As all festivals do, it started with an idea and a dedicated band of volunteers. Five years into its existence it’s become one of the highlights of the year in Victoria.
After talking with some of the perhaps 1500 attending, two things became apparent.
The women outnumbered the men by a wide margin and I was surprised how many wine fans attending were not from Victoria.
Over 300 wines were showcased and the pop-up store from Vessel was crazy busy.
The Hatch – Andrew Melville. Chief Steward and Storyteller
…We talk about Black Swift/The Hatch/Dynasty White/Rosso/Screaming Frenzy/Oak Street Vineyard etc
Bill Eggert – Owner/Winemaker at Fairview Cellars – The Golden Mile
Bill Eggert
Bill will be speaking his considerable mind to start off the show.
But before he starts firing off one liners and certain people start ducking, I thought it best to talk about his wines.
The names of these wines on the labels should tell you a great deal about the guy who grew and created them.
Two Hoots – A Cab/Merlot blend
Madcap Red – Merlot based blend
The Bear – The classic Bordeaux Blend
Bucket of Blood – Syrah and Cab or Cab Franc.
Iconoclast – The best of Bill’s Cabernet Sauvignon
There’s also an outstanding Cab Franc, a stand-alone Merlot that deserves respect, Sauv Blanc that drinks beautifully, Gruner Veltliner that loves the Okanagan and two reds you want to know about
Bill’s making a Pinot Noir that given time and harvests will become an Icon.
Finally we come to The Champ – Fairview Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. They should all be this good.
It’s a Premium single release but also makes Bill’s blends so much better.
As Bill told me years ago “ I taught the wine course in the Valley but I didn’t give away ALL my secrets”
FairviewCellarsWineShop
We welcome back Bill Eggert of Fairview Cellars to Tasting Room Radio.
Roche Vineyards… Naramata Bench Had we stayed in Naramata, Roche would have been our next door neighbour. That alone makes me interested in their story… but it gets better the more you know.
Dylan grew up in North Vancouver, cycling took him to Europe and an interest in winemaking. Penelope grew UP in Bordeaux..surrounded by Chateaus and Castles. She was expected to take over from her parents and did so for a number of years but she also was looking for something else.
They met in a bar in New Zealand. They shared a beer or two and a realized they both were taking wine courses and they liked the same things about that life.
Dylan, Penelope and kids
Of course they got married and after searching and tasting they decided to start their winery Roche on the Naramata Bench.
At their location on the Upper Bench Road they were at the foot of a slope that had really well grown Zweigelt and Schonberger. When they discovered how great Farmer John’s vines were – they were off and running.
Now they’ve planted new varietals because as any fan of French wine knows, you must have a Bordeaux Blend in your portfolio… especially if you are FROM Bordeaux.
In 2017 they planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Things are getting interesting.
FYI – When I tasted their first ever Chardonnay, from purchased grapes, I declared to anyone within earshot – it was perhaps the best Chard I’d tasted in 5 years in the Okanagan. Keep an eye on their Chard. It’s only going to get better as they grow their own grapes.
Lets head for their tasting room, right next door to where we lived and see what they’ve been up to.
That red barn in behind is where this show was created for the first 5 years.
Randy and Rajen Toor – Father and Son. Winemakers and owners of Desert Hills and Ursa Major
The address is 4078 Black Sage Road. That’s ghe epicentre of serious winemaking in the South Okanagan.
Big heat. Serious terroir. Where reputations are grown and created.
Randy has been showcasing his wines for years. Personally pouring his wines at winemakers dinners and media release events. Getting people’s attention one pour at a time. Well, we know who he is now, don’t we?
Randy Toor Desert Hills
Many awards and cases of wine later Desert Hills , for many wine fans and restaurants, is a go to portfolio.
Randy – first and foremost is a grower. He’s got the goods and he knows it.
The Gamay is truly outstanding. Check out the Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cab Reserve, malbec and blends.
Rajen Toor is Randy’s son and has his own vineyards and label – Ursa Major. He also has a career as an actor. We’ll get to that part in a sec.
Ursa Major features BIG red blends..
A cab that’s huge.
A Syrah that’s all spice and black chocolate.
A blend called Borealis.
Oh..and the acting? Rajen shot a new film in India called Barefoot Warriors. A true story of a young broke soccer team who qualify for world Cup but get kicked out because they don’t have any soccer shoes. Coming this Fall we hope… just like the wines.
There are a lot of great places in Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley to hold a wine festival.
For several years it was called Savour and was on a dock over the water in Mill Bay.
The valley is located halfway between Victoria and Nanaimo with the closest town being Duncan.
The 2018 Festival may have found the perfect home at Shawnigan Lake School.
It’s like holding a wine festival at Yale… except greener!
We gathered at the Field House between Rugby Fields… you couldn’t help but feel relaxed and eager at the same time.
My job was to start the interviews as they gathered at 5PM because when 6PM rolled around it was Game On.
Two questions I wanted to ask were
“What are you pouring?”
and…
“If The Cowichan Valley had to be known for just two wines – a red and a white – what would they be?”
Lots of different answers but as we went along it became apparent that the red would be Pinot Noir. The white? Have a listen.
We also talked about the culinary side of the valley and how it’s growing.
Are you ready to meet 11 of the principals behind The Cowichan Valley? They are a diverse and very interesting group, much like their wines.
Isn’t it time you visited The Cowichan Valley?
FYI – If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind accommodation location, you couldn’t do better than The MoonWater Lodge ! The views are truly west-coast spectacular!
On the newly paved stretch of the Malahat Highway, it overlooks “everything”. Ocean, islands, forest in most directions and has its own restaurant.
Andrey and Sian Durbach moved to the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island almost a year ago from Vancouver. They had been running three downtown Vancouver restaurants. High Tempo Rooms.
Sian and Andrey Durbach
Before he became an outstanding graduate of the CIA, Culinary Institute of America in NYC, he had first made a name for himself in Vancouver working with Bishop’s, Il Giardino and Café de Paris. He launched Etoile in 96. There he learned the hard lessons of running a restaurant. Sold the place and hit the road re-learning the trade.
When Sian and Andrey returned to Vancouver 2 years later they partnered with Chris Stewart and opened Parkside, La Buca and Pied-a-Terre. Cafeteria followed with its $20 or less menu. My favourite was Sardine Can. A tiny room in Gastown.
No matter what the location I always noticed and liked his cooking.
Well, imagine my delight to discover that Sian and Andrey had opened Il Falcone in downtown Courtney.
Why Courtney?
Andrey explains in the interview that he and Sian finally wanted to work for themselves and the best place was a former Mexican restaurant in Courtney. Surrounded by burnt yellow stucco walls enclosing a courtyard filled with black cherry, fig and other fruit trees..you swear the restaurant was somewhere in Italy. Perfect. We’ve been three times and all three we sat outside under those trees. Glorious.
And the food? To die for.
Italian dishes with no excuses..Nothing but the best. It helps that they’re surrounded by hundreds of farms, fisheries specialists and foragers working the land. One of the best cheese makers in Canada is right around the corner.
Andre says he and Sian pretended to be Italians moving to the Comox Valley and they did what they’d do back in Italy..source and cook local. Cook like the Italians would.
The wine menu? Almost exclusively Italian.
For anyone who’s travelled to Italy..no matter what small town you were in, there would always be one Italian restaurant as its centerpiece. That’s what they’ve tried to do here. Just off the beaten path..a discovery waiting to happen.
Is it worth the flight or ferry. Yes and absolutely yes.
As Andrey told Montecristo magazine..
“My kind of diner is one who loves unctuous, delicious food, and is willing to chance the unfamiliar. It’s a diner who knows and trusts the kitchen and the servers, a person who wholeheartedly invests in the visceral experience of a meal. This is what I’m after.”
I guess the question for you is – are you that diner?
First and foremost, you should know that Margaret has the expertise and training of a perfume maker. Wouldn’t you want to know what her wines taste like?
(They are very affordable)
Margaret Leonardi – Adorada
Margaret began her winemaking career working with experimental grape varieties at Cottonwood Creek Cellars, where she ran a pilot program and crafted a number of awarded wines. From there, Margaret brought her expertise and adventurous spirit to Fetzer Vineyards, where her passion for exploring the novel characteristics of aromatic grapes, coupled with a desire to push the boundaries of conventional winemaking, translates to the intriguing wines of Adorada.
Adorada wines are crafted from premium California grapes in a sumptuously aromatic style, reminiscent of an ambrosial fragrance. Each bottle is finished with a luxurious draping of wax.
As Margaret notes:
We blended our Pinot Gris with a selection of aromatic white
grape varieties from premier vineyards throughout California.
Our highly aromatic Pinot Gris opens with Gravenstein apple,
Bartlett pear, honeysuckle and orchid on the nose.
A palate of orange blossom, orange zest, lemon and honeydew
melon is underscored by a hint of delicate sweetness.
For the Rosé blend, we selected a mix of aromatic red and white grape varieties from premier vineyards
throughout California.
Our Rosé opens with spice and ginger on the nose, balanced by fragrant aromas of red fruit and antique red Rose.
The palate is succulent and lightly sweet, with juicy watermelon and honeycomb flavors, framed by a zesty
Tantalus is situated on the eastern slopes of the Okanagan Valley, overlooking the shores of Lake Okanagan and Kelowna.
David Paterson -Tantalus
Originally known as Pioneer Vineyards, the site was first planted to table grapes in 1927 and today is known as the oldest continuously producing vineyard in British Columbia
David Paterson is a Kiwi and a Canadian, having been born in Vancouver. He received his winemaking degree from Lincoln University NZ & following time spent working in the local NZ industry he travelled the wine world gaining experience at premium wineries in Oregon, France & Australia.
He landed at Tantalus in 2009 and with many successful vintages under his belt with the winery he took on the role of GM as well in 2016. Prior to joining Tantalus, David was working with celebrated South Australian producer Henschke Cellars.
As such he got to work the vineyards at the world famous Hill of Grace. Riesling has always been the leader at Tantalus however, through David’s guidance Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Blanc de Noir have caught our attention.
Outstanding wines and leadership. That’s David Paterson at Tantalus.
Colin Linden – speaks of Aretha and his 2018 wines.
We know Colin as a member of one of Canada’s finest bands, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
We also know him as a solo performer with a history of great albums.
As a producer, writer and player he’s worked with Bob Dylan, Emmy Lou Harris, Robert Plant and Allison Krause, Lucinda Williams and produced many of Bruce Cockburn’s greatest albums.
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings
When Aretha Franklin passed away I remembered a story Colin had told me about sharing a room and a stage with The Queen of Soul.
The “Room” was a ballroom at The White House and the stage was filled with an amazing collection of artists. Producer T Bone Burnett asked Colin to play guitar in the “house band” and that’s how he found himself watching Aretha rehearse in the afternoon. (sitting in the chair that would belong to The President Barack Obama later that night. That chair.)
Later that night Colin and Aretha got a chance to talk.
I value Colin’s memory of Aretha and her very special place in music.
Then, as always, Colin and I finish off all our conversations with wine talk.
Whaddya drinking? What’s the house pour?
He never fails to surprise me.
Enjoy!! (pair some Aretha this weekend with your wine)
After being a top 10 winery for many years Road 13 has finally found the #1 position.
Joe Luckhurst Road 13
In 2018, over 1800 wines from 257 wineries were in competition for the National Wine Awards. Judging were 22 of the very best tasters in the country.
After winning 15 individual awards including a rare Platinum for their Roussanne Road 13 were given the coveted title Canadian Winery of the Year.
I found managing partner and son of founders Mick and Pam Luckhurst , JosephLuckhurst in the barrel room and cellar recently. Still enjoying the glow of the awards we talked about The Golden Mile, the dirt, what effect this may have on their wines and winery and why they made the decision to make Rhone style wines.
Congratulations to winemaker Jeff Del Nin, his team in the Vineyards and in the q, the tasting room staff, growers, distributors, marketing and media teams,.
The other segment of the same competition that interests me is Top 10 Small Wineries. (annual production of 10,000 cases or under)
Ontario’s Two Sisters and Hidden Bench were 1&2.
Fitzpatrick Vineyards
Third was BC’s Fitzpatrick Family Wines who won 5 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze to become this years #3 Small Winery in Canada and #1 Small Winery in B.C.
Gordon Fitzpatrick is well known to Canadian wine fans.
In 1986 his family started Cedar Creek Estate Winery and 8 years later they bought Greata Ranch located on the main highway between Peachland and Summerland.
In 2014 Cedar Creek was sold to the Von Mandl Family and Gordon made serious plans for Greata Ranch, which has been somewhat forgotten over the years.
A mere 4 years later Fitzpatrick Family Wines have become a destination for fresh whites and a serious house of bubble.
I found Gordon on the back deck overlooking the Chardonnay and Pinot Vineyards and Okanagan Lake.
Congratulations again to the complete team that helped to create a rising star in Canadian Wine.
Finally we come to our old neighbour, when we lived on the Naramata Bench, Township 7.
Township 7 began their winery in the Fraser Valley in 2000.
Several years later they bought a property on the Naramata Bench.
New planting’s of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, wonderful Merlot and Malbec followed.
Mike and Lori Raffan created a wonderful destination known for its wine quality and focus.
Mike is now the GM working with new owners. He’s overseeing an expansion of both winery locations, new tanks, barrels, equipment, larger tasting rooms and the recent acquisition of the Blue Terrace Vineyard in Oliver.
Winemaker Mary McDermott joined the team after many years in Ontario. (Trius at Hillebrand, and 30 Bench)
She’s expanding small lot production and a fine wine program.
Watch for Bordeaux Reds and Bubble.
All in all, you want to keep an eye on Township 7 and watch for their new labels and releases. This is going to be a very interesting story to follow.
Also keep an eye on their Langley location as well.
We met up with Mary and Mike at Ancora Waterfront Dining across the water from Granville Market.
It was an afternoon exploring the diversity & creativity of our coastal producers.
Through the interviews below we get to meet the farmers, fermenters and distillers that define our cool climate coastal appellation.
Event photos by @socialtyvr
This is Locals Only 3.0 – 2018
No fancy marketing campaigns or graphic trickery. Just an opportunity to taste clean honest products from the producers who are defining our cool climate coastal appellation.
Speak with the producers who were natural before it was fashionable
Learn more about distilling while speaking with a Master
Meet and taste with the people who planted the vines and then made the wine
Locals Only is about keeping it real, real honest and really local.
Organic estate farming , clean winemaking , neutral barrels & vessels, amphora, orange wines, concrete, spontaneous ferments, dry farming + way more. Discover the next destination you just have to check out.
Lots of us are discovering that the sweet icky cider our parents consumed has disappeared. It’s been replaced by a growing army of cider makers..from around the World and best of all – right here in BC.
I had some catching up to do having missed the first BC Cider Festival.
I was delighted to find out that all of the participating ciders would be pouring at The Pipe Shop, foot of Lonsdale in North Vancouver.
The Pipe Shop
(The very shop that my Father, HD “Pat” Mulligan worked in as WW2 was beginning)
I had a hunch that when they opened the main doors at 1:30 it was going to get crazy..and it did.
So, I started early as the tables were being set up and talked to as many Cideries as I could.
You can hear the room get louder and louder as first the staff worked the room, then the cider trade people tasted and finally when the general public came in..I couldn’t even get near the tables and my work was done.
This was such a great learning experience for me. My hope is that it’s the same for you.
There are so many great stories here. Ciders made from blends of apples, heritage apples planted and forgotten about over the years and apples discovered, grown and harvested in Vancouver’s East End.
Backyard apples made into first class Ciders.
I hope you find your new favourite cider in the next hour. Cheers!!
The phone rang at Road 13 this week. It was Anthony Gismondi from Wine Align looking for Joseph Luckhurst, managing partner and son of founders Mick and Pam Luckhurst.
Joe was delighted to find out that after moving up in the Top Ten wineries of Canada year-after-year..they finally nailed the big prize. Canadian Winery of the Year.
There were 1,850 entries from 257 different wineries from seven provinces however if you look at the total wins they had ..the prize was truly well earned.
We’ll visit Road 13 shortly and to a sit down interview with Joseph.
Congratulations to the complete team behind the winery. To growers, hospitality, cellar and tank crews, crush rats, administration and marketing. Best of all Road 13 is one of our sponsors.
It’s The Main Event. Top Drop Vancouver: Terroir and Craft.
The best small wine festival everrrrrrrr.
Once again Kurtis Kolt and his partner Jeff Curry and a sensational team have convinced some of the very best winemakers to pour at The Roundhouse in Vancouver.
What they have in common is craft and care!
In Kurtis’ column in the Georgia Straight he said this:
Each year, our process begins the same. Our team casts out a wide net to British Columbia–based importers and wineries, asking for winery applications to participate in the event. First and foremost, Top Drop wineries must fit with our general philosophy: that wines, indeed, express terroir or offer a sense of place.
Whether we’re talking vines grown in mineral-rich soils or under cool-climate growing conditions bringing bright acidity or in sun-drenched regions offering generous, opulent fruit and so on, we want those elements to be notable in the glass and for them to have arrived there authentically, rather than via heavy-handed additions in the winery.
Sustainable farming is also key. There is a high priority on those who employ these methods while farming their own fruit or who work with growers who fit the mould.
The other major component is a commitment to partner with producers who rarely visit Vancouver or have never been here before, so we can offer local wine enthusiasts a unique experience.
We came up with a roster of 33 international and local producers we’re extremely proud of.
The whole reason I do what I do for a living is to share my enthusiasm for awesome wine with those who may be pickin’ up what I’m layin’ down. It’s one thing to write or Tweet or Instagram about something and hope for the best, but all cards on the table: it’s a whole other thing when I can play a part in actually bringing these fantastic people and their wines right to you, and even be in the room when you try them! Kurtis Kolt!
I went crazy and did enough interviews for Two Shows.. Here’s Part One
Kurtis Kolt – Organizer and wine educator. Wine writer for The Georgia Straight.
Paul Leary – President Blackbird Vineyards (Napa)
David Scholefield – Wines of Chile
David Patterson – GM and Winemaker at Tantalus (Kelowna)
Justin Fairweather – Partner. Alpha Box and Dice (Australia)
Jane Ferrari – Winemaker.Ambassador Yalumba (Barossa. Australia)
Jay Drysdale – Owner/Winemaker Bella (Naramata Bench)
Year in & Year out The BC Shellfish Festival is one of the very best
gatherings of Chefs in Western Canada.
They come to compete, to showcase, to meet their suppliers & their
customers. Best of all, the chefs come to hang with each other and take a
break from the daily grind.
Shellfish Grazing
First and foremost the festival celebrates sustainability. In oceans,
lakes, rivers and farms.
The chefs who guest today not only bring their culinary talents to work
every day, they also let their diners know that where your fish comes from
is as important as where your water & wine comes from.
This is a wildly successful festival that takes place in and around Courtney-Comox on Vancouver Island. The Comox Valley produces more than 50%
of BC Shellfish and the most oysters in Canada. If you’re a chef..this is
your Yankee Stadium.
judges and team
The last segment of Tasting Room Radio will be all about remembering the
late Anthony Bourdain.
With comments from his friends Tojo, Pino Posteraro, Ned Bell, Quang Dang and Nathan Fong. Also comments from Sabrine Dhaliwal, Matthias Fong and Sal Howell
Check out this fantastic Guest List:
Chef Hidekazu Tojo – Tojo’s Restaurant tojos.com/Splash.html
Chef Ned Bell – Ocean Wise, Vancouver seafood.ocean.org
Saanich is that gorgeous stretch of farmland on the drive from the BC Ferry
Docks in Schwartz Bay, Vancouver Island into Victoria.
The idea for the show was suggested by Corey Wood, transplanted Albertan.
(Corey is the tech/creative director for TRR and MulliganStew the show and
podcast)
He kept reminding me that he was surrounded by growers, farmers, and
artisans who should be recognized.
DeVine wines and spirits, Church and State Winery, the brand new
Deep Cove Winery in North Saanich and the award-winning Sea Cider.
DeVine Wines and Spirits
Ken Winchester ( DeVine Wines and Spirits)
Ken Winchester
Devine was created by John and Cathy Windsor in 2007 out of a 25-acre piece
of land located in Saanichton on the Saanich Peninsula land. Originally a
grape farm supplying organic grapes to local wineries, the decision was soon
made to open an onsite winery and experiment with various types of grape
varietals to see which ones would thrive.
Early grape varieties included:
Pinot Gris and Noir, along with the Austrian white grape Gruner Veltliner.
The winery has since diversified to include other varietals over the years.
The first vintage was produced in 2009, and today, the farm produces over
2000 cases of wine
Distiller Ken Winchester has been experimenting with turning grapes into a
base spirit for gin and other spirits over the last couple of years. His
philosophy is focused on being a local winery and distillery, using
Vancouver Island ingredients first and wherever possible. The winery’s
grapes are now all grown locally making De Vine’s gins among the few using
island grown ingredients for their base spirit.
.
Ken Winchester has been a winemaker and distiller for more than 20 years.
Ken studied winemaking at the University of California, then planted
Winchester Vineyards in Paso Robles, California. Back in Canada, Ken
produced award-winning Pinot Noirs, consulted for other Island wineries, was
the first winemaker at Church and State and even came up with the name and
taught viticulture at UBC.
He studied distilling at Michigan State and
apprenticed at Bruichladdich Distillery in Scotland. In 2007 Ken launched
Winchester Spirits, the first distillery on Vancouver Island, and created
the iconic Victoria Gin. Ken has consulted for deVine since its first
plantings, and became its Winemaker & Distiller. deVine produces
terroir-driven, organic spirits including Gins, Whisky, fruit Brandies, and
Rum.
The great thing about the distillery is it doesn’t have to pay the bills at
deVine. They have a successful winery that makes 2,000 cases a year.
We found Ken at deVine is his cellar and barrel room..completely surrounded
by the implements of his craft.
We even had time to talk about his wines as well.
FYI – on this home page you’ll find a video companion to this conversation –
shot & edited by..wait for it ..Corey Wood
Church and State are right around the corner from deVine wines and spirits.
Frankly, everything is “right around the corner” relatively speaking.
This wonderful vineyard was the dream of former owner Kim Pullen.
Kim was always pushing the wine boundaries in BC.
Being one of the first to locate the winery in Saanich but then bringing his
grapes from the Okanagan.
Hiring Napa Valley winemaker Bill Dyer, formerly with Burrowing Owl.
Rather than bringing Okanagan grapes to a Vancouver Island winery, in 2008,
Church & State owner Kim Pullen opened a second crush facility in a leased
packing house in the south Okanagan. A second tasting room opened in 2010 on
the winery’s Coyote Bowl Vineyard on Black Sage Road.
The Brentwood Bay winery was launched originally as Victoria Estate Winery.
Church and State was named producer of Best Canadian Red Wine six times
since 2009, Best Canadian White blend three times since 2013 and received
countless Gold medals, Best in Class awards and Trophies for both red and
white wines.
Even though I much preferred the original labels..the wine inside is still
classy and very well made.
The surprise is how great the winery and restaurant are as a destination.
I was originally going to be talking to GM Tony Buree but his dentist had
the final say and thus Danica was kind enough to step in front of the
microphone and take his place.
Elyse (Owner/Manager ) & Tasem Ramadan (Owner/Winemaker) Deep Cove Winery
Pascal Madevon – Vineyard and Winemaking Consultant) Deep Cove Winery
Elyse and Tasem
This is quite a story..
The original winery was called Muse.
A wonderful young couple, Elyse and Tasem Ramadan decided to change their
careers and take over this beautiful little winery. It’s the closest to the
Ferry terminal and right across the street from the iconic Deep Cove Chalet.
Two things needed to change.
The winery has been completely rebuilt and made into a destination for
weddings, meetings and tastings.
The second change? The wines had to be much better and that’s where they
made a wise decision and hired winemaker and consultant Pascal Madevon
(Osoyoos Larose. Culmina)
WoW! I’m impressed. With the wines, the winery and the dedication shown by
Tasem and Elyse.
Right out of the June 1st starting gate, this is a winery that could affect
wines made in Saanich into the future.
But..and it’s a BIG BUT they don’t make very much wine. Have a listen to
the amounts available.
(I think Tasem said there were 6 cases of a delicious Foch)
Pascal Madevon was saying he hadn’t worked with Foch since France.
This story was a really nice surprise. You can find it and them in North
Saanich.
Kristen Needham – Founder and Cidermaster at Sea Cider
Kristen Needham
Kristen credits her father Jim for first planting the orchard bug in her
when she was a teenager.
Then , like most teens, she took off to see the World.
Kristen decided to return to the idea 16 years ago. It took her five years
just to set up the operation before she bottled her first batch of cider.
She took a huge risk early on – planting more than 1,300 trees of “inedible”
apples in her orchard.
Sea Cider – Saanich
How difficult is Cider making? Check this out.
As she told Kim Kalinowski (Medicine Hat News)
“‘Bittersweet’ is a traditional English-style cider. It is made from
Dabinetts and Yarlington Mills apples, and a few other varieties, that are
really unheard of. They are basically inedible, and you can’t buy them. And
yet, if you are going to make a truly traditional, English-style cider in
North America, you really have to grow those apples yourself.”
Sea Cider is not just a Saanich/Vancouver island success story. Through its
amazing growth and award winning ciders, it has become one of the very best
Canadian success stories. Period.
I’m more than pleased to sit back and let Kristen tell the story. They all
should be this good!
If you’re looking for the nuances of cider..this is the interview for you.
Many of us grew up drinking a horrible sweet juice that was passed off a “a
cider”. THIS is cider the way it was meant to be. It’s not for everyone but
neither is wine or beer or cocktails.
Enjoy.
Final Word.
If you’re making plans to come to Vancouver Island consider spending a day
in Saanich with deVine, Church and State, Deep Cove and Sea Cider.
In conversation about BC’s fishery and their menus PLUS a very special
segment on memories of Anthony Bourdain from friends Tojo, Ned Bell, Pino
Posteraro, Quang Dang, etc.
