It was about a dozen years ago when I bumped into Val Tait at a wine event in Vancouver and I was instantly captivated by both her wines and exuberant personality. We chatted. I tasted those wines and in a frantic very few minutes I immediately recognized this was a person I wanted to have in my life and wine circle. And what a fortuitous meeting that was! In the years intervening, we've shared many more enjoyable + enriching moments together and it was Val who gave me my own firs...

Richard da Silva is a terroir-driven Vigneron-Winemaker who clearly does things his way. Sometimes controversial, occasionally unconventional, but always with care and a deep understanding of his many vineyards and terroirs scattered throughout a few established GI's that he commandeers with his wife Twylla and winery team. His family roots go way back to the mid '50's when they emigrated from Portugal and settled in the South Okanagan to become fruit growers & purveyors. With...

I sat down with Filipe Ferreira who is the owner + winemaker at Quinta da Foz in Douro, Portugal in town for the exclusive annual Top Drop event. Because of very tight scheduling we had limited time together but boy, we sure covered a lot of ground!Originally from the Dão region, he saw huge potential in this winery founded by the Calem family over 150 years ago and took over the reins in 2014. With a total of 20 acres plus vines over 80 years old, along with 30+ indigenous varietals pl...

#TopDrop Vancouver is a unique wine festival whose focus is to provide a platform for terroir-influenced, handcrafted wines and the people behind them.One of those people is Nikos Zacharis. He is the Sales & Export Manager for the world of KIR-YIANNI wines in Naoussa + Amyndeon, GREECE.They are crafting some of the very top wines from the country and we sat down to discuss so much about their history and influence on Greek wines throughout the past several decades.From antiquity to the mo...

Harry Hertscheg has helmed the Vancouver International Wine Festival--the largest of its kind on the planet--for over 2 decades. He's a multi-faceted + talented Director whose history working in radio & the Arts paved a fascinating foundation for his current post.From the early days of VIWF inception, to the deep correlations between music & wine; Italian grapes and spotlight as this year's featured Country, and the pivotal importance of our Canadian coastal city of Vancouver as...

Christine Coletta is the post-modern matriarch of wine in BC. The owner + founder of Haywire Winery (formerly Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland--renown and colloquially known simply as OCP). It's the foremost concrete fermenting winery in North America.In 1990 she developed BC's first Appellation System which is still ongoing today and she is cited as one of the industry's most innovative marketing experts.From crowdfunding winery ownership to development of some the regions' top express...

Hi! I'm WineGuyTy and THIS is the Barrel Room!Hear conversations with notable winemakers, winery owners, vineyard managers, cellar rats and possibly anyone from the world of wine who has an interesting tale to tell and whose contributions are bringing us wine nerds some of the best juice made on the planet.The barrel room is a place of much activity. There'll be lots of discussion, some experimentation, some contemplation and yes most certainly there'll be some tasting going on.Here is where ...

Join WineGuyTy in The Barrel Room LIVE at VIWF with renown 4th Generation Winemaker Dr. Laura Catena of Catena Zapata Winery & Luca Wine Brands in Mendoza, Argentina, as we delve into the latest happenings at the Pyramid; in the cellar; with a brand new book, and her recent appointment to WSET, the Wine & Spirits Education Trust.LINKS:VIWF: https://vanwinefest.caCatena Zapata Winery: https://catenazapata.comIG: @LauraCatenaMD**The best wines are those shared with friends. Let's share ...