Michele Faro’s Grandfather toiled long and hard to grow vineyards on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily.
When Michele took over the vineyards at Pietradolce in 2005/6 there were perhaps 10 vineyards on the island.
Now, in part because of Pietradolce success, there are hundreds of wineries there now.
A native of Catania, Sicily, Michele Faro’s enthusiasm for agriculture began with his family, which has been dedicated to cultivating various crops – including wine grapes on the southern slopes of Etna – for generations.
After receiving his degree in agronomy from the University of Catania, he decided to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and make wine, this time on the northern slopes of the volcano, which was slowly beginning a new era in volcanic wines.
Michele and his family founded Pietradolce in 2006 with the main goal of producing wines with an immense sense of place, respecting the traditions of a one-of-a-kind wine zone, and pumping new life into tiny pre-phylloxera vineyards of native Sicilian grapes Nerello Mascalese and Carricante.
These vineyards hold Pietradolce’s tremendous legacy and are used to produce their Cru wines.
Michele Faro
This is the land were bush vines thrive. Etna supplies water for the hot months via the snow that sits atop during the Winter.
Pietradolce was established on the northern slopes of Mount Etna by the Faro family, whose passions are viticulture, agriculture, and all things Etna.
High altitudes, mineral-rich volcanic soils, native grapes, an exceptional Mediterranean, climate, low intervention in the cellar, and very old vines are the perfect ingredients for elegant wines with a one-of-a-kind signature, style, and enormous sense of place.
Michele joins us via Zoom from the Northern slope of Mt Etna. Selwyn was in either Calgary or Vancouver.
Alessandro Nel – Winemaker/Viticulturist at Fort Berens. Lillooet, BC
Alex Nel joined the team at Fort Berens as Winemaker and Viticulturist in January 2021. Alex, his wife Tami and children came from the Stellenbosch wine region of South Africa.
While Alex wasn’t around for the harvest of the grapes he’ll be talking about, he’s been involved with all aspects of the reserve wines since his arrival.
Alex Nel Ft Beren
Alex curated the barrel selection of wines that would go into their 2020 vintage red reserve wines.
Speaking of their red wines, the 2023 Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards gave their 2020 Cabernet Franc Reserve a Platinum Medal, representing the top 13 wines of the competition. We tasted over 500 wines in three days. On 186 cases were produced. If you see it, grab it.
Alex and I talked about the differences between growing in South Africa and Lillooet.
What surprised him about our soils, weather and climate?
How different are our wines in taste and complexity?
And what’s up ahead for the wines of Fort Berens??
Here are the wines we’ll taste and talk about with Alex.
Welcome to The Summer Stews (also known as Music to get you to September)
Here’s the deal..’
Whatever you’re doing Saturday between 5 and 7 PM Mtn, or during the next week at CKUA On Demand, I’ve got the tunes for you – a bag full.
Two hours of tunes.
Starting with LaVern Baker, Oliver Wood, Dan Mangan, Corb Lund, Los Lobos, Peter Wolf, Rockin’ Roy Forbes, Eddie Vedder,
Steve Earle, Blue Rodeo, Chilliwack, Leon Russell, Son Volt, Doug Sahm, JJ Cale, Beatles, Ronnie Raitt, Ray Charles, Jerry Garcia Band with Bela Fleck and Tom Petty.
New music from Margo Price, Brandi Carlile and Catherine Carlile, Celeigh Cardinal, Art Bergmann and Russell Broom and Tony Allen.
Making plans to be on-site at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival next weekend. More info to follow.
FYI This week Mulligan Stew Podcast is all about Bob Dylan and his influence on several generations of singer/songwriters and groups. On the occasion of his 80th birthday several years ago.
Roy Forbes, Holger Peterson, The Bros. Landreth and AV and the Inner City.
All of the interviews were done backstage at the Vancouver Island Music Festival of several weeks ago. In Courtney. Thank you, Doug Cox and Team.
Talking to Roy about performing his Thistles album after all those years, to Holger about some of the highlights of his years coming to the festival and interviewing Roy for the audience.
The Bros Landreth tells the tale of travelling to the Byron Bay Blues Fest in Australia to finally play with Bonnie Raitt. There was just one thing they wanted to do before that…go swimming in the surf. Things went sideways.
Ann Vriend and her Inner City Choir introduced themselves and their second jobs and left us with a song.
Holger was hosting and doing interviews.
The Bros. Landreth was playing various side stages and headlining Sunday
Rocking Roy was playing his Thistles album from his “Bim” Days. with a great band
Ann Vriend and Inner City, after a chat, left us with a cappella gospel song.
John Skinner on his Painted Rock Wines /VJ Gandhi on making our wines available in USA.
THE SHOW
“If Painted Rock is going to compete with the best in the world we must have confidence in our terroir and allow it to express its uniqueness. That’s why we are 100% Estate.”John Skinner
John Skinner
John Skinner and Valeria Tait planted Painted Rock in 2006, a year before we moved to the Naramata Bench. Even though there was no Painted Rock to taste when we arrived, it was one of the first wine names I heard in my ‘walk arounds’.
John was driven to make wines that would be appreciated all over the World but first he had to create it and then convince the wine world that it was worthy.
He has done so with Painted Rock.
Fires around Painted Rock
John’s Red Icon was named as a Decanter Wine of the Year in 2020.
Also this review from Jancis Robinson: London
Painted Rock, Red Icon 2016 17 Points: “Like a very rich red Bordeaux. Very beautifully balanced. Long and velvety. Everything fully ripe but with good acidity too. Well balanced and very bright-fruited. Still youthful but promising for the long term. (RH) 14.9%” Drink 2020 – 2027
John takes us through his new releases and brings a stack of stories.
2020 Chardonnay available for first time since 2019
“It’s time to change the narrative to – North American wine.” – VJ Gandhi
For everyone who has family and friends in the USA asking how to get their hands on wines from BC and other provinces, or Americans who discover wines North of the border that they really like, there’s someone now making our best wines available in the US.
That someone is VJ Gandhi.
VJ Gandhi
Founder, VJ Gandhi is a proud Canadian citizen with epicurean taste, and her deepest passion yet has to be her love for the complexity in a glass of fine-tasting wine.
Over the course of her career in marketing and business management VJ has developed, implemented and managed several large scale projects in finance and marketing for high profile organizations such as the Government of Canada, BC Provincial Government, and 2010 Olympic Games Secretariat.
VJ was inspired to market award winning Canadian vintages globally in the United States when she’d moved to the San Francisco area in 2014. VJ and her trusted team of experts have carefully curated the Kascadia Wine portfolio over the years, which has now scaled to shipping in US states.
With the launch of the wine club, clients who are eager to savor exclusive, high quality wines from North America, including Canada and the Pacific Northwest are going to be impressed!
Today, her growing venture, Kascadia Wine Merchants, markets and sells Canadian wines across 45 US states.
2 Donor Hours. The first says ” go for it” so we do.\
The second is in memory of a lost son and all the concerts they attended.
The Guests
Roy Forbes, Holger Peterson, The Bros. Landreth and AV and the Inner City.
All of the interviews were done backstage at the Vancouver Island Music Festival of several weeks ago. In Courtney. Thank you, Doug Cox and Team.
Talking to Roy about performing his Thistles album after all those years, to Holger about some of the highlights of his years coming to the festival and interviewing Roy for the audience. The Bros Landreth tells the tale of travelling to the Byron Bay Blues Fest in Australia to finally play with Bonnie Raitt. There was just one thing they wanted to do before that…go swimming in the surf. Things went sideways.
Ann Vriend and her Inner City Choir introduced themselves and their second jobs and left us with a song.
The Wedding – In our back garden. Two families becoming one.
Our son. Their daughter.
Holger was hosting and doing interviews.
The Bros. Landreth was playing various side stages and headlining Sunday
Rocking Roy was playing his Thistles album from his “Bim” Days. with a great band
Ann Vriend and Inner City, after a chat, left us with a cappella gospel song.
These are edited versions of much longer interviews. They will all be heard over the next 4-6 weeks.
Two Western Canadian Music Award Nominations for Breakout Artist and Roots Artist, Polaris nomination, Americana Festival in Nashville in September, Winnipeg Folk Festival, King Eddy gig with Tim, released a version of album Everywhere I Used to be (deluxe)Two new tracks – Prairie Town Dreams and Sad all the Time.
And she’s not done yet!!! Heading to the Edmonton Folk Festival as well.
Mariel brings tales of relationships, sadness, depression, small-town loneliness that can squeeze the life out of you. Not exactly feel-good songs but there is hope throughout. And a fight-back spirit.
“ I was a friend to the BC wine industry before they had any friends.”
John Schreiner is the Dean of Wine Writers in Canada.
Good Grog: A life in wine and journalism is John’s 22nd book.
The journalism chapters of Good Grog take us from newsrooms such as The Regina Leader Post all the way The Financial Post.
John travelled the World filing stories on the economies of nations and their industries.
When wine took over his interest and passions, John went back to some of those same countries to taste and report on their wines.
John Schreiner
The Jack Webster award for Excellence in Business Reporting and the 2017 “the national winner for Canada” Gourmand World Cookbook Award in the category of New World Wine Book.
John’s research into World Wines took him from BC to the US, Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand.
Best of all, John was the right guy, in the right place, at the right time. He not only watched the BC wine industry grow and get much better with each harvest but through his reporting he was also very much a part of building the industry.
I was fascinated by the parade of “characters” John engaged with over the years.
From the business side, a mix of BS and Billionaires. On the wine side, the builders, the grifters and the legends.
TDM, John Schreiner, Brent Gushowaty after a day of blind tasting Pinots.
Characters such as:
Sam Baptiste
Joe Busnardo
Ben Ginter vs Anthony von Mandle
Harry McWatters
Jim Pattison
And many more.
Enjoy this special edition of Tasting Room Radio. Saluting the life and triumphs of John Schreiner.
She’s been a tad busy. 2 Western Canadian Music Award Nominations for Breakout Artist and Roots Artist, Polaris nomination, Americana Festival in Nashville in September, Winnipeg Folk Festival, King Eddy gig with brother Tim, released a version of album Everywhere I Used to be (deluxe).
Two new tracks – Prairie Town Dreams and Sad all the Time.
And she’s not done yet!!! Mariel is heading to the Edmonton Folk Fest Aug 10-13
Mariel brings tales of relationships, sadness, depression, small-town loneliness that can squeeze the life out of you. Not exactly feel-good songs but there is hope throughout. And a fight-back spirit. A Rise Up anthem.
Some of the stories are actually true.
The complete interview – a romp – can be heard on the Mulligan Stew Podcast and the video version on terrydavidmulligan YouTube Channel
Also – one donor requested Cuban music..so we included Mongo Santamaria, Alex Cuba & Jon Batiste.
Hour two donor requested memorable concerts I attended…
So a long segment features
Nathanial Rateliff – Fallon
Tedeschi Trucks – Beacon Theatre
Joe Cocker – Mad Dogs Live/Fillmore.
The Band. – The Last Waltz
New music from Dominique Fils-Aime, Art Bergmann, Clapton/Beck, Rufus Wainwright and Brandi Carlile, Jon Batiste.
The annual Cowichan Valley Wine Festival returns to its Whole Month of August setting.
It kicks off July 27 with Sunset Soirée from 6-9 PM at the gorgeous Campbell Commons at Brentwood College School in Mill Bay.
13 Cowichan wineries will be pouring some of their favourites plus some wines chosen especially for this event. Attending and tasting allow you to actually meet the maker of the wines. There’s nothing better than getting the real story behind the wines you’re tasting. Expect high end, new releases and a few surprises being poured.
This year the food program will be created by Mensch Kitchen and Catering .
Wineries pouring on the night will be Alderlea, Averill Creek, Blue Grouse, Cherry Point, Damali, Devino, Deol, Enrico, Rocky Creek, Unsworth, Venturi Schultze, Zanatta and Emandare.
August in the Cowichan Valley Aug 1 – 31. 12 wineries.
Wine Passport Program
Your map and tasting glass are your ticket to all 12 participating Cowichan Valley Wineries.
Everyone who purchases a ticket is automatically entered into draws. Accommodations, wine, tours, transportation and gift baskets.
Chef Kristian Eligh – Marilena Café and Raw Bar. Victoria
It felt like the longest opening of a new restaurant in many years.
It was, I think, 3-4 years ago I knew that Kristian and his family were moving back to Victoria with a plan to create a singular restaurant.
Then came years of COVID and post-Covid.
Finally, the day has arrived and Marilena Café and Raw Bar was just launched.
Kristian is a chefs chef.
From Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry to culinary director of Hawksworth Restaurant and now Top Table Group Executive Chef.
The Top Table Group includes Blue Water Café, Eliza, Cin Cin, Araxi, Il Caminetto, Bar Oso. Quite a line up and it doesn’t include their two New York City restaurants.
Marilena is two rooms in one. They’ve been described as “pockets of ambience”.
The Raw Bar, led by Chef Clark Park. The Café is the turf of one of the best managers Aaron Matsuzaki.
The wine directory is large. It’s overseen by the brilliant Shane Taylor
