Category: interview

Two years ago we would be finishing the Vancouver International Wine Festival just before Dr. Henry closed down the province for COVID.  Not knowing how COVID was spreading, we were lucky that COVID did not affect anyone at the Festival.  We missed the Festival last year, and now we have the opportunity to experience the Festival.  I am very excited…

Have you ever wondered how much work you’ve done in a year on your job or hobby?  I’ve written many wine articles this year, and in previous years, but never really counted to see how many articles I’ve written and how to classify them.  I thought I’d try it this year and see if there are any surprises.  For most…

This is my fourth year interviewing winemakers in Ontario about their latest grape harvest and wine production.  To get a more complete picture of the harvest I asked the following questions to three winemakers in three different grape growing regions of southern Ontario, which should have some differences in climate and harvest.   The three winemakers I interviewed this year are:…

The 2021 harvest will surely be marked in our minds as COVID continues.  Plus during the summer there were major fires in BC, and now with the heavy rains and flooding, I’m sure the weather has had an impact on harvest and fermentation.  Socially distanced visitors to BC wineries ensued this year.  Overall, how did the BC grape growing season and…

I do make video interviews with winery principals during the Vancouver International Wine Festival and at other events.  I put the videos on youtube, but have not used youtube for a while; since COVID closed down Festivals.  I thought I would put the link here to my youtube feed in case you would like to be entertained by winemakers that…

Grape harvest time is special.  There is the beauty of the ripe grapes and the leaves of the vines starting to change colours and the sights, sounds and smells of the grapes as they are sorted, crushed, and pumped to vat or barrel.  And the anticipation of making great wine from the grapes that the winery spent countless months and…

Many of us are familiar with the wine regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and the Rhone Valley, but there are many sub-regions, which have their own Appellation d’origine Contrôlée (AOC) that produce quality wines at reasonable prices.  Many of the wineries are family-run as well, with the vineyards and wineries being passed down through families.  I would like to present…

What do Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Okanagan have in common?  Dylan and Pénélope Roche of Roche Wines.  This married couple met while pursuing their winemaking careers and during their world travels worked in Bordeaux and Burgundy. They then moved to the Naramata Bench where they started Roche Wines.  One item of interest is that Dylan spent 5 years in Burgundy…

To follow up on my tasting notes for the Coolshanagh Chardonnay 2017, I had a chance to interview Skip Stothert, owner, about some of the history of this winery and how COVID has affected them.  Enjoy. My Interview with Skip Stothert Karl: What were you doing at the winery or your plans when we had the COVID 19 shut down…

This is my third interview with Ezra Cipes, CEO of Summerhill Pyramid Winery.  His family has a long history in the BC wine industry and has been leading in organic, and now biodynamic agriculture, in my opinion.  Ezra is also a director of the Canadian Vintners Association and Vice-Chair of the British Columbia Wine Institute.  I arranged this interview as…