The Sipster's Wine Podcast

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Ok, mostly me. but this was a fun one for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that this situation will be part of wine tasting in BC for years going forward. Is that a good thing? We'll see. Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showPurchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . This week's podcast features a chat with Dr. Don Livermore. Though you are unlikely to know who he is, it is entirely likely that you have had products that he has overseen in his nearly 30 years at the Hiram-Walker distillery and the brand in question today - J.P. Wiser's, which is Canada's longest running brand of whisky. Wiser's is older than Canada, if that gives you some indication Dr. Don is, on paper, a Master Blender, but in reality, he's a virtuoso performer in that roll. He is the first Canadian to win Master Blender of the Year in the world at the World Whisky Awards. He developed the Canadian Whisky Flavour Wheel, a comprehensive and must-have resource for anyone interested in learning more about flavours in Canadian whisky.  More than anything though, he is an amazing ambassador for Canadian whisky and is willing to take time to talk about the history, the chemistry, and art of making whisky. I really hope to have him on the podcast again in the future to learn more about the history of whisky in Canada.  So here it I, my conversation with Dr. Don Livermore from JP Wiser's. Cheers everyone!Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showPurchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Blind tastings are a fun way to hone your skills. In this episode, I have assembled a team of amazing tasters to help solve the mystery wine. Will anyone get it right? Is that the point? Find out as we taste through a wine that Blair shared with us. Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showPurchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . What does it really mean to buy local? Has that changed for us Canadians with all of the political things happening in the US? Is it a stretch to call a Mexican wine local? Jess and I delve into this topic over two 'local' wines that aren't from BC. Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showPurchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . In her never-ending quest to provide amazing experiences for her tour guests, Farm to Glass Wine Tour owner Jessie Hopwood re-reads Valleys of Wine, the only comprehensive history of BC's wine industry. In this special podcasts, she interviews the author and finds out how much he remembers with an intense quiz. Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showPurchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Ever wondered about wine competitions? Where do wines get their gold and silver awards? What do they mean?? Jess and I tackle this controversial topic. But wait, there's more! The wine word of the day - or is it week - is Punt. Do you prefer a bottle with out or without? Do you know what it is? We'll tell you. Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showThank you so much for listening! Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . We're back! Jess joins me from her flex space (aka the Podcast Closet) for this quick chat about the possibility of adding video to the Sipster's Podcast. What do you think? Is it worth it? Are we really that awesome looking? Send us an email or a comment somewhere and let us know. We also dive into our wine word of the week - Vertical. What is a wine vertical? Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showThank you so much for listening! Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . This episode is a chat with Jillian Hillier, better known online as @faretheewellbychefjill. Chef Jill has a lot to say about eating healthy and all of those dietary restrictions that everybody seems to have these days. I met her last November at the Crushable Club Wine Studio in Toronto, run by wine maven (and previous podcast guest Laura Milnes). We had a great time chatting about wine and food and I thought that she would be an excellent podcast guest. You can actually see photos of the night that we were there the new version of Laura's Crushable club website. Fare Thee Well websiteChef Jill on InstagramChef Jill's LinktreeWelcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showThank you so much for listening! Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . This week's podcast is a revisit with Jennifer Carleton. We recorded her previous podcast last spring over a video call when we were both in the Okanagan Valley. She invited me to visit her amazing wine room at her home in Peterborough, Ontario at some point if I was ever there and, last November, I was! She travels regularly between BC and Ontario and is one of the few wine people I know who can talk about either region with ease. She feels at home in both places and has her own wine friends and scenes in each place. As we chatted, we tasted a really nice BC Syrah from CedarCreek and discovered that there is a very good chance that we actually met almost 20 years ago at my very first job in the wine industry. Lots of great wine culture info in this one. I hope you enjoy. Here we go!Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showThank you so much for listening! Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . I get to speak with Joanne Pratt and Craig MacMillan, the owners of Stonehouse Vineyard in Lochiel, Ontario. Unless you've read either of my two Sipsters Pocket Guides to 50 Must-Try Ontario Wines, there is little chance that you could have even heard of Stonehouse before. The winery is in a converted barn and the whole property is perched on the top of a beautiful ridge in far eastern Ontario - the first vineyard operating in the area - just before the Quebec border in Glengarry county. If you've ever driven the 401 between Montreal and Toronto or the 417 between Montreal and Ottawa, then you have passed through Glengarry County. Drive away from either of those highways and you'll be in some of the most beautiful farmland in the province, if not the country. Joanne and Craig have really done their homework. They know that making great wine is only one step to a successful winery. They've also been carefully building their brand, creating associations with other cold climate wineries, and encouraging academic research with Concordia University to help literally break ground and pioneer a wine industry in a new region. It was really exciting for me to witness this first hand and I'm so glad that I was able to connect with them when I was in the area this past November. Thank you for continuing to listen to the Sipster's Podcast. I know I haven't done as many episodes this past year as I'd hoped but I am hoping to continue producing more podcasts in 2025. I love podcasts and this is truly a labour of love. Thank you so much for your support. I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all the best for in the new year. Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showThank you so much for listening! Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . This week's guest is Anne Du Bois who own Savon Du Bois in Picton, Prince Edward County, Ontario. I've always wanted to do an episode like this because it is not directly about wine but rather, about aromas almost exclusively. Anne Du Bois is an aromatherapist and perfumer who extracts her own scents and essential elements from botanicals to create a huge array of products from perfumes, essential oils, soaps, lotions, and salts, which is only a small amount of the things that Anne offers in her store. She oversees the production of all of it personally and is passionate about how aromas, and the ingredients that go into producing them, can impact our lives and our health.  I have been to the County many times in the past few years and only noticed her store on Main Street this past November on my last visit. I was walking down the street when suddenly I smelled the most amazing things walking past the door to one of the shops. Walking into her store is like immersing yourself in beauty. I probably spent about a half hour there just smelling everything I could as well as reading the stories on some of the packaging, part of some amazing marketing that she's created on the packaging of her carefully crafted scented products. Thankfully, Anne had time to meet me the next morning - the last morning that I was going to be in Picton - to record this conversation.Visit Savon Du Bois online at savondubois.com. Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showThank you so much for listening! Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . This is going to be controversial. After a bad couple of winters, some BC wineries have imported grapes outside of BC to make wine. Some BC wineries have refused to do that. Will they be labelled the same? Are they going to cost less? In this podcast, Jess and I discuss what we think should happen to these wines. Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showThank you so much for listening! Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca or lukewhittall.comThanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . It's more about Nova Scotia this week! Jess and I taste through a couple more wines from her trip, including wines from L'Acadie and Luckett vineyards. We discuss our Tidal Bay experiences and offer suggestions for donair pairings. It's an east coast feast. Find Jess at Farm to Glass Wine Tours.Find me at my computer trying to remember all of the things I'm supposed to type into the show notes for podcasts. Does anybody even read these things?Welcome to the Sipsters Podcast! Thank you for listening to the Sipster's Podcast. Find us online at sipsters.ca. Support the showThank you so much for listening! Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca Thanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Can grapes be grown in a greenhouse? Apparently yes. I get to taste a couple wines in this episode with Marc Desaulnier and Annabelle Harper, winemaker and assistant winemaker respectively at Vins Zyromski in Rivière-Rouge, Quebec. https://vinszyromski.com/   Support the showThank you so much for listening! Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find me online at sipsters.ca Thanks again for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Jess is back! In this episode, we talk about the value of wines in Nova Scotia, why disagreeing makes for a better podcast, and if there really is a difference between Adirondak and Muskoka chairs. We also recap our summer and some of the most amazing wines that we tasted recently. Wines featured in this podcast:Beausoleil Vineyards Framboise Artisanal Wine and Cider, Nova ScotiaOther wines we talked about:Hugging Tree - Keremeos, BCLakeboat Winery - SS Wanderer and Carmenere - Kaleden, BCJoin Jess on Farm to Glass Wine Tours.  Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the showPurchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show. Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Whatever innovations have happened in the BC wine industry in the past 30 years, Sandra Oldfield has been a part of it. The first wine club in British Columbia - The Crush Club at Tinhorn Creek - happened on her watch. In a world of industry followers, she is a leader. I've been trying to get her to record a podcast with me for years, which is almost the same amount of time that we've been seeing each other at school plays and parent-teacher interviews. Find Sandra online at Elysian Projects Inc. Fortify Conference Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the showPurchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show. Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Tim Watts, co-owner of Kettle Valley Winery in Naramata, was an early mentor in my wine career. I worked at several wineries in production and I worked at Kettle Valley in 2008. Tim and Bob Ferguson were hands-on owners, working at every aspect of their business themselves, which meant that when I worked there, I got to try out all kinds of different things too. I loved that about working there because every day was different and every day meant that I could be learning something new. In addition to all of the normal cellar tasks, I also learned how to prune grapevines, shoot thin, tuck, cluster thin, cut tops, install bird netting, and drive very old pickup trucks. I also got really good at installing PVC irrigation pipe, wires, hoses, and emitters. It was all hands-on and Tim was the one that showed me how it was done. Before wine, Tim worked as a geologist. Our conversations about geology as we worked on the bottling line inspired me to dig deeper into the topic. Ultimately, that lead to writing a chapter about it in my first book. I also took the Wine Sales program at Okanagan College that same year and had my first experiences selling wine in their garage wine shop. Of all of the things that I've done in my wine career, the majority of it can be traced back to my experiences at Kettle Valley with Tim Watts. My heart goes out to his family. Rest in peace Tim. Cheers to you. ~~~ Support the Show.Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show. Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . This is one of those super-sized podcasts with a lot of info in a great conversation with Shay Code, owner and winemaker at his winery Code Wines in Okanagan Falls, BC. Perched at the base of Peach Cliff above the town, Code Wines occupies an extraordinarily unique vineyard site. Shay tells about how he got into wine and what led him to plant the grapes on this amazing piece of land. **PLEASE NOTE** This podcast was recorded before the fire that burned through a portion of their vineyard in early June 2024. There will be more about this tragic event in an upcoming podcast.  Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show.Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show. Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Jennifer Carleton joins me on the podcast this week. She has a unique perspective on Canadian wine because she travels regularly between Ontario and BC and hears all about what each provinces says about the other's wines. Jenn is extremely well-spoken and enthusiastic about wine. Find her online at her website Jenn's Wine Crush.  Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show.Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show. Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . In a bid to learn more about each other, Jess and I get into the serious questions about wine and life. Now, you can have your chance! Ask us anything! You must have questions about wine in Canada and now you can ask us! Or tell us about your most amazing wine experiences. We will read them on a future podcast and answer or discuss when we do. The best question or story will win a copy of the latest volume of the Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try BC Wines (or Ontario wines, if you prefer - winners choice). Please include your first name, where you are from (don't have to be too specific), and if you want to remain anonymous if we read your question or story on the podcast. Send all questions or stories to sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com. Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here!Support Sipsters by subscribing!Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here!Support the Show.Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!  Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show.Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show. Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Tonia McArthur rejoins me for a great conversation, this time in the Sipster's studio instead of at a noisy coffee shop. We talk about her recent appearance in the new Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 More Must-Try BC Wines Volume 3 while I blind her on a mysterious sparkling wine.  Find Tonia online on her website and learn about her amazing scoring system for wines. Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show.Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show. Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . Christopher Mark from Vintality Tech Inc. joins me on the podcast this week. We talk about all things vineyards in this one, which is a hot topic among more than just wine enthusiasts these days. Everyone seems to have heard that BC's interior has had it bad over the past few years. Chris is literally at ground zero for around the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys with his company as he monitors and analyzes vineyard health using the latest technology and data methods. He's got a lot to say about what happened and about the dangers that the vines in BC's wine country could still be facing as the weather warms up. Go to Sipster's Online at sipsters.caASK ME ANYTHING! Email me your wine questions or craziest wine experiences to  sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here!Support Sipsters by subscribing!Thank you so much for listening!  Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show.Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show. Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Text us your wine questions, craziest wine experiences, or if you just have a comment for us. . This week on the podcast, Jessie Hopwood returns for a visit to catch up and talk about the state of BC's wine industry after a crazy winter. We'll catch up with why there haven't been any podcasts lately, how to get into the wine industry, and why you should never ferment raspberry wine in a condo unless you have home insurance. It's a fun and casual conversation over glasses of Oak Estate Winery Cherish Merlot 2022 from Summerland, British Columbia. Go to Sipster's Online at sipsters.caASK ME ANYTHING! Email me your wine questions or craziest wine experiences to  sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here!Support Sipsters by subscribing!Thank you so much for listening!  Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show.Purchase copies of “The Sipsters Pocket Guides” here! Support Sipsters by subscribing! Thank you so much for listening! Order your Sipster's Pocket Guides at your favourite online retailer, bookstore, or winery near you. You can also order directly from me here! Support the Show. Contact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

It's the first annual SIPPIE AWARDS and here are the WINNERS!Modelled after the BC LG awards, the Sippies are my way of telling you about all kinds of Canadian wines. I've written about some of them but there are often others that I can't include in my books for various reasons (they might be too expensive or limited to one single vintage). I still think you should know about these wines because they are all fantastic wine drinking experiences!   In this episode, I talk about the best wines I had the honour of tasting last year. Amazing experiences with amazing wines. Next week, I will reveal the Sippie Wine of the Year!  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Here's a little bit of fun to start off the podcast in 2024. It's the first annual SIPPIE AWARDS!!Modelled after the BC LG awards, the Sippies are my way of telling you about all kinds of Canadian wines. I've written about some of them but there are often others that I can't include in my books for various reasons (they might be too expensive or limited to one single vintage). I still think you should know about these wines because they are all fantastic wine drinking experiences!   In this episode, I talk about the inspiration for these awards and present you with this year's Honourable Mentions. Look for the top list of Sippie winners next week and the Sippie Wine of the Year in 2 weeks.   Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

This week's podcast features Ann Sperling, a legendary wine maker from BC who has been in Ontario now for many years. She has a long family history in BC and is the great-granddaughter of Giovanni Casorso, who is (if we need one) the real father of BC's wine industry.  She spent her first years as a winemaker at André's Wines in Port Moody in the 1980s before taking on winemaking at the early years of CedarCreek where her wines (specifically a Merlot) was considered so good at a fall Wine Festival awards that they created a platinum award just for the Merlot that year. She's consulted with Clos du Soleil in the Similkameen Valley and most recently headed Sperling Vineyards on her family's property in Kelowna's Mission Creek area. She consults with many wineries in Ontario and around the world. Together with her husband, Peter Gamble, collectively, they know more about wine than I can ever hope to know. Talking with Ann was really special because she was the first person that I interviewed in the winter of 2015 as I began the research for what became my first book, Valleys of Wine. Chatting with her at her historic home east of St. Catharine's was a great honour and was a great way to end my podcast recordings on that trip.Please note – This is an information-rich conversation, with a lot of industry-talk on some complex themes. Ann is one of the most knowledgeable people in the country about wine and I was not going to let the opportunity pass without digging deep. If you hear anything that doesn't make sense to you or if you want to know more about something, please email me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com with your question and I will do my best to reply. Ann was also recovering from a bad cold when we spoke so there is a slight rasp to her voice that is not there normally.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

You will hear 2 other voices on this week's podcast and those will be of Graham Rennie and Matt Loney. Graham is the found of The Niagara Custom Crush Studio in Vineland, Ontario and Matt Loney is the General Manager. They are innovative and pushing the envelope for a new style of custom crush facility. They are just getting started now but they are on track to become a focal point in Niagara's wine industry, acting as an incubator for new brands to get established and as a home base for their own brands. Graham's flagship is Rennie Estate Winery, which produces some of the most amazing red wines ever to come out of Ontario, in my opinion. That's why I featured one in my first volume of the Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try Ontario Wines. I sat down with Graham and Matt to taste through some of their portfolio and what you will hear now is the discussion that happened at that tasting.If you have not heard of appassimento styles of wines, you should really check this out because Ontario is really making some beautiful wines using these techniques.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Want some history? How about finding out what American outlaw Jesse James did to leave his mark on the Staff family property. This is part 2 of my conversation with Sue-Ann Staff of Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery in Jordan, Ontario.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

This is the second podcast that I recorded while travelling in Ontario. The voice you heard at the beginning belongs to Sue-Ann Staff, from Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery  located south of Jordan, Ontario on the top of the escarpment.Sue-Ann was such a bundle of joy to chat with. She had prepared a wonderful tasting through some of the key wines in her portfolio and chatted about the long and storied history of the land she now farms as well as her own history as a winemaker.  This podcast has it all – century-old grapevines, American outlaw gangs from the old west, and tons about Icewine that you never knew from a winemaker that knows it better than anyone else in the country. This episode is Part 1. Part 2 is coming next week.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Vittorio de Stafano from On Seven Estate Winery joins me in this conversation about starting a super-premium winery with a focused portfolio build on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. His Chardonnay left me utterly speechless when tasting it for the first time last winter when I was writing the first volume of the Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try Ontario Wines. On Seven was high on my list of Must-Visit wineries while I visited Niagara this fall. This was recorded November 2023 on location in the house that overlooks the vineyard in Niagara on the Lake. Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Noelle Starzynski, wine marketer extraordinaire, joins me on the podcast this week. She is perhaps best known for her work with Lakeside Cellars in Osoyoos, BC where she has been working for the past 5 years helping to build their brand and hospitality program. I first met Noelle in the middle of the last decade and we have been running into each other at various events and stores ever since. We didn't see much of each other during the pandemic of course. Events started back up just as I was getting this podcast started last year but was only recently able to follow through on her threat to make an appearance on it, which happened right before I was to set off to Ontario a couple of weeks ago. It's a fun conversation filled with mystery wines (including a Ferox Merlot from Virgil, Ontario) and excitement. We had lots of things to talk about. Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

This is the defacto Part 2 of my previous episode with Jess Hopwood from Farm to Glass Wine Tours. In this podcast, you will hear the voices of Jody and Costa Gavaris from Rigour and Whimsy Winery in Okanagan Falls, along with Jess and I as we taste through a few wines from their portfolio. You'll hear the ambience from the cellar as well as the humour and fun (or is that whimsy?) of time well spent enjoying wine together.   Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

This might be get loud. Do not adjust your devices. This is what real enthusiasm for wine sounds like. Carl and his wife Mira are partnered in running Carl's Wine Club. Carl joined me recently in the Sipster's studio for a chat about Canadian wine. He's got an amazing perspective on it and tastes so much wine over the course of his working year! Nobody in this country has the unique perspective that he has and it was fascinating to hear his views. He brought along a bottle of Merlot from Ontario producer Bella Terra that we taste while talking about the stigma that still surrounds wine in this country.   Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

The fall is always a busy time in the industry and even though I no longer work in the cellars as part of the harvest, I am still busy busy busy. I'm kicking off the second season of The Sipster's Wine Podcast with tons of announcements! PLUS! You will get to hear excerpts from the Sipster's Pocket Guides - BC Volumes 1 and 2 as well as a sneak preview of a chapter from the soon-to-be-released Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try Ontario Wines. Links from this episode:Summerland Reading October 24thKelowna Canadian Italian ClubWines featured in this podcast:Gehringer Brothers Old Vines AuxerroisMoon Curser DolcetoNagging Doubt SiegerrebeLola Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

You never know who you're going to meet when you work at a winery. This is a recent conversation with Kaila Kliewer, formerly a wine sales professional on the coast with a background in hospitality, who I actually met 10 years ago! (That's a good story too...) We share a similar interest and appreciation in wine but also a similar point of view over the industry from the perspective of working at VQA stores. She shares some stories about her experience in wine and also a not-so-good recent experience at a winery that left her frustrated. Out stunt wine in this podcast is the OAK Estate Winery Lavish.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

This is a different episode, recorded within the smoke-filled Okanagan Valley. It has not been an easy time here lately and this podcast is a little window into that time when smoke clogs the valley and fires dominate the news. Some of the links mentioned in this episode:CBC Kelowna - Daybreak with Chris WalkerCastanet NewsBC Wildfire Service MapJancisRobinson.com article by Arnica Rowan Niche Wine Co. Other links:Regional District of the Okanagan and Similkameen EOC Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

If it's one thing I've learned from my years of producing a podcast, it's that I can plan anything I want to, with as much detail and precision as I am capable of, but in the end the results are usually out of my control. I don't have a journalism background and therefore, no training about how to maintain perspective or ask the tough questions or anything like that. Sometimes, I just have to go along for the ride and see where it takes me.  This is literally what happened with I met Jess Hopwood and spent the afternoon zooming around in her Tesla talking about wine touring. Jess owns and operates Farm to Glass Wine Tours, an extraordinary eco-conscious wine tour venture offering high-level private tours all through the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys. My original plan was to drive around, chat about wine touring, and maybe get a little of that Tesla road ambiance at the same time. Jess, whirlwind of enthusiasm that she is, had more ideas. In this podcast, we talk Tesla's, EV's, emissions, visit a winery, and then taste a wine back at Sipster's HQ. It is a fantastic conversation and, like the tours that Jessie offers, an amazing experience. She also has a special offer for listeners of the Sipster's Podcast. Listen for the special code to get 15% off any wine tour from Farm to Glass Wine Tours. She even made a special Sipster's page on her website that has more of a backstory about how this podcast came to be. Ok, let's get this show on the road. Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

*If you haven't yet, you should probably listen to Part 1 of this conversation first.*I first met Laura in early 2018, I believe through social media (although it was a bit of a blurry time in my life at that point so I might be wrong). In any case, we spent the afternoon chatting about wine and looking at the lake in the warm spring sun. Laura was not like other people that I had talked to about wine. Her questions to me where very different and I liked that immediately. We stayed in touch and I always thought back to that conversation and how great it would have been to capture it for a podcast. Problem was, I wasn't doing a podcast at that time. However, within the year she created a vlog to accompany her blog, called Silk and Coupe and she invited me to be a guest on it. She interviewed me about my first book, which hadn't even been released at that point) and we again went our separate ways. But we stayed in touch casually over the years and when I found out that she was going to be in the Okanagan visiting family, I jumped at the chance to finally get a podcast interview with her.  Her evolution as a wine personality is unique in that she has experience with all of the major wine producing regions in Canada. In this chat, we get into Dad Wines & Natty Bros, and how she learned to hold a wine glass properly. Of course, the infamous Titty Tees will make an appearance too. She's outspoken, opinionated, very well spoken, and informed. Enjoy part 2 of my conversation with Laura Milnes.  Crushable Wine Club Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

I first met Laura in early 2018, I believe through social media (although it was a bit of a blurry time in my life at that point so I might be wrong). In any case, we spent the afternoon chatting about wine and looking at the lake in the warm spring sun. Laura was not like other people that I had talked to about wine. Her questions to me where very different and I liked that immediately. We stayed in touch and I always thought back to that conversation and how great it would have been to capture it for a podcast. Problem was, I wasn't doing a podcast at that time.  However, within the year she created a vlog to accompany her blog, called Silk and Coupe and she invited me to be a guest on it. She interviewed me about my first book, which hadn't even been released at that point) and we again went our separate ways. But we stayed in touch casually over the years and when I found out that she was going to be in the Okanagan visiting family, I jumped at the chance to finally get a podcast interview with her. Her evolution as a wine personality is unique in that she has experience with all of the major wine producing regions in Canada. In this chat, we get into Dad Wines & Natty Bros, and how she learned to hold a wine glass properly. Of course, the infamous Titty Tees will make an appearance too. She's outspoken, opinionated, very well spoken, and informed. Enjoy part 1 of my conversation with Laura Milnes.  Crushable Wine Club Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

It's another flashback episode this week featuring Steve Venables from Forbidden Fruit Winery in the Similkameen Valley. This is a slightly ASMR interview since it was recorded outside in February on a beautiful day while sitting near the banks of the mighty Similkameen River. This was originally recorded February 2012. During the pandemic, I had to really temper my habit of stopping in to places to say hi and catch up but am slowly getting back to doing that whenever I can. I visited Steve just last spring, stopping in to say hello, and we talked about recording this interview. With that memory flooding back, I thought it would be great to revisit and share it with all the sipsters out there who might appreciate growing things naturally and learning that 'organic' is more than just a way to grow food.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

So where the heck have I been? Lots of places. Listen to this podcast to hear about where I was and what's I've got planned for the future.   Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

If you think you know something about BC Wine but you don't know who John Schreiner is, then you still have a lot to learn about wine in this province. Wine in BC (and Canada) has not always been as good as it is now. At least a generation of wine drinkers now does not remember when Canadian wine was the butt of jokes and probably shouldn't have been consumed by humans before 1994. John saw the potential and began writing about it in the 1970s, publishing his first book about BC wine in 1984. As he says, he was a friend of BC wine when BC wine had no friends. I first read one of John's books more than 20 years ago, met him for the first time soon after that, and he's been an inspiration and a mentor to me for well over a decade. John and I can talk about wine a lot and we both seem to lose track of time. Our affinity for the wines, the industry, and the personalities of the people in that industry seems to drive both of us. It's always such a joy to get to chat with John. He's got a new book of memoirs out now called “Goodgrog: A Life in Wine and Journalism”. It is filled with stories of his vast experiences from growing up in small town Saskatchewan to travelling the world as a journalist. This provides the “terroir” from which Canada's most prolific wine writer emerges as the author of 19 books about wine in BC and Canada. It's a truly fascinating read to learn about someone who is more often out of the spotlight than in it. He knows so much about the wine industry in BC but that information only flows one way. Who is this guy? This book answers all of those questions.   It was a beautiful spring day on the back deck at his home in North Vancouver. We began the chat over a beautiful glass of Mirabel Chardonnay and chatting a little about one of his few non-wine books.Read John Schreiner's Wine Blog.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

If you think you know something about BC Wine but you don't know who John Schreiner is, then you still have a lot to learn about wine in this province. Wine in BC (and Canada) has not always been as good as it is now. At least a generation of wine drinkers now does not remember when Canadian wine was the butt of jokes and probably shouldn't have been consumed by humans before 1994. John saw the potential and began writing about it in the 1970s, publishing his first book about BC wine in 1984. As he says, he was a friend of BC wine when BC wine had no friends. I first read one of John's books more than 20 years ago, met him for the first time soon after that, and he's been an inspiration and a mentor to me for well over a decade. John and I can talk about wine a lot and we both seem to lose track of time. Our affinity for the wines, the industry, and the personalities of the people in that industry seems to drive both of us. It's always such a joy to get to chat with John. He's got a new book of memoirs out now called “Goodgrog: A Life in Wine and Journalism”. It is filled with stories of his vast experiences from growing up in small town Saskatchewan to travelling the world as a journalist. This provides the “terroir” from which Canada's most prolific wine writer emerges as the author of 19 books about wine in BC and Canada. It's a truly fascinating read to learn about someone who is more often out of the spotlight than in it. He knows so much about the wine industry in BC but that information only flows one way. Who is this guy? This book answers all of those questions.   It was a beautiful spring day on the back deck at his home in North Vancouver. We began the chat over a beautiful glass of Mirabel Chardonnay and chatting a little about one of his few non-wine books.Read John Schreiner's Wine Blog.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

This week I chat with Charlotte Messines, who works at Thompson and Scott who produce the Noughty Wines in London, England. Never heard of that winery? Well, they produce a whole line of no-alcohol wines that are really taking off right now. They've been on my radar for over a year when I was sent samples while writing The Sipster's Pocket Guide, volume 2 (which is out now). I was really intrigued by the non-alcoholic category and when I found out that my friend Charlotte was working there, it seemed like a great excuse to catch up AND learn more about non-alcoholic wines. Charlotte has a history in the Okanagan - I met her back in 2018 when she was working at Wild Goose in Okanagan Falls and we have stayed in touch over the past 5 years.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Part 2 of my conversation with Natalie MacLean, one of Canada's most recognizable wine personalities. She has appeared regularly on television, newspaper and magazine columns, as well as online through her website at Nataliemaclean.com. She is the author of two previous books that I know you've seen in the wine sections of book stores before - Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass and Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines. She also hosts a podcast of her own called Unreserved Wine Talk which I encourage you to check out as well. Her new book, Wine Witch On Fire - Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much - A Memoir is out now and available everywhere. BUT she is offering some juicy bonuses if you buy the book on her website at WineWitchonFire.com. You can also get free companion reader guide with tips for book club discussion questions and organizing an informal wine tasting with friends. This is available at www.WineWitchonFire.com/Guide Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Natalie MacLean is one of Canada's most recognizable wine personalities. She has appeared regularly on television, newspaper and magazine columns, as well as online through her website at Nataliemaclean.com. She is the author of two previous books that I know you've seen in the wine sections of book stores before - Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass and Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines. She also hosts a podcast of her own called Unreserved Wine Talk which I encourage you to check out as well. Her new book, Wine Witch On Fire - Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much - A Memoir is out now and available everywhere. BUT she is offering some juicy bonuses if you buy the book on her website at WineWitchonFire.com. You can also get free companion reader guide with tips for book club discussion questions and organizing an informal wine tasting with friends. This is available at www.WineWitchonFire.com/Guide  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Yvonne Turgeon is the founder and editor of Thompson Okanagan Trends Magazine. We met for the first time last week at an industry function and we recorded this podcast yesterday (if you are listening to it the day that it is released). You  might remember Okanagan Life magazine and the wine competition that they did in the spring. Trends magazine is bringing that back in a big way this month and Yvonne talks about all of that in this conversation, which takes place over a lovely glass of Hester Creek Ti Amo. If you work or own a winery, there is still time to get your wines entered into this competition.  We end everything with a very unique Big Question that will test your wine knowledge and creativity all at the same time. Find Trends Magazine on socials @totrendsmagTrends website: trendsmag.caAwards link: https://trendsmag.ca/awards Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

What's here? The Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try BC Wines, Volume 2 is now out!Buy it at Mosaic Books in Kelowna!Buy it at Munro Books in Victoria!You can buy it here! You can buy it there!You can buy it everywhere!You can also buy it directly from me by sending me an email. Let me know how many you'd like, if you'd like them signed and personalized, and where they are shipping to and we will work something out using e-transfer. Also, if you are in the Okanagan, I can also arrange to personally hand you a copy somewhere. (Now, THAT is customer service!)Oh, and there is also wine touring information on this podcast too. The Okanagan Wine Tour Guide by John Schreiner and Luke WhittallUncork BC (not a paid partnership or affiliate link - I'm not smart enough for that yet I guess...) Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

DJ Lady of the Mist, aka my friend and occasional musical partner Misty Rose joins me on this week's podcast. I've known Misty for about 7 or 8 years now and together we form the guitar and flute duet called Pairing Notes. Sadly, it took a long time for us to come up with that name. For some reason, she didn't like Flutar, which was one of my suggestions – don't know why. Anyways, Misty and I talk about all kinds of cool things including the disturbing lack of night life in the Okanagan and what wineries can do to help bring it back. She absolutely dazzled the crowd at a winery event last summer and got a lot of people talking because along with spinning tracks, she plays crazy flute riffs over top which makes for an amazing performance that you really have to see for yourself. Check out Lady of the Mist on Twitch and Instagram. Pairing Notes flute and guitar duo on Facebook Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Blair Gillingham  joins me on the podcast this week. He is the winemaker at Howling Bluff Estate Winery in Naramata but has been in the wine business since he was a teenager. He's experienced a lot of vintages in many countries around the world, which he'll be talking about. Blair is super down to earth about wine and winemaking. He was a hard-core listener to my old podcast, Wine Country BC back in the day – even remembering things about them that I'd forgotten about. He brought along a couple of tank samples to try from Howling Bluff and his own project Observatory Wines. So here you go, enjoy my chat with winemaker Blair Gillingham. Cheers! Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Wine and social media used to be a classic pairing. Wine enthusiasts found an outlet for their passion and generously shared their experiences on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to share with their friends and learn about others' experiences at the same time. But something has changed. Is social media still the place for wine lovers to congregate? Is it a constructive and beneficial element in our lives? This podcast is an exploration of social media as I've been observing it in 2023, after 15 years of taking part in it.  Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!