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Sandra Oldfield, Kurtis Kolt , Rhys Pender. Helping Restaurants and Wineries in the year ahead

THE SHOW

2020… a year like no other.

We all have hunkered down and completely changed our lives in order to survive the Covid19 virus.

Perhaps lost in all this is the fact that restaurants and wineries are struggling to stay open and stay alive.

We have gathered three of the voices that need to be heard.  They speak on behalf of families struggling to keep their businesses open.

Struggling to pay staff and suppliers.

We try to answer the basic question  –  HOW CAN WE HELP?

I’ve asked Sandra and Kurtis and Rhys to give us the lay of the land.  Where are the needs, who’s adapting well and what the year ahead looks like.

I also took the time to ask them to recommend wines they’ve tasted recently that people should know about.

Kurtis Kolt 

Kurtis-Kolt

Kurtis is  a Vancouver-based wine consultant who writes about wine, presents seminars, hosts events, judges wine competitions, works with restaurants on their wine programs, and so on.
Kurtis’ background is in running restaurants around Vancouver, eventually managing Gastown’s Salt Tasting Room until 2010 when he received the ‘Sommelier of the Year’ award at the 2010 Vancouver International Wine Festival.

Kurtis has various certifications and credits through London’s Wine & Spirit Education Trust, the Court of Master Sommeliers & the Winemaking Program at UC Davis. He is  also the co-founder of Top Drop, dubbed “the nerdiest, most awesome wine festival in Canada.”.

Wines Kurtis would like to  recommend:

2018 Cerasuolo Dabruzzo Tiberio

2018 Morgon – Mathieu & Camille Lapierre

2018 – Road 13  Chenin Blanc Chip off the Old Block

KurtisKolt.com

@kurtiskolt

Sandra Oldfield

Sandra Oldfield

Sandra and Kenn Oldfield established Elysian Projects to give a hand up to BC wineries and tourism businesses.  They work in a wide range of areas including organizational effectiveness, business analysis and planning, recruitment, mentoring and innovative sales and marketing ideas.  At the heart of every project they accept is the belief that people come first and from there success will follow.

Many of you know Sandra from her over 30 years in the wine business. She made 20 vintages as winemaker at Tinhorn Creek and became the  CEO.

She lead the way for BC’s first sub appellation – The Golden Mile Bench. She currently suits on the Ministers Council for Tourism BC,  has agreed to be on the  board for Thompson Valley Tourism and  just wrapped up the 2020 edition of Fortify, a business conference for the beverage industry.

Check out her weekly #bcwinechat  – It’s a Hoot.. Two actually.

When asked to recommend a wine she suggested  Bill Eggert’s Fairview Cellars Two Hoots a Cab/Merlot blended specifically for daily consumption. True.

#bcwinechat

https://elysianprojects.com/

Rhys Pender

Rhys Pender MW is a wine educator, freelance wine writer, wine judge and consultant to the industry. Working in the wine trade since age 14, Rhys’ career has included experience in the vineyard, cellar, wine retail, education and hospitality – providing knowledge in all facets of the business.

In 2010 Rhys became Canada’s youngest Master of Wine (MW) and was awarded the Taransaud Award for best Production of Wine paper.

Rhys consults to the industry on marketing, new winery development, wine evaluations, viticulture, business planning, food and wine pairing and staff training.

Rhys  runs a WSET wine school and consultancy through his business Wine Plus+, and when he’s not travelling around the world he can be found with his boots in the dirt at his small four acre vineyard and winery in the Similkameen Valley – Little Farm Winery.

 He has attempted to explain wines plus  play the ukulele and sing at the same time.  Some have said  “it didn’t go well”  and  many others  have said  “rock on Rhys”

Rhys Pender recommends

A Tempranillo, A Barbaresco, a beautiful old bottle of bubble from Summerhill and because he was calling from Tofino, he chose a Vancouver Island wine Unsworth Pinot Noir.

www.rhyspender.com

wineplus.ca

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

 The Hatch Wines

‘Black Swift

Fort Berens

Sperling Wines

Winemakers Cut

Hillside

Moon  Curser

Enrico

Pags in Victoria

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Holiday Budget Bottles from The Wine Diva & The Bard of Oliver Michael Bartier of Bartier Bros.

THE SHOW

Daenna van Mulligen – The Wine Diva

Daenna Van Mulligen

Her website www.winediva.ca has become one of the “go to” wine sites in Canada.

We are happy to have Daenna van Mulligen  return to the show with the first of several wine lists. (Daenna loves her lists)

This list is called Holiday Budget Bottles 2020 ($16.00 or less)

Pretty much everyone is looking to stock up for the Winter and Daenna  takes care of those needs.

She has personally tasted every one of these wines and only the best tasting and best value wines make the list.

Yes, you can make a list as we talk OR you can go to www.winediva.ca ..click on wine ..and click there for Wine lists.

All the bottles are shown and tasting notes appear BUT if you look up in the top right corner it says You can print this..

I urge you to print and save the list. Trust me, it will come in handy as Christmas approaches. For you and your gift giving.

. See Ya Later Ranch ‘Luna’, Okanagan Valley, BC $ 15.99

.Farnese ‘Fantini’ Primitivo, Puglia Italy $ 12.99

.McWilliam’s “Stolen Colt ‘Shiraz, NSW, Australia $ 15.99

. Tiger Horse Old Vine Cinsault, Western Cape, South Africa $ 14.99

.Easter Romeo & Juliet Red Passimento, Veneto Italy $ 15.99

. Grown Wild ‘Rapturous Red’, Okanagan Valley, BC $ 15.99

. Undurraga ‘8 Rios’ Sauvignon Blanc, Chile $ 11.99

. Santa Carolina ‘Carolina’ Reserva Pinot Noir, Leyda Valley, Chile $ 13.99

. Bodegas San Alejandro ‘Pablo’ Old Vine Garnacha, Calatayud Spain $ 17.00

. Oops ‘Spicy Splendor’ Carmenere, Central Valley Chile $ 14.00

. Terra Ventoux ‘Les 5 Terroirs’ Vieilles Vignes, Ventoux, Rhone Valley $ 15.00

. Five Vineyards by Mission Hill, Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC $ 14.99

. Spier ‘Signature Collection’ Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch South Africa $ 13.99

. Aureliano Negroamaro, Salento, Puglia, Italy $ 15.00

. Nederburg ‘The Winemaster’s’ Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape South Africa $ 13.99

. Santo Cristo Garnacha, Campo de Borja, Spain $ 16.00

. Three Monkeys ‘Fresh & Fuity’ Rose, Spain $ 13.50

. Felix Solis ‘Run Rafa Run’ Tempranilla, Spain $ 9.00

. Acheron ‘Footprint The Long Walk’ Shiraz, South Africa $ 12.99

. Trapiche Reserve Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina $ 14.99

. Sanguinhal ‘Sottal Leve’, Lisboa, Portugal $ 16.00

. Leyda Rose, Leyda Valley, Chile $ 15.99

. Rupert Wines ‘Protea’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Western Cape South Africa $ 14.99

. Spier ‘Stormy Bay’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Western Cape, South Africa $ 13.00

www.WineDiva.ca

Michael Bartier – Bartier Bros  (Oliver)

Michael Bartier

“We are from and of this valley.
We grew up here, we know it, we love it, and we are responsible to it.”

– Michael & Don Bartier

Michael Bartier grew up in the Okanagan Valley, leaving as a young man for his education. After receiving a degree from the University of Victoria and working in wine sales on Vancouver Island for a few years, he and his wife Jodi returned home to the Okanagan. While looking for a “real job”, Michael accepted casual work in a winery cellar. And, since he’s still in the cellar, you could say he hasn’t found a real job yet.

Through distance learning at Washington State University and University of California Davis, Michael worked his way into a winemaking position.

He quickly made a name for himself: first as a maker of white wines, earning two Canadian White Wine of the Year titles within three years, and then as a maker of red wines with several consecutive Lieutenant Governor’s awards for his red wines.

Michael enjoyed stints at Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards, Township 7, and Road 13, among others. Currently, he acts as consulting winemaker to what is surely the most coveted client list in North America among consulting winemakers.

Michael’s winemaking philosophy is simple:

1. Plant the correct grapes on the correct site.
2. Farm these well, thinking of the vineyard as a 200-year project.
3. Take the good fruit into the cellar, and make sure the vineyard characters, not the winemaker’s manipulations, make it to the glass.
4. Don’t try to copy Napa, or Bordeaux, or Burgundy; make Okanagan wine. These places make beautiful wines, but they’re different from what the Okanagan gives, and they don’t have the privilege of working with Okanagan grapes.

Keep an eye on where Michael is sourcing his grapes.  If it says “Cerqueira Vineyard:”on the label then grab it. Vineyards don’t come much better than that.

The site is located between Black Sage and Ryegrass roads between Oliver and Osoyoos – rocks as far as the eye can see in a place  made up of a complex site of 10,000 year old glacial till.   It’s called the Black Sage Gravel Bar.

Over two segments Michael and I will talk about:

Chardonnay 2018/2019

Rose 2019

Gewurztraminer  2018

Obrigado 2018

Semillon 2019

Illegal Curve 2018

Merlot 2018

Cab Franc 2018

Orchard Row 2018

GSM  2017

Syrah 2018

The Goal 2018  dedicated to the Penticton Vees – 1955 World Hockey Champs

www.bartierbros.ca

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

Sperling new releases

Wine gifts

Best of the year

Fort Berens

The Hatch

Black Swift

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GEEKING OUT ON ISLAND PINOT ( with 6 winemakers))

THE SHOW

Somewhere in the middle of last weeks interview with Mike Neirychlo from Emandare Winery I heard him mention he was hosting  a Pinot Noir  panel coming up  at Victoria Wine Festival.

”I’m sorry, what panel, what pinot, what wine fest?”

Turns out it was  a 90 minute panel with 6 winemakers, all pouring and talking about their Island Pinots.

2018 Rathjen Pinot Noir

The island wineries,  which includes Vancouver island and the Gulf Islands,  have been telling  anyone who would listen that they have the perfect soil, climate and all round terroir to specialize in the creation of   “the heartbreak grape”

Not just in The Cowichan Valley but Saanich outside Victoria, Deep Cove close to the Victoria airport, Salt Spring Island and up island in Courtney-Comox

Each Pinot is different from the one before it. Even if they are grown side by side.

Cherry, raspberry, mushroom, hibiscus and clove.

Famous in France, New Zealand, Germany and the USA (lead by California & Oregon)

Now comes Vancouver Island and The Gulf Islands.

The PANEL

Mike Rathjen – Winemaker. Rathjen Cellars (Saanich)

Daniel Dragert – Winemaker Kutatas (koo-ta-tass)  (Salt Spring Island)

Dan Wright – Winemaker Unsworth  (Cowichan Valley)

Layne Craig – Winemaker  40 Knots  (Comox)

Brent Rowland  – Winemaker  Averill Creek (Cowichan Valley)

Mike Neirychlo – Winemaker  Emandare (Cowichan Valley) and panel host.

The first three segments are taken from their panel comments. A total geek out.

The last segment features all 6 winemakers exchanging thoughts with me outside in the courtyard.

Part of the geek out was the exchange of clonal structure..

Wine Wranglers Mark and Mitch from Storied Wines and Spirits

So when those number go by 115-667-777 that’s telling pinot lovers what they might expect in the bottle as each clone carries its own flavour signature.

When you find your favourite clone, then you can follow its growth and availability all around the World.

Links:

rathjencellars.com

kutataswines.com

unworthvineyards.com
40knotswinery.com

averillcreek.ca

emandarevineyard.com

www.storiedwinesandspirits.com/

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

New releases from Sperling Vineyards

Bartier Brothers

The Hatch

Black Swift – new winery and new wines

Fort Berens

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FEATURING  SAM ROBERTS, EMANDARE AND TIGHTROPE WINES

The Show

We start with Sam Roberts.

Singer, Songwriter, Husband and Father.

Sam Roberts

The leader of The Sam Roberts Band.  They’ve just released their 7^th studio album All of Us.

Ranks as his best yet.

He had the songs written and recorded but decided to follow the voice talking inside his heart and head and re-wrote/re-recorded them all.

It paid off.

sam roberts band

As an aside, when Jason Priestley and I were shooting our TV series Hollywood and Vines we found ourselves in Ribera del Duero in Spain.

We were in  a winery known for its house band and concert series.  One of the barrels in the cellar was signed by Sam Roberts.

I’ve interviewed Sam a number of times.  Usually about his music and tours  but we inevitably  end up talking about wine.

He lives in Montreal and has access to lots of European wines, some Ontario wines and almost none from BC.  That  of course is  what we talked about.

I can think of nothing better than a glass of big red wine and listening to The Sam Roberts Band’s new album All of Us.

www.samrobertsband.com

Mike (and Robin) Nierychlo  (near-ich-low)  Emandare Vineyard.  (Cowichan Valley)

Mike Nierychlo

 “It all starts with the farm, we truly believe that wine is not made, wine is grown. Being blessed with this beautiful piece of land in the Cowichan Valley, it has become our responsibility to steward it to the best of our ability. For that, we look to the old world. They all farmed organically, not for marketing or because it was trendy, but simply because that was how they farmed. Not against nature, but with it. It is our goal through bio-diverse and sustainable farming practices like dry farming, composting, mulching and animal husbandry to breathe abundant life into our land. The beautiful byproduct of farming this way will be a healthy balanced vineyard”.

I’ve known Mike since he interviewed me for his wine video show in 2008 or 9.

I’m thinking he went to school on all the information that passed through his microphones.  He and Robin were meant to become what they became – farmers and winemakers.

Mike came by the other day to talk about two of their new wine releases.

Emandare 2019 Pinot Noir and their 2019 Marechal–Cabernet Foch!

The Pinot features a balance of neutral oak, dark cherry, cranberry etc.  A few years in a cellar will reward the patient wine fan.

The Marechal-Cabernet Foch is a field blend.  89% Marechal Foch and 11% Cabernet Foch.  Looking for tannins in your big reds?

Tastes of ripe fruit – plum, cherry and blackberry.

One of the reasons why Mike and Robin bought this particular home vineyard was because of the heritage Pinot vines that had been planted and in the ground for a number of years. They have since continued to lovingly watch over and farm those vines and expand in other areas of their acreage.

The future looks bright for Emandare!

www.emandarevineyard.com

Lyndsay and Graham O’Rourke – Tightrope Vineyards ( Naramata Bench)

Graham and Lyndsay O’Rourke. Tightrope

Lyndsay is the winemaker  and Graham the viticulturist. They arrived on the Naramata Bench the same Summer as my wife Meg and I .  2007.

Tightrope is one of the most successful small wineries in Canada.

2019 National Wine Awards.

Top 10 Small winery in Canada

Top 25 winery in Canada.

At the final Judgement of BC in 2019 the Tightrope 2016 Syrah won the entire Syrah tasting against 5 other BC Syrah’s and 6 World class Syrah’s.

They also placed 4^th in the Riesling and 8^th in the Pinot Noir.

In the 2019 Intervin awards – they placed 14^th in Canada.

In this two part feature we taste and talk our way through…

2018 Riesling – tropical fruit, citrus, Granny apple, lemon, melon and minerality.  Perfect for cellaring to 2024.  $21

2018  Chardonnay – vanilla, spice, apricot, nectarine  Cellar to 2014.  $28

2018 Pinot Noir – Rubis.  The nose will love the vanilla & strawberry notes along with flavours of cranberry, dark fruit and a hint of saddle. Cellar to 2026  $32

2018 Pinot Noir – Fleet Road.  Starts with Strawberries, and dark fruit. Then comes vanilla, spice and the same saddle notes. Cellar to 2026  $32

2018  Syrah – Opens to black pepper, blackberry and floral notes. Flavours of anise, current and dark fruit. Cellar to 2029 $34

2018  Cabernet Franc Opens with a medley of rich dark fruit. Flavours of chocolate, blackberry, ripe plum. 12 months in 50% new oak.

Cellar to 2027  $28

Graham and Lyndsay started this partnership in a pet store. I kid you not .

We’ll give you that early beginning story and then discover

why that vineyard and why Naramata?

Future plans?

www.tightropewinery.ca

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

Zoom tasting at Yalumba

Sandra Oldfield – Back Again!!

Fonseca Zoomathon from Portugal

Lock and Worth/Nichol

Taylor Fladgate – Zoom from Portugal

A return to Hillside

Doin’ The Douce in North Vancouver.  Douce Diner

Bartier Brothers

Geeking out on Pinot

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There was a time when we humans could get on a plane,  fly 14 hours to New Zealand and  travel about the Islands. shake hands with   farmers, growers, winemakers and owners. Dine in wonderful restaurants,  bistros, tasting incredible wines at World famous wineries and fly back to your home with 300 other people – for fourteen hours and still be healthy for the rest of the year.

Let us take you back 5 years to 2015 and DO JUST THAT.

TRR presents New Zealand in an Hour 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

THE SHOW 

Last March I had the pleasure of touring various outstanding wine regions in NZ.
What drove the various stories was New Zealand’s remarkable sustainability record.

New Zealand in an Hour!!   

Yealands by the Sea

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..
We start in Auckland, then Hawkes Bay, Marlborough and finally Central Otago.
 Our guests include
Auckland:
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

On the Ferry heading for  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/

mike-spratt

mike-spratt-destiny-bay
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

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
Here’s  the man himself, Sir George Fistonich.    

 Pask     Hawkes Bay    
On our tour of NZ #1 we talked to Kate Ranburnd the famous winemaker  at Pask.
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.

Hawkes 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/
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.
Pask’s 59 hectares of vineyards are located on Gimblett Road where Chris Pask was first to plant in the region now known as the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District®.

Kate Randburnd Pask

Formed over 100 years ago when the Ngaruroro River changed its course, the light, stony soils of the region are low in nutrients, completely free draining, and create the perfect environment for growing premium quality grapes. Their  very first vintage of 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded 5 stars in Cuisine Magazine. Since then Pask wines have consistently enjoyed gold medal and  trophy success in London, Australia, Asia, the United States, Canada and New Zealand across a range of varietals and winestyles.
 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/ 
 
 YEALANDS  Marlborough   

You want Character?
You want baby goats in the vineyard?
How about a visit to one of NZ most successful organic wineries Yealands. Named after the character owner Pete Yealands.  
Peter’s trademark “can do” attitude is the stuff of legend.
Peter has a track record of making pioneering, innovative plans come to fruition – and his successes have been recently chronicled in a book “A Bloke For All Seasons – the Peter Yealands story”.

He has developed seven of his own vineyard sites in Marlborough, plus several others under contract for other companies. However his entrepreneurial vision extends well beyond grapes. Early on, Peter recognized the potential to farm Greenshell mussels commercially and in 1971 was issued with New Zealand’s first marine farming license. Thanks to his efforts in designing innovative technologies and helping establish aquaculture in the region, marine farming now contributes $160 million a year to New Zealand’s export earnings.
In the mid ’80’s Peter established one of New Zealand’s most successful deer farms, specializing in stud animals and embryo transplants. This 2,000 hectare property in Kaiuma Bay in the Marlborough Sounds won a rural environment award in 2003. 

Peter, wife Vai and son Aaron now focus their energies on building Yealands Estate into a global brand.
Pete was on the road when we got there so our guest today is Michael Wentworth the General manager.
FYI  Yealands makes 1.2 Million cases. All sustainably grown.

STAETELANDT –  Dorien Vermaas  Co-Founder  Marlborough.
While Ruud is hands on in the winery, Dorien has had her finger on the pulse of the marketing / sales of StaeteLandt Wines since the beginning. Her background as a marketing manager in larger companies and her love for wine has certainly given her the edge when it comes to understanding this intricate side of the business.

Her bright and bubbly personality are a true asset to the company. Along with Ruud, her philosophy is to produce wines of character and integrity – words that sum up her attitude to all she has done for StaeteLandt Wines

 
FELTON ROAD  Central Otago  

One of the world’s finest Pinot Noirs. No Question.
 This Central Otago icon produces stunning biodynamic wines year after year. These guys really know their stuff.
In 2010 Felton Road was designated a Grand Cru winery of New Zealand. This Grand Cru status, currently only held by two other wineries (including Ata Rangi), recognizes the premier producers of Pinot Noir in New Zealand.
Winemaker Blair Walter is a master of less is more, Pinots are unfined and unfiltered and challenge the very best the world has to offer.
Felton Road is situated on warm, north facing slopes of glacial loess soils in Bannockburn, in the heart of Central Otago. The modern gravity fed winery receives 100% estate grown fruit from its three vineyards that are all farmed biodynamically and are fully certified by Demeter. Minimal intervention in the winemaking with such practices as wild yeast, no fining or filtration, allow the unique vineyard characters to further express their considerable personality.

Since the first vintage in 1997, Felton Road has acquired a formidable worldwide reputation.
Felton Road is one of the legendary names in New Zealand wine. They’re probably the most famous of the Central Otago wineries, making some highly regarded Pinot Noirs.

It was my great pleasure  to spend a number of hours talking to Owner, part time chef and team leader Nigel Greening.

Nigel Greening Felton Road

Looking for one of the best wineries anywhere in NZ?  you’ve just found it.  Felton Road.
 www.feltonroad.com  

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

Zoom tasting at Yalumba

Sandra Oldfield – Back Again!!

Fonseca Zoomathon from Portugal

Sam Roberts – Music and Wine

Tightrope

Lock and Worth/Nichol

Taylor Fladgate – Zoom from Portugal

A return to Hillside

Doin’ The Douce in North Vancouver.  Douce Diner

Bartier Brothers