Looking for that perfect wine for your Holiday plans? Canada’s youngest Master of Wine Rhys Pender runs down a great list of wines with a two part interview.
James Nevison brings his latest edition of Had a Glass 2015. The best selling wine reference book in BC. All under $20.00
And Ellen Walker Mathews gives us all the info on The Winter Wine Events this weekend and next in The Okanagan.
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THE SHOW
Rhys Pender – Master of Wine and co-creator at Little Farm Wines Similkameen (TwoParter)
Rhys Pender
A passionate educator, wine lover, judge, writer, and grape grower/farmer, Rhys has worked in the wine industry since he was a teenager, back in Australia. His interest in food and wine really peaked by travelling through Europe and then a summer spent immersed in food, wine and language in the South of France with his wife, winemaker Alishan Driediger.
After following his wife-to-be back to Canada, Rhys pursued his food and wine passion by completing a Professional Culinary Diploma and working in a top Vancouver restaurant. At the same time he took his first wine course, something that gave him an insatiable appetite for learning about wine. Rhys and Alishan moved to the Okanagan in 1999 to pursue the food and wine culture. Rhys spent time working in the vineyard, the cellar, wine shops and catering events before moving back to Vancouver for a two-year stint to manage a specialty retail wine store. Back in the Okanagan in 2003 Rhys and Alishan started a catering company and Okanagan Grocery Artisan Breads, and Rhys started his Wine Plus+ business doing wine education, consulting, writing and judging. Rhys then took on the the grueling Master of Wine program of study all while running Okanagan Grocery and Wine Plus+ and with two baby daughters and one sleep deprived mother-baker in the house. Yes, they thought he was crazy.
This culminated in Rhys becoming Canada’s youngest Master of Wine (the wine world’s highest level of achievement) in 2010, one of only 300 in the world. Through his studies, Rhys knew every reason why they shouldn’t jump into the vineyard and winemaking dream but couldn’t help doing it anyway. Instead he used his training to design and plant the 4 acre Mulberry Tree Vineyard at the property Rhys and Alishan purchased in Cawston in 2008.
Besides the wines below which you can also find on Wine Align website , Rhys will also touch on his involvement in the BC Wine Appellation Task Group
| # | WINE |
| 1 | Ch. De la Gravelle 2013 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie Muscadet, Loire, France ($15.79, LDB 411066) |
| 2 | L’Ormarine Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc, France ($14.79, LDB 124834) |
| 3 | Chapoutier 2013 Bila-Haut Côtes du Roussillon Villages, France ($15.79, LDB 40790) |
| 4 | Laughing Stock 2014 Amphora Viognier Roussanne Okanagan, BC ($24, 500ml, Winery) |
| 5 | McWilliam’s 2013 Chardonnay Appellation Series Tumbarumba, NSW, Australia ($20.99, LDB 526988) |
| 6 | Poplar Grove 2014 Pinot Gris Okanagan, BC ($17.29, LDB 676650) |
| 7 | Louis Jadot 2013 Beaujolais-Villages Combe Aux Jacques Beaujolais, France ($19.29, LDB 469924) |
| 8 | Cedar Creek 2012 Platinum Block 4 Pinot Noir Okanagan Valley, BC ($53.99 , Winery 746016) |
| 9 | Zind-Humbrecht 2013 Muscat Alsace, France ($29.99, LDB 615583) |
| 10 | Laughing Stock 2013 Syrah Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada ($38, Winery) |
| 11 | Le Vieux Pin 2013 Cuvée Violette Syrah Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada ($29.90, Winery) |
| 12 | Raffault 2013 Chinon, Loire, France ($19.29, LDB 75440) |
| 13 | Losada 2011 Bierzo, Spain ($22.99, LDB 651471) |
| 14 | Tantalus 2013 Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC ($29.90, Winery 114884) |
| 15 | Vincent Raimbault 2013 Vouvray Bel-Air Sec Vouvray, Loire, France ($20.99, LDB 127019) |
James Nevison – Had a Glass 2016. Great wines under $20.00
Had a Glass 2015
The Globe and Mail bestseller, and #1 bestselling wine guide in British Columbia celebrates its 10th anniversary!
James Nevison’s annual, unpretentious guide for everyday wine is back, with the top 100 wallet-friendly wines for 2016. In this expertly selected collection, you will find the very best value for your money across white, rosé, red, sparkling and much more. Get the scoop on $10 wines that taste like they’re $20, and $20 bottles that will blow you away! Had a Glass 2016 points wine drinkers in the right direction, towards a good bottle that won’t break the bank. With Had a Glass 2016 in hand, you can navigate the wine aisles with confidence, guaranteed to find great-tasting, and great-value wines.
There’s food pairings, comments from fellow wine experts and basic wine tasting, buying and enjoying suggestions.
Best of all – the book is also under $20.00
James Nevison
JAMES NEVISON is an award-winning writer and educator and the co-founder of HALFAGLASS wine consultancy in Vancouver. His weekly wine column “The Wine Guy” appears every Thursday in The Province, he contributes regularly to TASTE magazine. This is his 7th year on Tasting Room Radio.
Winter Wine Events
winter-wine-events-
For those of us who think that the only time to visit wine country is when Spring arrives have another think coming.
All of the regions of the Okanagan have opened their doors this weekend and next.
You are invited to Discover the Wonder of Winter in BC Wine Country with Winter Wine Events.
Regions involved are Oliver/Osoyoos, FabFive, Okanagan Falls, Summerland, Similkameen and Kelowna’s WestSide Trail.
Ellen Walker Mathews from Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association does her very best to include all the information you could use.
If you miss anything or want to plan your visit just click on their ad on our website and all the info is there.
There’s a lot going on..starting this Saturday and Sunday and next weekend as well.
ALL the info is just a click away. Check out their ad on this website!!
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STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON
Wine reviews from dj Kearney. Kurtis Kolt. Rhys Pender
Jose Pedro Gomez & Katrina O’Reilly Ryan/ Chayee Bourras Argentina
Jim Cuddy – stocks his Holiday Train trip