BC Food and Wine Radio

This week, we speak with Harry Hertscheg, Executive Director of the Vancouver International Wine Festival, as tickets for the 2025 Festival go on sale November 13. The theme region is the West Coast U.S., with 50 wineries from California, Oregon, and Washington State in attendance. Justin Seidenfeld, Sr. Vice President of Winemaking & Winegrowing, Rodney Strong Vineyards in Sonoma County, Californ...

This week, we invited Dr. Laura Catena, Managing Director, Bodega Catena Zapata Argentina, to discuss the hot topic of wine and health, with some thoughts on navigating to the truth and the science behind all the studies discussed by advocates for and against alcohol. Then we head to California to catch up with Shawn Brynildson, Winemaker Black Stallion Estate Winery. Inside the original horse rid...

This week, we will travel to the Penedès region just north of Barcelona, Spain, to chat with Miguel Torres, a 5th-generation family member, winemaker, and general manager at Familia Torres. We discussed his iconic Spanish label Sangre de Toro, or “Blood of the Bull,” red wine among many subjects. Sebastien Labbe, Winemaker Vinã Santa Rita Chile, joins us to talk about one of Chile’s oldest and mos...

This week, we explore the world of wine, beginning with a master class on Champagne with Alice Paillard, CEO and Proprietor at Champagne Bruno-Paillard. Martin Kaiser, Deputy Director of Viticulture/Enology, Dona Paula (Mendoza, Argentina) talks about growing grapes at high altitudes and the rise of Argentine wine among global retailers. Then it’s off to Spain to speak with winegrowing luminary Te...

This week, it’s our Thanksgiving in Italy special featuring Sandro Bottega, Owner and Managing Director of Bottega Winery, Veneto, Italy. We had a wide-ranging chat about Prosecco and his role in propelling the sparkling wine onto the modern sparkling wine stage. Marco Martini, Director/General Manager, MGM Mondo del Vino, joins us with stories and wines from Sicily to Emilia Romagna. Then we’re o...

This week, we head to Oliver, B.C., and the Black Sage Bench to speak with Severine Pinte, Winemaker & Viticulturist, Managing Partner for Le Vieux Pin and LaStella wineries. We discuss new projects, new plantings, and a few red wine picks for the fall. Moving south to Osoyoos, we catch up with Mike Dowell, Co-Owner and Winemaker of Liber Estates, a small family-run winery specializing in Pinot no...

This week, we speak with winemaker Stacy Hornemann, who has newly arrived from Sonoma, California, to take the reins at Blue Grouse Estate Winery. Hornemann discusses her first impressions of the Cowichan Valley and her excitement for its future; Export Manager Rodrigo Lencastre tells the story behind Ramos Pintos, established in 1880 in the Douro Valley, Portugal, and its many impressive port win...

This week, Laurent Miquel, Owner, CEO & 8th Generation Winemaker of Laurent Miquel, call us from Languedoc, France, where he is creating, as he puts it, "Old World wines for the New World." Alessia Travaglini, 5th Generation Family Member and Export Manager for Travaglini join us from the Commune of Gattinara in Piedmont, Italy, home to distinctive square bottles, proving that not all Nebbiolo is...

This week, we begin with a visit to the Loire Valley, speaking with Château de Sancerre's Export Manager Isabelle Moreau; Carmen D'Onofrio, Owner of Stile Brands Wine Distributor in Vancouver visits us in-studio to talk about Piedmont and in a second segment, about wine consumption among Gen Z and Millennials; Jayton Paul, Wine Director for Published on Main talks about a special event featuring K...

This week: 100 years ago the founders of Black Stallion Estate Winery, located on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley, began their winemaking journey - winemaker Shawn Brynildson shares the story and the wines; Will Hardman's family began farming on the Naramata Bench a century ago, adding vines to their land in the 90s; in our next Valley First Spotlight, Will talks about winemaking for his family...

This week we are taking tour around the world via red wine; we reach Sebastián Labbé, winemaker for Vinã Santa Rita in Chile to talk about Cabernet Sauvignon, elevation and their WiSe project; speaking of Chile, we revisit our talk about Carménère and more earlier this year with one of its trailblazers, Aurelio Montes Sr; Dan Wildermuth, VP Global Marketing Rodney Strong Vineyards in Sonoma talks...

It's truly a legendary week beginning with visionary viticulturist and winemaker Martin Kaiser for Doña Paula in Argentina; the latest Valley First Wealth Management Spotlight shines on Tyler Rennie, a fourth generation dairy farmer for his family's Legendairy Farms, now in Armstrong, and celebrating a remarkable 100 years; Dr. Laura Catena, wears two of her hats, one as an Emergency Physician and...

This week it's part two of our Grape Escape at Three Sisters Winery on the Naramata Bench. Paige Schulz from Visit Penticton lists activities to enhance your exploration of the Bench and lists upcoming events in the region you'll want to book for now; Pénélope Roche, Co-Owner & Winemaker for Roche Wines, at the southern end of the Bench, talks sustainability and brings her pinot gris and pinot noi...

This week marks the return of the Valley First Wealth Management Winemaker Profile Series, starting with Nadine Kinvig the winemaker for Terravista Vineyards on the Naramata Bench, though we hear about a new project with grapes grown in Okanagan Falls; we release an interview with Ross Wise MW, GM & Director of Winemaking at Black Hills Estate Winery recorded earlier this year at the Vancouver Int...

This week we begin the show with Michael Bartier, Co-Owner and Winemaker for Bartier Bros. Vineyard and Winery, telling the story behind Piquette, made from the second pressing of grapes; Anthony reports on the Okanagan Falls, Oliver, Osoyoos and the Similkameen vineyards he saw firsthand on a recent trip; we release our interview with Federica Boffa, Owner of the renowned Barolo maker Pio Cesare;...

We're broadcasting from Three Sisters Winery on the Naramata Bench this week, lead by Visit Penticton's Paige Schulz, who gives us the details on big events coming in August through the fall; Rebecca and Matthew Mikulic Co-Owners of Three Sisters Winery highlight their hospitality and their proximity to Penticton; John Kaputsky, GM for Hwy 97 Brewing talks about the envious beer culture in the reg...

This week, Anthony has a conversation with Mike Dowell, Co-owner and winemaker for Liber Estates; from our Vancouver International Wine Festival series of interviews, we visit with one of our favourite duos David Scholefield, Wine Consultant and DJ Kearney, Wine Educator; also recorded at VIWF earlier this year, Michael Bartier, Co-Owner and Winemaker for Bartier Bros. and Eric Monnin, Chief Winem...

This week we enjoy a masterclass in biodynamic winegrowing from Alsace winemaker and international consultant, Olivier Humbrecht MW who joined us in-studio earlier this summer; We get the highlights from the 2024 National Wine Awards Canada, first from Co-Head Judge David Lawrason, who also comments on wine awards in general; then wine judge Geoffrey Moss MW, summarizes the British Columbian entri...

This week, we return to Okanagan Falls at Noble Ridge Estate Winery, to talk with Paige Schulz from Visit Penticton about the outstanding craft beverage scene in the region featuring some of the people in the industry including Rob Hammersley, the Owner/Winemaker for Black Market Wine Co. in Kalenden; Wilbert Borren, the Co-Owner/Winemaker of Four Shadows Vineyard on the Naramata Bench; Nicole Kel...

We're in the Fraser Valley this week at Township 7 Vineyards and Winery. Cody Karman, Township Langley's Tasting Room Manager, fills us in on their hospitality program and some of the fun events they'll be hosting this summer; Mary McDermott, Township's winemaker features their stellar sparkling wines and their wines produced in a unique vineyard in the South Okanagan; Brian Ensor, GM and Gary Zhy...

This week's show from Summerland's Bottleneck Drive is supported by Buy BC’s partnership program. We're speaking with wine, cider, spirits and beer makers, organized by their location in Summerland, whether its on the Bottle Neck Drive's convenient North, East or West routes. Through it all you'll hear about upcoming events and a passport contest, and Sally Pierce, the Executive Director for Visit...

This week, we're broadcasting from just north of the town of Oliver at District Wine Village, which appears to be flourishing since opening during the pandemic. Matt Kenyon, the developer behind the village, and Mike Daley, its Director of Operations, join us with updates, including a new store and their summer concert schedule; then we speak with people behind some of the micro-wineries on-site,...

We're in the Okanagan Falls this week, enjoying the view of McIntyre Bluff from Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery. Visit Penticton's Paige Schulz kicks off the show listing some of the great events taking place in the region this season; Benoit Gauthier, Director of Viticulture & Winemaking for Noble Ridge shares a Blanc de Blanc that Anthony calls elegant; Ross Baker, winemaker for La Frenz Winery ta...

This week we're broadcasting from Painted Rock Estate Winery on the Skaha Bench. Listen for simple and honest updates on that bench and the Naramata Bench from our seasoned winegrower guests, and, most importantly, their solutions on how to move forward. We begin with John Skinner, co-owner of Painted Rock, who brings a 2017 Chardonnay and a 2011 Icon, both showing off the ageing potential of the...

This week we are broadcasting from under the beautiful Pro Terra et Natura sculpture at Phantom Creek Estates, speaking with General Manager and Winemaker Mark Beringer; in a special appearance, consulting winemaker Olivier Humbrecht talks with Anthony about organic and biodynamic growing, his winemaking techniques and which grapes he and Mark Beringer are betting on for the Okanagan; Chef Alessa...