Barnyard Natural Wine Fest Part 2 & Natural Winemaker Ann Sperling
THE SHOW
Last week we happily presented a feature story on the first Barnyard Natural Wine Festival in BC.
As promised here’s the rest of the featured interviews.
Matt Cooke
We decided to start with a shortened version of the interview with Matt Cooke.
matt cooke
Matt conceived and organized the Festival at his home base of Save-On Arena in Victoria. Matt has a history of supporting natural winemaking through various restaurants where he’s lead the wine program.
The Rogue Kitchen and Wet bar in Vancouver, Tableau Bistro, Homer St Café,
Ancora and finally the wonderful OLO restaurant in Victoria. He featured natural wines all the way.
Completing the natural story are:
Murray Fontaine and Aaron Goddard from the much admired Scout Vineyard (Similkameen)
Kesley Rufiage – Winemaker Else Wines, Echo Bay and jocko (OK Falls)
Alex Thornley – Thorn and Burrow (Various Locations)
Annelise Simonsen – Creek and Gully (Naramata Bench)
Ann Sperling – Winemaker and family member Sperling Vineyards (East Kelowna)
Ann Sperling
Certified organic in 2017, Ann is the fourth generation of Sperlings tending the vineyards on the East Benches of Kelowna.
AC Newman returns to The Stew with the 7th New Pornographers studio album Continue as a Guest.
The New P’s have been acclaimed since forming in Vancouver 1997.
They were dubbed a Super Group.
They weren’t so much super as stellar.
A great blend of melodies, hooks, word puzzles and fine harmonies.
Pitchfork has described the band’s sound as “peppy, gleeful, headstrong guitar pop“,[3] while Stereogum called the band’s debut album Mass Romantic as “one of the greatest and most immediate power pop albums ever rendered”
I found Carl at home in Woodstock NY. Having followed the band’s early years in Vancouver, we had lots to talk about.
“The idea of continuing as a guest felt very apropos to the times, “Feeling out of place in culture, in society—not feeling like a part of any zeitgeist, but happy to be separate and living your simple life, your long fade-out.
Find your own little nowhere, find some space to fall apart, continue as a guest.” Carl Newman
AC Newman returns to The Stew with the 7th New Pornographers studio album Continue as a Guest.
The New P’s have been acclaimed since forming in Vancouver in 1997.
They were dubbed a Super Group.
They weren’t so much super as stellar.
A great blend of melodies, hooks, word puzzles and fine harmonies.
Pitchfork has described the band’s sound as “peppy, gleeful, headstrong guitar pop“,[3] while Stereogum called the band’s debut album Mass Romantic as “one of the greatest and most immediate power pop albums ever rendered”
I found Carl at home in Woodstock NY. Having followed the band’s early years in Vancouver, we had lots to talk about.
(The complete interview can be heard on our Podcast and video on YouTube)
New Music from
Lucinda Williams
Natalie Merchant
Chicago
Madison Cunningham
Bette LaVette
Tommy Emmanuel
Natalie McMaster, Donnell Leahy
And Rhiannon Giddens.
Marc Jordan
Jesse Roper
Jason Isbell
Ron Sexsmith
Jill Barber
Classics from
Rosanne Cash
Jon Batiste
Mongo Santamaria
Stones
John Lennon
Keb Mo
Steve Miller
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
After all the well-earned chat on Wide Cut Stew Saturday morning – it felt good to let the music flow.. Enjoy!!
BARNYARD (Part One) – BC’s First Natural Wine Festival (Victoria)
THE SHOW
NATURAL WINE:
“Wine unplugged. It’s the unfiltered, untamed, unphotoshopped version of what we know wine to be. Hand picked, no additives, little or no sulphites.
It flies against the status quo. Challenges what people think is good wine”
Madeline Puckette /Wine Folly
This first natural wine festival was organized byMatt Cooke .
In 2016 Matt moved to Victoria and joined the management team at OLO Restaurant, where he quickly took over the bar, and then wine programs. The food at OLO screamed natural – which inspired him to create a largely natural wine list, which over his nearly 5 years there, grew to become arguably the most natural list in Victoria.
Matt’s passion was really in finding new and exciting wines/regions/varietals to pair up with the food and encourage OLO guests to try. Then in fall 2021 he became the Food & Beverage General Manager at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
It was a major career shift, from a 40 seat farm-to-table high end restaurant, to a 7000 person arena, but loved it. Over the course of two hockey seasons now, Matt has become confident in his role – but missed the aspect of educating people on wine, and missed his connection to the wine world. Which is where the idea for Barnyard came from.
In Fall of 2022 Matt started reaching out to his contacts from his buying days at OLO, and suggested this gathering. The response was immediate and highly supportive.
Matt Cooke
For BARNYARD they had 35 wineries/agencies attending, including 18 BC wineries and 1 Ontario winery – all with principals, and 16 import agencies. The import agencies presented a range of products from their portfolio, which allowed the festival to showcase wines from 17 other countries.
The full list of wineries and agencies is up on their website:
“The Vivian Line is unlikely to land on anyone’s hip/hot list. Rather Sexsmith, now pushing 60, is content to churn out radiant, sublime, transcendent music that unobtrusively exists in its own delicate bubble, inviting us in to join him on his unique musical path.” American Songwriter
“Ron Sexsmith’s albums have always had a generally laid-back vibe, but in recent years this has become ever more wistful and soothing, a listening experience rather like snuggling up in a favourite blanket and letting your troubles wash away. Sign me up.” Folk Radio UK
Those already deeply appreciative of Ron’s songwriting chops include a stellar list of vocalists to have recorded Sexsmith compositions. That group includes such international stars as Rod Stewart, Emmylou Harris, Nick Lowe, plus Canadian favourites Michael Bublé, Feist and kd lang. Ron’s work has also elicited effusive praise from the likes of Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Steve Earle and Chris Martin, to name just a few. Over the course of a recording career now spanning 36 years, Ron has been nominated for 12 Juno awards, winning three times.
Now it’s time to visit The Vivian Line. Explore, linger, enjoy.”
I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Ron Sexsmith many times over the course of his 17 albums.
I like diving into deep conversations with him as much as I truly love his songs and melodies.
I also admire what he stands for. No co-writes, no writing by committee, no bending and shaping to suit the music fans who still don’t know who he is.
However, when he plays live, you know the room is filled with people who “get it” and it really does feel like a community.
So what is it he “does’?
Ron Sexsmith writes songs that you find yourself humming, and sings in an ever-developing soft voice that still resonates with character. His lyrics are thoughtful, kind and etched with very dry humour.
I loved this conversation with Ron. I hope you do as well.
His 17th album is now out – it’s called The Vivian Line.
Named after a rural road connection between his old home in Toronto to his new country home in Stratford.
FYI – There’s a reference to Richard Manual from The Band. He was born in the area and there’s a bench in his memory in the countryside that Ron will visit when he’s on his creative walks.
Discover Ron Sexsmith. Your heart will thank you many times over.
This week’s Easter Bunny is dressed up as Ron Sexsmith. His 17th studio album
is called The Vivian Line.
As always Ron is very transparent in his writing and life in general.
I think he still marvels at the life he’s lead and the career he’s hand-built.
The Vivian Line is a rural road that winds its way out of Toronto and slowly leads to his new home in Stratford. The change in his lifestyle is reflected in these songs.
What I had in mind is Ron in grade school having second thoughts about fitting it.
The oldest song is the best I think. Diamond Wave. It just took years for all the pieces to fit.
Ron says when he first started to sing When our love was new on stage he ended up crying his way through.
He channels Leonard Cohen on the final track Ever Wonder.
Lots of stories and dry humour from a country gentleman Ron Sexsmith.
Complete interview on Mulligan Stew Podcast and
Video Ron on tdm youtube channel.
A native of Vancouver but currently residing in Nashville, where he works as a solo artist, sideman, and record producer, Steve has forged an impressive career full of highlights and awards, including:
7 Juno Awards as artist/producer, 18 times nominated
3 times named “Producer Of The Year” at the Western Canadian Music Awards
4 times named “Producer Of The Year” at the Canadian Folk Music Awards
Recipient of many other awards including Maple Blues Awards, Grand Prix De Jazz De Montreal, Blues Blast Awards, and many Western Canadian Music Awards and Canadian Folk Awards as an artist and producer
Steve’s multi-faceted career has brought him to countless international festivals, working on the stage and in the studio with an extensive cast of musicians, including John Hammond, Sonny Landreth, Van Dyke Parks, David Hidalgo, Colin James, Jim Byrnes, Jill Barber, Dave Alvin, Joe Henry, Tim O’Brien, Fats Kaplin, Colin James, The McCrary Sisters, Matt Chamberlain, Del Rey, Birds of Chicago, Allison Russell, Long John Baldry, Bruce Cockburn, Kelly Joe Phelps, Linda McRae, CR Avery, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Geoff Muldaur, Scott Amendola, Danny Barnes, The Deep Dark Woods, Colin Linden, Big Dave McLean, and many others.
Steve’s studio, The Henhouse, located in Nashville (and previously in Vancouver) has hosted countless artists and been the home to over 80 releases. With a beautifully warm and organic setting to stay and record, it promises to become a destination for many more to come.
His groundbreaking work with Jesse Zubot in Zubot and Dawson kicked things off in 1998, leading to 2 albums with Toronto jazz stalwarts Andrew Downing and Kevin Turcotte in the award-winning Great Uncles of the Revolution. Steve’s solo recording output started with 2001’s award-winning acoustic “Bug Parade”, he next explored blues and Hawaiian influences in depth with “We Belong To The Gold Coast” in 2005. 2008 saw the release of 2 albums – “Telescope” which was the culmination of studies with Greg Leisz and featured music written for the pedal steel guitar, and “Waiting For The Lights To Come Up”, a collection of new songs. He followed that with 2011’s acclaimed “Nightshade”, which Acoustic Guitar magazine named to it’s Top-10 guitar albums of the year. 2014’s “Rattlesnake Cage” – was an award-winning exploration of solo acoustic and slide guitar. Dawson’s 2018 release “Lucky Hand” is a mesmerizing collection of original fingerstyle and slide guitar instrumentals, 5 of which feature Dawson reuniting with his old cohort Jesse Zubot, who arranged incredible string quartet parts to flow with the music. Recorded live off the floor it brings together the American Primitive style Steve has often explored and cutting-edge strings to create music, unlike anything you’ve heard before. Birds of Chicago, Allison Russell, Matt Anderson, etc. Steve is also host and producer of the podcast Music Makers and Soul Shakers. 135 episodes in 6 years.
amcjmdudhjrtists from all over the world, and continues to work as a side-person and freelance musician both on stage and in the studio. Steve is also the creator of the well-loved Music Makers and Soul Shakers podcast, which has been going for over 6 years and 135 episodes.
He spent the last few years pre-pandemic on the road playing guitar, steel and dobro with Allison Russell’s band Birds of Chicago, and Canadian powerhouse Matt Andersen. He has produced, engineered and mixed over 100 albums for many artists from all over the world, and continues to work as a side-person and freelance musician both on stage and in the studio. Steve is also the creator of the well-loved Music Makers and Soul Shakers podcast
In 2022/2023, Steve released 3 albums throughout the year – “Gone, Long Gone” is the first. From gentle fingerstyle folk tunes to blazing, funky Americana grooves, to Hawaiian-style slide guitar instrumentals, this album covers a lot of sonic territory.
The second album, “Phantom Threshold” came out on August 12, 2022, and is an all-instrumental sonic trip featuring the Telescope Three – Jay Bellerose on drums, Jeremy Holmes on bass, and Chris Gestrin on keyboards. All driven by the melodies and improvisations of Steve’s pedal steel guitar.
Now comes the promised third album Eyes Closed, Dreaming. It’s filled with Albertan friend Matt Patershuk co-writes and well-chosen covers. Bobby Charles Small Town Talk, Ian Tyson’s Long time to get old, Cowboy Jack Clements Guess things happen that way and the classic Singing the Blues.
Lots to talk about with long-time friend Steve Dawson.
Steve’s current tour dates
April 20 Dream Cafe Penticton
April 21 Rogue Folk Club Vancouver
April 22 Bozzini’s Chilliwack
April 28 First Church of Christ Scientist Victoria
Executive Director Harry Hertscheg on 44th VanWineFest (April 22-30)
THE SHOW
Harry Hertscheg – Executive Director of Vancouver Wine festival.
Harry Hertscheg
It’s Harry’s show. He spends his entire year leading a great creative team.
If anyone can give us a wrap-up of the entire festival it’s Harry.
Harry spends every day between festivals planning, conceiving, producing and executing details for the next VanWineFest. We’ll spend the entire TRR with Harry because he’s already lived the festival. The rest of us just have to catch up.
148 Wineries from 17 Countries, Featuring South America
The Vancouver International Wine Festival is excited to announce the winery line-up for the 44th annual festival, which takes place April 22-30, 2023. This spring wine and food extravaganza returns to the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC) and other venues, with 148 wineries from 17 countries, featured at 36 events over eight days. The festival will feature South America as the 2023 theme region, with a global spotlight on sparkling wine.
CELEBRATING SOUTH AMERICA
The festival is featuring a specific region of the wine world for the first time since 2020, with South America in the spotlight for 2023. Forty-four wineries from four countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay – will be sharing their wines and their stories with festivalgoers in the Tasting Room and at special events throughout festival week.
The festival is pleased to welcome Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein, president of Full Circle Wine Solutions and Master the World, and a renowned wine writer and educator, as this year’s keynote speaker.
Evan Goldstein
THE WINE WORLD IS COMING
VanWineFest 2023 will welcome 151 different producers from 17 countries, more than 25% of them attending the festival for the first time.
36 events, 20 venues, 8 days!
In addition to the four countries and 44 wineries from South America, there is a strong contingent travelling from Europe,. “Italy leads the way with 26 wineries, but France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, and Spain are also well represented. The New World is out in force, with Canada and the US combining for 48 wineries in attendance, and returning favourites travelling from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. In total, there will be more than 1150 wines in the Tasting Room to discover, marking a return to pre-pandemic numbers.
VWF global spotlight is sparkling wine. They will bring the best bubbles from around the wine world, with Champagne and Crémant from France, Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy, and other superb sparklers featured in events throughout the festival week and in the Tasting Room.
The festival is headquartered at the Vancouver Convention Centre; in addition, restaurants and venues around the city will host winery dinners, lunches, seminars, and wine minglers. The sumptuous Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, presented by National Bank Private Banking 1859, and benefiting Bard on the Beach, will take place on Saturday, April 22 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The heart of the festival is the Tasting Room in VCC East, where all 152 wineries will gather for four International Festival Tastings and two Trade Tastings on Thursday, April 27, Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29.
Mulligan Stew welcomes back Steve Dawson – currently riding the CKUA top 30.
Made his name as a writer, player and producer in Vancouver.
Remember Zubot and Dawson?
He’s worked on many albums with Jim Byrnes, Sojourners etc.
A native of Vancouver but currently residing in Nashville, where he works as a solo artist, sideman, and record producer, Steve has forged an impressive career full of highlights and awards, including:
7 Juno Awards as artist/producer, 18 times nominated
3 times named “Producer Of The Year” at Western Canadian Music Awards
4 times named “Producer Of The Year” at Canadian Folk Music Awards
Recipient of many other awards including Maple Blues Awards, Grand Prix De Jazz De Montreal, Blues Blast Awards, and many Western Canadian Music Awards and Canadian Folk Awards as an artist and producer
Steve’s multi-faceted career has brought him to countless international festivals, working on the stage and in the studio with an extensive cast of musicians, including John Hammond, Sonny Landreth, Van Dyke Parks, David Hidalgo, Colin James, Jim Byrnes, Jill Barber, Dave Alvin, Joe Henry, Tim O’Brien, Fats Kaplin, , The McCrary Sisters, Matt Chamberlain, Del Rey, Birds of Chicago, Allison Russell, Long John Baldry, Bruce Cockburn, Kelly Joe Phelps, Linda McRae, CR Avery, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Geoff Muldaur, Scott Amendola, Danny Barnes, The Deep Dark Woods, Colin Linden, Big Dave McLean, and many others.
Over the past year, he released three albums.
Gone, Long Gone
Phantom Threshold
And now …
Eyes Closed, Dreaming.
H’s been co-writing songs with Matt Patershuk.
And he’s coming our way.
Tour dates include
April 20 Dream Café Penticton
April 21 – Rogue Club Vancouver
April 28 – Victoria
May 4 – Aviary Edmonton
May 5 Festival Hall
New music from
Marc Broussard
Matt Anderson
Krasno Moore Project
Also
Marvin Gaye
The Band
Jools Holland
Emmy Lou
Pink Floyd
Wm Prine/Serena Ryder
Lyle Lovett and his big band
Faces
EASTER WEEKEND – Ron Sexsmith
PLAYLIST:
Mulligan Stew – TDMulligan
Interview Guest – Steve Dawson
playlist mulligan stew dot ca
It takes a lot to laugh. it takes a train to cry
Bob Dylan & Wynton Marsalis
United we Swing
Rather drink muddy water
Marc Broussard
Sos $ – Blues for your soul
Stop and Listen
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings
O Glory
Long may you run
EmmyLou Harris
Last Date
Mulligan Stew Year 27
Coming UP Beatles and new Matt Anderson
playlist mulliganstew dot ca
Tomorrow never knows
The Beatles
Revolver
Paper in Fire
Alan Doyle
Rough Side Out
So Low, Solo
Matt Anderson
The big bottle of Joy
Deane House
River Cafe – Both in Calgary
Thank you for the support
Into the Mystic
Van Morrison
Moondance
Nature Boy
Rickie Lee Jones
Pieces of Treasure
Ooh Baby Baby
Marc Jordan and Amy Sky
He Sang She Sang
Special Guest Steve Dawson
tour dates at
mulliganstew dot ca
Don’t do it (live)
The Band
The Last Waltz (Deluxe)
Coming UP Marvin Gaye and Jeff Beck
Playlist mulliganstew dot ca
Guest – Steve Dawson
Inner City Blues
Marvin Gaye
What’s Going On
Drown in my own Tears
Jools Holland and Jeff Beck
Jools Holland. More Friends Vol 2
Special Guest in Hour Two
Steve Dawson
Tour dates on mulliganstew dot ca
Time
Pink Floyd
Dark side of the Moon
Ooh La La
Faces
Best of Faces
TDMulligan
The Stew – Year 27
Guest this hour – Steve Dawson
Let the boogie woogie roll
Jools Holland and Robert Plant
Jools Holland. More friends Vol 2
River of Tears
William Prince and Serena Ryder
River of Tears
My baby don’t tolerate
Lyle Lovett and Wynton Marsalis
United We Swing
New Walkin’ Blues
Paul Butterfield’s Better Days
Paul Butterfield’s Better Days
Today’s Guest – Steve Dawson
Mulligan Stew
Next – Fever and Love the one you’re with
Fever
Krasno – Moore project
Book of Queens
Love the one you’re with (live)
Stephen Stills
Live at Berkley 1971
Coyotes Banff – We Thank You !!
206 Cariboo St
NEXT Steve Dawson
Steve Dawson Interview
3 albums in a year
Gone, Long Gone – Phantom Threshold & Eyes Closed, Dreaming.
The New P’s have been acclaimed since forming in Vancouver 1997.
