BC, Washington, California, Nova Scotia and a final Spanish Winemaking Star Alvaro Palacios.
Loved doing this hour. Winemaking friends from all over sharing thoughts and opinions.
VANCOUVER, BC – FEBRUARY 26: The 2015 Vancouver Wine Festival at the Vancouver Convention Centre February 26, 2015 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick)
We talk about the Alberta Wine Ban and its effect.
I felt it was important that I ask the question “What are you pouring here today and why?”
Co-hosts were Sandra Oldfield and Daenna van Mulligen (The Wine Diva). They did a great job!
It’s Hour One of our coverage of the 40th VanWineFest at Vancouver Convention Centre. Spain and Portugal are the feature regions and they have sent their very best owners, winemakers, and wines. Many wines tasted for the first time in Canada.
With the invaluable co-hosting help of The Wine Diva Daenna van Mulligen and Sandra Oldfield.
The leader of Portugal’s “Duoro Boys” The charming Cristiano van Zeller. Miguel Torres (founded 1870) Gloria Collell (winemaker Segura Viudas) Joan Cusine (prop. Paras Balta/Gratavinum.) Orig vines planted by Romans
Plus The Stars from Campo Viejo, Bodegas Atteca, Bodegas Alvear, Alvara Palacios. Is he The New Spain?
And then we dive into Port. From Portugal David Guimaraens head winemaker at Taylor Fladgate, Rupert Symington of Symington Family Estates (Dow, Warre, W&J Graham)
And Jorge Ramos from Fonseca
We kick the whole show off with these very special friends:
Harry Hertscheg Exec Director of VanWineFest www.vanwinefest.ca DJ Kearney. Wine Director at www.newdistrict.ca Sandra Oldfield @SandraOldfield Co-Host – Daenna van Mulligen/ The Wine Diva www.winediva.ca
Please check out www.vanwinefest.ca for more information
Please check out www.vanwinefest.ca for more information
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.
The World has lost a singular voice andsoul Anthony Bourdain.
We’ll start this week’s show by talking to George Sui who, with his Memphis
Blues BBQ partner Park Heffelfinger hosted a sublime after hours gathering
of Vancouver’s best chefs in the Summer of 2002.
Barbara Jo (Barbara Jo’s Books for Cooks) brought Anthony to Memphis Blues..on Broadway. She also invited Rob Feenie, Tojo, David Hawksworth. Vikram Vij and others.
They drank, talked , ate and smoked until 2am!
George takes us back to that memorable moment.., and for that we thank him.
The Wickaninnish Cookbook and trading shots with Jay Drysdale (Bella) & Matt Sherlock (Lock & Worth)
The Wickaninnish Cookbook – Rustic Elegance on Nature’s Edge
Executive chef Warren Barr and Managing Director Charles McDiarmid
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2018: “On the furthest west coast of Vancouver Island, the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, B.C., has been a destination for visitors from around the world since its opening in 1996, the Pointe restaurant a pillar of the town’s flourishing culinary scene. Their first cookbook gathers signature recipes from former and current chefs and focuses on regional techniques and seasonal west coast ingredients.” The Globe & Mail
Since the Wick first opened in 1996, it has become a destination for travelers attracted by its rustic elegance, warm hospitality, and incredible west coast cuisine. This cookbook highlights the distinctive dishes (and the stories behind them) that have made The Pointe Restaurant a destination dining experience like no other, and captures the spirit of spectacular natural surroundings, west coast life, and scenic ocean-to-table dining.
Memorable recipes from the Wick are coupled with signature recipes from current and former chefs–Warren Barr, Rod Butters, Matthias Conradi, Mark Filatow, Justin Laboissiere, Duncan Ly, Andrew Springett, and Matt Wilson–and combine cutting edge techniques with fresh, seasonal ingredients, to create a distinctly contemporary, west coast cookbook.
Inside you will find both sophisticated and accessible recipes that speak to the Inn’s longstanding commitment to farm- and ocean-fresh ingredients, and strike a harmonious balance between the bounties of land and sea that surround the Inn. The Wickaninnish Cookbook offers a chance to visit life on nature’s edge, and discover dishes from one of the most prestigious kitchens in Canada.
Guests on Tasting Room Radio are Charles McDiarmid, Managing Director (His family conceived of and built The Wick)
Matthew SherLOCK and Ross HackWORTH. Lock and Worth.
Jay Drysdale and Bella…
Matt Sherlock – Lock & Worth (VanCourier)
Want to get a sense of BC’s wine future? Matt and Jay will be a the very front, leading the movement.
Honest, single vineyard wines of time and place – priced for everyday consumption.
Mathew Sherlock
“We strongly believe that one should be able to drink high quality, single vineyard (non-commodity), small production wines that are priced reasonably from British Columbia. We plan to be around 20 years from now, not by becoming a large company but by creating a sustainable business within our community. For us part of that means making wines that always over deliver”
Sherlock and Hackworth farm organically and work the vineyards by hand whenever possible. They use native yeasts for fermentations, limited sulfur, and a gentle touch that avoids punch downs or pumping over or racking during élevage. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
Up the road at Bella, is a winery owned by Jay Drysdale and his wife, Wendy Rose. Bella only makes sparkling wines and only works with Chardonnay and Gamay Noir.
Bella ’s annual production is 2000 cases, split between a vineyard series and a natural series. Each wine in the vineyard series highlights a single grape, from a single vineyard, and single vintage. Dry-farmed and organic vineyards from Kelowna to Kamloops supply the fruit. The natural series uses the same vineyards, plus Bella’s four-acre estate vineyard.
The vineyard series wines are made using the traditional Champagne method, with commercial yeasts and sugar added to the wine to trigger a second fermentation. Jay and Wendy make the natural series wines by pressing whole cluster grapes and allowing wild yeast fermentation to begin in neutral barrels.
No additives, allowing fermentation to finish in the bottle. This process is called méthode ancestral and Bella is the first winery in western Canada to use it.
The natural process causes some of the bottles to be cloudy. As Jay has said “Yes, they’re cloudy. Get over it”
Here’s a quote from a go-to wine human Kurtis Kolt in the Georgia Straight
“Natural wine. It’s wine made with minimal intervention. This means organic (and sometimes biodynamic) farming (without the use of pesticides and such), naturally occurring ferments with wild yeasts in the cellar, and winemaking without fining, filtration, or manipulation”.
Well, I really only needed half a dozen interviews to make a one-hour special.
However, Kurtis Kolt and Jeff Curry always bring together some of the very best winemakers and owners in the World. How they manage that, year after year, is amazing.
Of course, I ended up doing almost twice as many as I needed but when you see the guest list below I think it’s clear why I got carried away.
The wineries are in all cases organic, sustainable, terroir driven, just pure fruit and the work of time.
No additives, no tricks. Honest wines and winemakers.
Today’s guests are:
David Amadia – President of Ridge Vineyards (Sonoma)
Since 1885 one of California’s leading wineries. Paul tells a great story about how Ridge came to be poured at The Judgement of Paris and what they’re pouring at Top Drop.
Beth Novak Milliken – President of Spottswoode (Napa)
“Spottswoode Vineyard is one of Napa’s most well-known landmarks, and its winemaking team, owner Beth Novak, and assistants Rosemary Cakebread and Jennifer Williams, represents a trifecta of talented young women. When the history of Napa’s great vineyards is written, the 40-acre Spottswoode Vineyard, tucked behind the quaint town of St. Helena, will be counted among the finest grand cru vineyards of the region.”
Emil Mehdin – Marketing Director Stina Wines. (Dalmatia, Croatia)
Croatia has been making wines for some 2500 years. If you listen to the pride on Emil’s voice I think you may understand how they became one of the World’s true wine countries.
The last time I saw Wendy we were sitting on a sidewalk in Ribera del Duero Spain. She was living in Spain with her husband, a Spanish wine educator. They were guiding myself and Jason Priestley through the region’s vineyards for Hollywood and Vines TV. Who better to tell the Spanish wine story than Wendy?
That’s not a typo. This small winery is tucked into the south facing hills above Nanaimo, Vancouver Island.
If you listen, you’ll hear how this winery was planted by Harry von Wolff in the early 90’s.
When Harry passed away..his vineyard was left to fend for itself but somehow survived over the years.
It now means that Matt and Natt (and daughter Sienna) are now the proud owners of 25 year old vines. Some of the oldest on Vancouver Island. Very small lots but very interesting wines. The Pinot Noir is sublime..if you can get your hands on it.
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)
If you check out the guest list below – you’ll know this will be a busy interesting hour.
We start with Executive Chef David Hawksworth and his Chef du Cuisine Quinton Bennett.
They created a Spring Journey Menu which includes ingredients from all over of and several from Alberta. We’re talking true local at Hawksworth. The menu features a uniquely illustrated map of the province, which shows the origins of each dish. The menu also highlights the full flavor potential of our BC.
Spring Journey Menu requires full table participation. This is a shared experience.
Here’s the menu…Enjoy!!
Dinner
Starters:
asparagus and ricotta salad prosciutto, grape 22
albacore tuna radish, burnt nori emulsion 24
pan roasted scallop popcorn sweetbread, chanterelle, green apple 26
pacific squid peanut, nashi pear, crispy pork chili vinaigrette 24
Unsworth pours at Vij’s (Chris Turyk-Unsworth & Mike Bernardo –Wine Director)
I don’t believe there’s any tougher wine pairing challenge in Vancouver than Vij’s.
Vikram has repeatedly stated that there are 5 layers of spices in many of his dishes and it takes a brilliant wine director choosing exceptional wines to pair with a wild spiced meal.
Chris Turyk new what he was doing when he and Father Tim brought their new releases in Vij’s last week and poured with Mike’s food choices.
We started with:
Charme De L’lle
Pinot Gris
Gewürztraminer
Allegro
Rose
2016 Pinot Noir and 2015 Reserve
And I think I saw some Tim Buck wine go by as well.
With Eric were Matt Thirlwell from Vintage West and Megan Cole Representative for Boutinot in Canada. We asked both for an overview on Boutinot – its history and place in the World of Wine
An award-winning list of local, national and international celebrity chefs has now been announced for the 12th annual BC Seafood Festival, a 10-day celebration in the beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, B.C. from Friday, June 8 to Sunday, June 17, 2018. Tickets to select public events will go on sale starting at 9:00am on Friday, April 13th.
This year the 2018 event is unveiling the next generation of the festival by extending the highly anticipated BC Seafood Festival Signature Weekend to three-days featuring new events and celebrations including celebrity chef demonstrations, award-winning shellfish and seafood tastings, interactive & educational displays, and competitions including the famous Fanny Bay Oyster Shucking Competition and the OceanWise™ Chowder Challenge. Guests and visitors may purchase a Signature Weekend Day passes to enjoy some of these weekend highlights:
Learn to Cook BC Seafood at two different Celebrity Chef Demonstration stages
15+ Seafood Tasting Stations – Meet the Producers and Chefs
15+ BC Craft Beer, Wine and Spirit Tasting Stations
Live Music Performances
Largest Kids Interactive Zone featuring numerous Touch Tanks and Interactive Displays, and Seafood Cooking Classes, plus the first visit to the Festival by the Vancouver Aquarium AquaVan!
Check out the website below. You won’t believe the list of chefs attending.
