Some samples were recently dropped to me from Cooler Co. - a Canadian kombucha and yerba mate producer. The company was founded right here in British Columbia, and while their kombucha has been consistently made in Coquitlam, there was a Made-In-The-U.S.A. component to their Yerba Mate production.

Well, no more!

The team have shifted the entire Yerba Mate production to National Dry in Toronto, an organic-certified facility with the capability of producing up to 800 cans per minute, which is CRAZY to me!

All cards on the table, I’m not a yerba mate guy. Or any kinda tea, really. It’s not that I dislike it; to me it’s a category that’s just fine. But, I’m always game to try things out, and I was quite impressed with these. I was a little concerned they’d be sweet - monikers like Power Peach and Blue Balance led me in that direction.

But - they’re not! I’d venture the flavours are actually quite subtle. The texture of the yerba mate carries some nice, light tannins, and it’s almost like each flavour is more of a hint or a nod. I quite like the mint edition best - it’s bright and juicy; I promise it’s not like drinking menthol iced tea.

Mayyyybe I’m a yerba mate guy after all! They’re available across the country - if they sound like your kinda thing, give ‘em a whirl!

My buddy Adam Henderson, the proprietor of Vancouver’s Superflux Beer Company, reached out recently looking for me to stickhandle a wine producer connection to participate in an upcoming event of his - and WHAT an event!

The Superflux Stout & Oyster Fest is going down at the brewery this Saturday February 7, from Noon-onwards. Yup, lots of fresh oysters and a lot of tasty stout. Joining the frosty festivities are Dageraad Brewing, Field House Brewing Co., Tofino Brewing Company, Persephone Brewing Company, Herald Street Brew Works, and Shaketown Brewing.

Beyond the aforementioned oysters and stout, they’re promising Po’ Boys, fries, Caesars, and more.

And, wine! I connected Adam with Rich Charnock, the winemaker of JoieFarm on British Columbia’s Naramata Bench - who jumped at the chance to unleash his JoieFarm 2024 Un-Oaked ‘PNW Edition’ Chardonnay into the mix, which will absolutely slay with freshly-shucked oysters.

Also, no tickets required! Just swing by the brewery any time from Noon until late, and order what you like. You can bet I’ll be there, and hopefully you will, too!

I’m a Vancouver-based wine & hospitality consultant who writes about wine, presents seminars, produces events, judges competitions, works with restaurants on their wine programs, and so on. Want to work with me? Here’s a little more info!

Stoked to be doing a little cameo appearance this Wednesday, February 4, alongside my good friend Jenna Briscoe at This Is Wine School, co-presenting Deep Cuts: France.

Here’s the scoop:

Arguably the most ubiquitous wine culture in the world, France is synonymous with fabulous fashion houses, delicious cheese, and of course, fancy wine. While you may be familiar with the big Bs of Bordeaux and Burgundy, however, you might not know the secret value that lies in the south-west or in the mountainous regions near the swiss border… so let’s get acquainted!

Following up the Underdogs + Deep Cuts classes that touch on the many lesser known styles around the world, we’re introducing this new batch of classes to dig into the great unknown and show you the wines you don’t yet know but should be drinking.

Join us for this new iteration of Underdogs as we explore unknown and under appreciated regions of France in all her glory! Whether you’re just curious to find fun new bottles to try, or planning an escape to Paris this winter, we’ll walk you through our favourite wines to taste and explore! We’ll taste through five wines that we hope become your new favourites.

Come join us! Tix are $95 - you can get all the info and nab ‘em here.

I’m a Vancouver-based wine & hospitality consultant who writes about wine, presents seminars, produces events, judges competitions, works with restaurants on their wine programs, and so on. Want to work with me? Here’s a little more info!

What a year it’s been for the Okanagan Valley’s Evolve Sparkling House! From cutting the ribbon on their swank-but-comfy new digs perched on the edge of the Naramata Bench, to literal groundbreaking and overhauling a stunner of a newly-acquired vineyard in Summerland, across the lake.

While winemaker Lynzee Schatz continues to raise the bar on her array of Traditional Method house bubbles (that 2018 Brut Nature is my jam), she’s recently ventured into the non-alc world with Evolve 2025 Dealcoholized Sparkles. I love that they’ve introduced this bottling to the line-up; one reason is with their position as one of the first wineries encountered when visiting the Naramata Bench, any lack of non-alc offerings for visitors would be leaving money on the table. Beyond that, with the success and quality we’ve seen in the B.C. booze-free sparkling micro-category from the likes of ONES+, Glimmer, and Winemaker’s CUT, I believe more in the mix are always welcome.

OK, so, Evolve:

The sparkling is made from Gewürztraminer, but I almost don’t want to share that because some (Many?) may have a knee-jerk assumption that it’s gonna be saccharine-sweet, confected rosewater, perhaps punctuated with lychee and Turkish Delight. It’s not. I promise. Think the more tropical side of Gew: guava, mango, lime, pomelo - that’ll put you on the right track. Also, it’s not too sweet! Here’s the tech info for those so inclined:

Evolve Dealc Sparkle

2.74MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Sure, there’s a lashing of residual sugar like most wines, but that’ll be all the better for your take-out Thai or Nashville hot chicken sandwich. There’s enough juicy acidity to make this one quite quaffable. Extra points for this being a vintage wine; it’s something we don’t always see in the category. A lot of care and effort goes into this one, and it shows. Definitely worth the $23 price tag.

Here’s where you can find it.

Free Spirit Victoria, the city’s biggest non-alc wine, beer, and cocktail tasting is happening on Vancouver Island March 26, pouring the best in local and international fare from over 50 producers. Head to FreeSpiritProjects.com for all the details!

Fresh from the My-Wife’s-A-Genius Department, a quick & easy cocktail she invented that can be built in seconds. For those around B.C. with access to both of these gems, take the oh-so-juicy Sparkling Pear Soda w/ Lime from Naramata’s Creek & Gully, and pour it over ice. THEN - take Wild Folk ‘The Bitter Tongue’ Amaro Mixer in all of its bold, bitter, and beautiful glory, and add have the volume of the Pear Soda you just poured. You’re done! At once crushable as it is complex.

Free Spirit Victoria, the city’s biggest non-alc wine, beer, and cocktail tasting is happening on Vancouver Island March 26, pouring the best in local and international fare from over 50 producers. Head to FreeSpiritProjects.com for all the details!

Fresh from my segment on CBC Radio 1 this afternoon, some recommended sips for the holiday season:

• Evolve Brut Premiere 2020, Okanagan Valley, BC - $39.99

  A charming sparkling composed of Chardonnay & Pinot Noir, traditional method - on lees three years, Granny Smith apple, Honeycrisp apple, starfruit, and a smidge of marmalade on toasty brioche.

• Medici Ermete Lambrusco Reggiano, Italy - $18.99 (LTO $15.99) BC Liquor Stores

  Brambly. forest floor berries and fruit, peppery fizz, DRY; get your charcuterie on!

• Tantalus 2023 Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC - $35.99 BC Liquor Stores

  A host of pears framed by a graham wafer crust, a squeeze of lime, a drizzle of fruit cocktail.

• JoieFarm 2022 ‘En Famille’ Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC - $36.43

  Cranberry compote, roasted blood orange, textures of cardamom and nutmeg. In Vancouver at private stores like everything Wine, JAK’s Kitsilano, & Nesters LRS.

• Leitz ‘Eins-Zwei-Zero’ Rosé, Rheingau, Germany - $15.29 BC Liquor Stores

  A lovely non-alc that’s not confected or sweet. Mostly Pinot Noir; think Rainier cherries, red plum, and a little Meyer lemon.

So.

In my journey getting to know non-alc wines, I’ve found wine varieties that tend to be *loud* in nature, (👋🏼 Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, etc.) tend to have dealcoholized contemporaries that echo their vibe, more than subtler grapes, your Pinot Noirs, Pinot Grigios, and the like.

I’d venture to say most of the non-alc Sauvignon Blancs I’ve tasted have tasted, well, pretty Sauvignon Blanc-y! Citrus! Herbs! Gooseberry!

Well, I’ll say these two don’t stray from my assumptions, BUT - upon tasting both, I was more impressed than I initially expected. Kim Crawford have just launched their version, and figuring they OWN the global Sauvignon Blanc category, we’d assume it’s going to be decent. At the same time, the Leitz project out of Mosel in Germany have NAILED non-alc Riesling in particular; here in Vancouver it’s a sommelier darling. If you squint while tasting, it’s an 8% Kabinett.

With all this in mind, when I tasted them both side-by-side, I expected the mass-market Kim Crawford brand to be one-dimensional, with elevated assumptions of our German showing.

Both are good, and will scratch the itch. The Kim Crawford impresses because, for me, it’s not an ocean of bell peppers and pyrazines. I don’t love those Sauv Blanc components. Nope, this one is more guava, grapefruit, and even quince. Rounder, to be sure, but still varietally appropriate with lofty acid and zest.

The Leitz outing is more “textbook.” Lime, grapefruit, gooseberry, French herbs. A little more zesty, but ALSO a little more emollient; a touch of waxy business that harkens to the idea of a splash of Semillon in the mix.

Like Sauvignon Blanc? Neither will disappoint. Just depends on what you’re looking for.

I was pouring at my weekly Wine Tasting Tuesdays here in Vancouver just a couple weeks back, when one of the attendees introduced herself.

“Hi, I’m Moirae from Tomato Wheels; it’s a Lambrusco I-”

“TOMATO WHEELS,” I exclaimed. While the brand has been around a few years now, I hadn’t had the opportunity to give it a whirl, yet it happened to organically come up in various conversations in recent weeks, and here was the proprietor and a friend enjoying a sunny tasting event I produced.

So, I already knew much of the story. Moirae Choquette is an Indigenous entrepreneur and public speaker who fell in love with Lambrusco over a decade ago during a trip to Italy, natch. Upon returning home to Western Canada, she was disappointed by how few and far between bottles of the red, dry and fizzy good stuff were to find in the market. Legend has it that years later she awoke in the middle of the night with a bit of a ‘Eureka!’ moment. She was destined to produce a Lambrusco, and she’s never looked back.

Consulting with Calgary-based sommelier Brad Royale, they began working with the Bertolani family of Emilia-Romagna, and fast-forward to today: we have a widely-available Lambrusco that’s fun and damn tasty. (Here in Vancouver it’s available at Brewery Creek, Marquis Wine Cellars, Everything Wine, and beyond.)

Perfumed cherries and black currants on the nose lead to hella-juicy plums, blackberries and raspberries on the palate, with a good smattering of white pepper on that oh-so-dry finish.

I’d say to start putting out the cheese and charcuterie, but I just happened to try it with BBQ kettle chips and, reader, it was a DELIGHT!

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To start here, nothing particularly earth-shattering, but a couple fun sips I’ve come across.

A sommelier by trade, most of my career absolutely revolves around wine, sure. In saying that, I’m not always drinking wine - and when I’m not imbibing at all, I’m still looking for interesting things to drink, even aside from my consistent penchant for sparkling water. (Seriously, we have a SodaStream at home and FOUR tanks of gas in rotation to ensure we never run out.)

In saying that, the non-alc (zero-proof, booze-free, etc) category has exploded in recent years, meaning there are more fascinating options in that arena than ever. I’ve shifted around 25% of my career to events and writing around those parts, and have been finding it both enjoyable and fulfilling.

A term I’ve learned over this arc of my career is zebra-striping. Basically, for those of us who drink alcohol, but want to be measured over the course of an event or evening, the idea of that is to flip back and forth: one boozy drink, one non-alc, and so on.

Sure, you can mix it up style-wise, but I’ve recently enjoyed a duo of craft beer that, if you’re doing the zebra thing, can make you feel like you’re barely skipping a beat.

Here in Vancouver, Main Street Brewing’s Sundried Lime Lager is a refreshing, summery beer. Lager-forward, the lime hits you at the finish, keeping it lifted all the way through. Rather crushable, and it certainly won’t weigh you down.

On the flipside, Moody Ales Salted Lime Lager Non-Alcoholic Beer comes outta the gates with all that salty, citrusy goodness, with the lager-y component soming up on the back end. I’m more a hoppy/hazy guy when it comes to non-alc beers, I find lagers and pilsners can be a little to simple. Not here. That salted lime note hits everything so well.

Plenty of summer left. Get on ‘em.