winner at the New Zealand Sustainable Business Network awards in November 2012
 

We start with David Roper/Winemaker. Then Fabian Yukich, in charge of wineries and vineyards and finally, the man himself, Sir George Fistonich.      [divider] Hawkes Bay is a short flight from Auckland. http://www.hawkesbaynz.com/ Hawke’s Bay’s long, hot summers and cool winters offer the best weather for growing grapes. The climate is dry and temperate. Hawke’s Bay is renowned for its horticulture with large orchards and vineyards on the plains.   Hawke’s Bay is one of New Zealand’s warmest, driest regions and this has made it one of the country’s leading producers of wine; notably red wines – cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah – but also with some quite stunning whites.   They are working on being the Syrah Capitol of NZ.  www.winehawkesbay.co.nz/ [divider] Pask Winemaker and Managing Director Kate Radburnd is one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed winemakers. She commands an international reputation for her extensive record of award winning wines and her vision and contribution to the industry. Kate holds the role of Deputy Chair of the Wine Institute of New Zealand, has been a Director of the Wine Institute of New Zealand and New Zealand Winegrowers since 1999, and is Chair of Judges at New Zealand’s oldest wine competition, the New Zealand Royal Easter Show Wine Awards. Kate has also been instrumental in the development of the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand program and led Pask to be among the first group of wineries in the country to secure ISO environmental accreditation.

Kate  spent five years as Chair of the SWNZ advisory/working group, which at that time saw the introduction of the winery programme under the scheme. Four of her  labels command the wine world’s attention Declaration Gimblett Road Roy’s Hill Kate Radburnd  Loved this interview..Enjoy!!  http://www.pask.co.nz/ [divider]    In Our second New Zealand Special we will attempt to  include Elephant Hill Trinity Hill Selini Estates Mission Estates Winery (all in Hawkes Bay) TeMania Kono (in Nelson) Spy Valley Yealands Stoneleigh Brancott  ( all in Marlborough)  
 

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STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

David Lebovitz – My Paris Kitchen Bill Jones – The Dearholme Foraging Book The 2014 California Wine Tour Naramata Bench wine tour BC Vintage 2013 – 6 BC wineries Heartland from Australia

hello

This special starts back in Vancouver with a quick chat with Sebastian LeGoff, Service and Wine Director at Cactus Club Cafes. Until April 30 – a dollar from every desert goes to Make-A-Wish. We just wanted to remind you as the days are flying by. And then…it’s off to Argentina and an All-Star line-up. Steven Spurrier, DJ Kearney, Paul Hobbs and  Bruce Schoenfeld 

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Spectacular Argentina

THE SHOW When we last left our media bus it was leaving Patagonia and head for the airport and a flight to Mendoza. The Crown Jewel of Argentina. The first voice you hear will be that of our Host. Magdalena Pesce from Wines of Argentina. www.winesofargentina.org She reminds us of Canada’s place in the World of Wine. Almost 10% of all Argentine wine sales happen here. We LIKE this wine, this place and these people. Then it’s off to three character people and three wonderful wineries Jose Manuel Ortega – O Fournier. http://www.ofournier.com/ Candid, forthright, direct, focused, unreserved: all these describe both him and his wines. All based in one of the most striking wineries anywhere. Roberto Timms – Deumayen Wines  http://www.bodegasdeumayen.com.ar/

Where to begin. Three high profile businessmen including Roberto  created this new winery. They then created a label called Trez, named after the partners initials. Trez makes  a reserve Malbec that picked up  92 Points from Rob. Parkers website. Deumayen is pronounced Dayo-Mahgen. They also release a Petit Trez and distribute a Tokaj from Hungary. [divider] Pablo Cuneo – Ruca Malen


Ruca Malén’s dream began in 1998, when Jean Pierre Thibaud left the chairmanship of Bodegas Chandon in Argentina after 10 years of service. He met Jacques Louis de Montalembert who had also forged an outstanding career in the winemaking industry in his hometown, Burgundy and both men soon discovered that they shared the same dream: to start their own winery in Mendoza. The result was Ruca Malén; a winemaker’s paradise at the foot of the Andes range. Bodega Ruca Malén can be defined by three key words: style, elegance and distinction. The Director pf the winery and lead enologist is our guest.. Pablo Cuneo www.bodegarucamalen.com     Nadia Fournier – Montreal Journalist Guide du Vin.  French version of Wine Align

There were four wine journalists on this trip. Nadia arrived from Montreal and brought with her a bright, fresh approach to wine writing. This interview happened in the back on a taxi. Thus the various noises and rumbles. Salute!! https://twitter.com/NadiaFournier     [divider] Three of the judges.  DJ Kearney – Judge and Wine Expert. Vancouver.   Wine Educator, straight shooter, friend.

Deej gives us a overview of Canada’s relationship with Argentina’s wines. https://www.internationalsommelier.com/services/dj_kearney   Steven Spurrier – Consultant Editor Decanter Magazine

Famous the World over for being the man who created the Paris Tasting of 1976 between the wines of France and the wines of California. When the Yanks walked away with the top prizes it signaled to the rest of the wine world that indeed you can make great wines in places OTHER than France. The film Bottleshock is loosely based – very loosely – on this moment in time. Mr Spurrier was judging on behalf of Decanter magazine.  www.decanter.com   Bruce Schoenfeld – Wine and Spirits Editor  Travel and Leisure Magazine. Over 1 Million readers follow Bruce’s writing.

There’s a lot of opinion and information in this interview. A wonderful overview of Argentina and its wines. http://www.travelandleisure.com/       [divider] And finally… Paul Hobbs – Vina Cobos /  Paul Hobbs Wines. http://www.paulhobbsimports.com/

Paul Hobbs was already well on his way to being one of California’s top wines when he accepted an invitation to visit Chile and Argentina. In Paul’s words “ Over the twenty years that I have been working in South America, I have had the thrill of helping spark an Argentine winemaking revolution that has brought worldwide attention and prestige to the region. As a consultant, I have seen this trailblazing spirit take root in other South American countries, resulting in improved quality and the emergence of a variety of new and intriguing winemaking ventures.”   And that’s where we leave this Argentine Special part 2.  I’m thinking there may be even more interviews hidden within all we did while there. When I find those stories..I’ll pass them along.   My thanks to Wines of Argentina, Dana Lee and Monica Ralphs in Canada for their support.   
http://www.winesofargentina.org/noticias/ver/2014/02/22/argentina-wine-awards-2014-el-jurado-selecciono-los-mejores-vinos-argentinos/

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STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

The wineries of Okanagan Falls pour through Vancouver. Bill Jones and the Deerholme Foraging Book Wines for Spring from Daenna van Mulligen – The Wine Diva        

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Confused over BC wine laws? Join the Club.
We talk to lawyer Mark Hicken. John Clerides and The Wine Diva.
We talk to one of the finest creative  chefs in the World.  Ferran Adrian from Spain’s El Bulli.
I’m joined at Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks by Chefs Vikram Vij and Quang Dang.
We talk to Chris Turyk of Cowichan Valley’s  Unsworth Vineyards.
James Cambridge from the Frazer Valleys Backyard Vineyards
Daniel Bontorin from The Okanagan’s only Rose specialty house  Seven Directions
And as a very special guest – Matt “Blue Buck” Sekeres from TEAM 1040 Vancouver.

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THE SHOW

Matt  Sekeres hosts  the mid-day show on Vancouver’s Team 1040. As such, he’s opinionated, influential and entertaining.

We talk sports of course but also his Mom, the most memorable single broadcasting  day he could remember, also  wine and the fact that he’s a flat out Blue Buck beer man  through and through.
www.team1040.ca
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Yes, the wine laws are slowly changing in British Columbia but so is the weather. Actually the weather is waaaay ahead.
Some of the dumbest bureaucrats in Canada are controlling most  of the aspects of food, wine, beer, spirits and lifestyle in BC.
For example..one of the changes involved wine available at grocery stores..except they can’t be within 1 km of an existing licence. Which means only two stores qualify. Nice going. What a gong show.
CBC radio gathered a panel and listeners last week to talk about all the elements in play here.
I went backstage and talked to
Daenna van Mulligen – The Wine Diva  www.winediva.ca
 

Mark Hicken – Vintage Law Group and Modernise Wine  BC   www.vintagelaw.com  
John Clerides – Marquis Wine Cellar. Also Modernise Wine BC   www.marquis-wines.com
www.modernizewine.ca
 
 
If you’re looking for clarify amid the confusion please join us.
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On a recent Sunday morning I attended a book-signing with Ferran Adrià, of elBulli, widely regarded as the world’s best restaurant until its closure in 2011.  We were gathered to  celebrate his new collection of books: elBulli 2005-2011: A Journey Inside the Creative Process of the World’s Greatest Chef. 
Raw Interview Here:


The chef is  credited with revolutionizing the culinary landscape and widely lauded as one of the most inventive gastronomic pioneers of the 21st century was in  North America to promote his new cookbook.
The Cala Montjoi restaurant in northern Spain snagged the title of world’s best restaurant five times by editors and experts at Restaurant magazine, and at its height received more than two million reservation requests a year for 8,000 available seats.
ElBulli shuttered in 2011, a legend in culinary mythology.
 
When I walked into Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks in Kitsilano Ferran was in a great conversation with chefs  Vikram Vij and Quang Dang.
I just turned on the recorder and had at it.
Questions and answers had to be translated from Spanish to English and back again but the message did get through.
For those of us who never tasted the man’s culinary genius..this may be as close as we get.
FYI – I recorded his talk to the room..at just over an hour. You can listen to this exclusive audio. Please  find it posted on our website.
www.elbulli.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferran_Adri%C3%A0
 
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Three very entertaining guests finish off the show.
Chris Turyk, Brand Ambassador for Cowichan Valley winery – Unsworth!! The maker of one of the best Rose in Canada.

They’re growing by leaps and bounds..and it’s important to stay in touch with this  fine new winery.
HOW they got so good so quickly is a story that I’ll be following.
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Speaking of Rose…

Jason Priestley

 
6-7  years ago Jason Priestley and myself shot Year One of our wine show  Hollywood and Vines TV in the South Okanagan.
We made it a priority to visit Le Vieux Pin. We had been charmed by the GM Tony Buree and by their wines.
The highlight was meeting winemakers James Cambridge and Daniel Bontorin who poured us a Rose of such class, we knew the Okanagan had “arrived”.

Years later I decided to find out where James and Daniel had gotten to.
James is the winemaker at Backyard Vineyards in the Frazer valley. www.backyardvineyards.ca
 
 

…and Daniel has his own label – Seven Directions – based at Volcanic Hills in West Kelowna.  www.sevendirectionswine.ca
Daniel’s only making one style of wine – ROSE.  And you have to watch for it..because there’s less than 100 cases this year.
So. Two winemakers to keep an eye on..watch for their work. It’s the future in a glass.
 

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NEXT WEEK

  
Part Two of our Argentina Tour.
We’ll travel and talk to the winemakers in Patagonia and Mendoza. Then finish at the Argentine Wine Awards with
Steve Spurrier, Paul Hobbs, DJ Kearney and many many more.