EP 553 | Podcast guest is the fantastic singer, songwriter – Mike Farris.
hello


“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
It’s Part Two on the Barnyard Wine Fair.
Wines that are natural, biodynamic, organic.
It’s the most interesting trend in wine and cider making since 2018.
It’s the passion of Matt Cooke.
Matt 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 I loved it. Over the course of several 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 the 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.
So here we are in 2025. There’s a lovely buzz in the room, and this is the “trade” portion of the fair. Lots of passionate conversations at the pouring tables.
The evening consumer event was like a party.
The guests in Part Two are
Matt Cooke with a reminder of what this festival and social movement is all about.
Bree McKeage
Bree McKeage – Winemaker/Viticulturist/Co-Owner of Bella Wines. (Naramata Bench & Similkameen)
Rajen Singh – winemaker and co-owner of Ursa Major (Okanagan)
Bella was one of the “natural” leaders in BC wine, led by owners Jay Drysdale and Wendy Rose.
Bree Mckeage Rajen Singh
They sold to Bree, who is equally passionate about low-intervention winemaking and holistic farming.
Bella’s in good hands.
Bree poured
Ode to Sappho Foch/Island Traditional Sauvignette and Petit Milo/Field Blend #1
Rajen poured
Off with my Head Plum & Apple Piquette/Congregation of Jackals Gew/Brown Boys Don’t Cry Pinot Noir/Fan Fiction Marechal Foch
Sebastian Hotte – Vigneron / Lightning Rock Winery (Summerland)
Sebastian poured
Elysia Blanc de Noirs/Riesling Blanc de Noirs/Pinot Noir Rose/Pinot.
Sebastian Hotte
Mauri Gall Coupet – winemaker Gramona (Catalunya, Spain)
Pouring:
La Cuvee/Imperial/Ill Lustros (the Imperial is a star. Spending 50 months in barrel.
(Creating Sparkling wines since 1850, my friends)
Crafted in BC Releases
Dirty Laundry
Township 7
Mayhem
Meyer Family
New releases, new labels, new sponsors.
Best Coast Distillers and Winemaker’s Cut/The Opera.
Best Coast Distillers have been really busy for the past couple of years. Planting necessary ingredients on their farm, building the distillery from the ground up, getting their hands on quality distilling equipment, harvesting, carefully crafting all of the necessary steps in the distilling process and deciding which blend becomes the next whisky.
We had fun with this interview. Talking to the Corey’s/Cory’s.
Cory Hastings, Corey Wood and Host-Terry David Mulligan
Corey Wood – Co-owner, Sales & marketing ( also Associate Producer of Mulligan Stew)
Cory Hastings – Co-owner, representing the distillery operations, and his family farm.
The missing partner is Sandy Burns. Distiller. Originally from Scotland.
Best Coast Distillers are trying to do things differently as Craft Distillers in North Saanich on Vancouver Island
They are the first in Canada to grow, harvest, juice and distill Sorghum Cane!
Producing Canada’s first true Agricole Rum. (French Oak. 170 bottles.)
They are growing a crop of Agave, which will result in Canada’s first true Agave Spirit, ‘Tequila Style’
Best Coast Distillery is built on a 5th-generation family farm, with grains sourced from local farmers. If you find yourself in the Sidney area of the Peninsula, near the Victoria International Airport and Ferry Terminal, look them up and swing by the tasting area to meet the team.
Best Coast has already released WildFire Whisky, a Cinnamon and Madagascar vanilla-infused whisky. This is great for sipping or mixed in various cocktails found in bars and restaurants around the island. Partial proceeds of sales are being donated to the Victoria Firefighters Foundation. The whisky is currently in stores in BC and will soon be available in Alberta.
Also released- Best Coast Island Vibe Lemon Iced Tea and Best Coast Cold Brew Coffee Whisky.
We thank you for your sponsorship.
Check out their online store to order their innovative products!
Michal Mosny – Co-founder and Winemaker at Winemaker’s Cut and The Opera ( District Wine Village Oliver)
Michal was a winemaker in Slovakia who saw Jason Priestley and I hosting Hollywood and Vines TV in the Okanagan.
He and his wife Martina liked what they saw so much, they moved to Oliver in the south Okanagan and started Winemakers Cut. It was Michal who suggested that, to honour their new life in Canada, we three create a wine to celebrate.
Thus Q&A was created. A Bordeaux red and a Northern Rhone White.
In the meantime, Michal and Martina continued building Winemaker’s Cut and eventually became a sponsor of Tasting Room Radio.
This interview was very interesting, in that Michal was releasing his Crafted in BC Whites for 2024.
When permission was given to let BC wineries access out-of-province fruit, Michal headed for Yakima, Washington and led the growing and harvesting teams. Once the grapes were harvested, the fruit & juice immediately headed north by truck and arrived at the crush pad after an overnight trip.
On his label, which has black and white shots of a cat, raccoon, eagle, polar bear, etc, Michal says to the growers in the USA , “Thanks for the Support.”
(Yakima Valley)
These are just some of the wines Michal created.
All 6 are grown in Washington Fruit – Crafted in BC. $26.00 each.
2024 Chardonnay (can be aged for 5 years)
2024 Gruner Veltliner (beauty)
2024 Muscat (loved this)
2024 Rose (cab and cab franc) Fantastic
2024 Sauvignon Blanc (bold)
2024 Sparkling. 100% Gruner – Charmat Style
Michal and I also talk about Boho, Bohemian Reserve, Q&A, 20222/2023 white wines, his sparkling wines
Fidelia, Piccolina and Angelica and more.
We finish with his just opened latest project. A tasting room right next door, called The Opera Room.
With an assortment of newly created no/lo alcohol wines, ciders and coolers.
Piquette Blanc, Rose, 4.5 Blanc. Piquette Apple Etc. Plus amazing ciders you really want to taste.
It’s wild and fun
To Michal and Martina. Thanks for The Support.
#qawine
@qawine
Crafted in BC Wines!
Our infamous Elvis platter