Mulligan Stew

We're featuring Wine Educator and Event Creator Kurtis Kolt .  Top Drop 2025,  his sensational small wine fest runs next week in Vancouver and Calgary.       Wine Educator, judge and Event Co-Ordinator Kurtis Kolt. His thoughts on 2025 Washington Grown/Crafted in BC Wines His impressive  Top Drop Events this coming week  in Vancouver and Calgary.   Kurtis Kolt is a Vancouver-based wine & hospitality consultant who writes about wine, presents seminars, hosts events, judges' competitions, works with restaurants on their wine programs, and so on. Kurtis has been  running restaurants around Vancouver, eventually receiving the 'Sommelier of the Year' award at the 2010 Vancouver International Wine Festival [https://vanwinefest.ca/tradedays/trade-days-conference/celebrating-excellence/celebrating-excellence/sommelier-of-the-year/]. KK is also the co-founder of Top Drop [https://topdrop.ca/], a series of terroir-focused trade and consumer festival-style events, dubbed  "the nerdiest, most awesome wine festival in Canada [https://www.vanmag.com/dont-miss-top-drop-vancouver-wine-tasting]."      TOP DROP In Vancouver May 13 and Calgary May 15. Kurtis books very select wineries (and their winemakers)  Check out the participants - https://vancouver.topdrop.ca/en/exhibitors [https://vancouver.topdrop.ca/en/exhibitors]   Dubbed “The One Wine Tasting of the Year You Shouldn’t Miss,” by Western Living magazine, Top Drop Vancouver [https://topdrop.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=14332fa2dc846eb3b1ded2a41&id=214adf3e7d&e=21faaae6b2] and Top Drop Calgary [https://topdrop.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=14332fa2dc846eb3b1ded2a41&id=6bcd475846&e=21faaae6b2]‘s Main Events return with continued focus on sustainably-farmed, handcrafted wines offering a distinct sense of place, without heavy-handed winemaking trickery to get in the way.     His latest project is Free Spirit! [https://www.freespiritvancouver.com/], a celebration of the world of non-alc wine, beer, and spirits!   Kurtis joins us on Tasting Room Radio to also talk about the Grown in Washington - Crafted in BC 2025 Wines,  now being seen on BC shelves.   www.topdrop.ca [http://www.topdrop.ca/] www.winebc.com [http://www.winebc.com/] www.kurtiskolt.com [http://www.kurtiskolt.com/] @Kurtis Kolt [kurtis@kurtiskolt.com]

Matt Anderson is one of CKUA's favourite artists. On the air and certainly with the audience. Matt is releasing his 11th solo studio album The Hammer and The Rose April 25th. I was delighted with all of that information until I got to"the date" April 25.    As you may know,  that's the first Friday for the CKUA Spring fundraiser.   I asked Matt's team if I could move the Stew interview to this Saturday - and they approved!!   So, we get the story of the album and we are the first play of several tracks, anywhere.   This album, about the relationship between the head and the heart, presents a different Matt. A slightly quieter Matt,  so you can hear the texture and grain of his voice. Great songs too. Co-writing the title track with Steve Dawson Co-writing with Tom and Thompson Wilson, Terra Lightfoot and Jesse O'Brien. Co-writing The Cobbler with producer/drummer Jason Van Tassel -  as a tribute to, and in memory of,  their Fathers. Includes a fine cover of JJ Cale's Magnolia. With  Afie Jurvanen on guitar and vocals.

George Siu is a pal and the co-founder of Memphis Blues BBQ House. They now have 6 locations.  3 in Vancouver and 3 in Alberta. They serve top-of-the-line BBQ...beautifully cooked.  George and Park Hefflefinger started the first location after heading to Memphis and spending much time studying the process and tricks of the trade.  The Memphis style is to slow cook in a pit. Either dry or wet ribs. Dry has a rub with salt, spices before cooking - no sauce.  Wet are brushed with sauce before during and after cooking.   I had a number of things I wanted to ask George...   Has any of the Buy Canada affected your business? - It is called Memphis Blues after all. You have a wall of American bourbon. What's happened to it? Have you made any moves to serve Canadian craft distilleries?  Beer, Cider? Are the tariffs having an effect? How different are the wine and drink choices between BC and Alberta? What pairs well with smoky BBQ?   It's not just a Q&A session. With George Siu it's always a trading of stories. Some are actually true.   www.memphisbluesbbq.com [http://www.memphisbluesbbq.com/]

For the first time under one roof in Victoria, importers will be joined by local BC makers from Vancouver Island, Vancouver, the Okanagan, etc.,  to showcase the best alcohol-free wine, beer, spirits, and packaged cocktails available.   Organized by Kurtis Kolt.   Kurtis Kolt is a Vancouver-based wine consultant who writes about wine, presents seminars, hosts events, judges wine competitions, works with restaurants on their wine programs, etc. His various certifications and credits include London’s Wine & Spirit Education Trust, the Court of Master Sommeliers & the Winemaking Program at UC Davis. In  2010, when  Kurtis received the ‘Sommelier of the Year’ award from both the 2010 Vancouver International Wine Festival and Vancouver magazine, he opted to diversify his focus on wine through different arenas. In recent years, Kurtis  co-founded, curates and runs ‘Top Drop’ in both Vancouver and Calgary, a terroir-focused trade & consumer wine festival Western Living magazine called, “The one wine tasting of the year you shouldn’t miss.” Guests at Free Spirits, we could find 5 minutes with were:   Kurtis Kolt - See above      Andrea Demers -   Softer Drink Store in Victoria. More than 100 different drinks.   pouring Zamalek and Fin Soda.     Janet Helou - from Glimmer.  pouring Glimmer (BC) Paul Watkin - from Seacove pouring Medbubble (Spain)     Paul Jordan-   Mondiale.    pouring from Clear Sips (Ontario), Cognato (S. Africa), OddBird (Italy/France,) NOA (Quebec,) Cipriani (Italy)     www.kurtiskolt.com [http://www.kurtiskolt.com/] www.storiedwinesandspirits.com [http://www.storiedwinesandspirits.com/] www.softerdrink.ca [http://www.softerdrink.ca/] www.nubeverage.ca [http://www.nubeverage.ca/] www.seacove.com [http://www.seacove.com/] www.drinkglimmerwine.com [http://www.drinkglimmerwine.com/] www.mondialebev.com [http://www.mondialebev.com/] www.coastalcraftbeverages.ca [http://www.coastalcraftbeverages.ca/]

We started this podcast well over 300 episodes ago. When we started the title was Mulligan Stew Podcast (Music. Film. Food. Wine) Over the months the Pod became more music and film than anything else. Just the way the road leads us. Tasting Room Radio has worked its way back into the mix because of critical dynamics taking place. Cold damaged vineyards,  An agreement between BC Wine Growers and the BC Government to allow the 2024 wines to be grown and harvested in Washinton, Oregon and California. BC wine battles with political neighbours in Alberta, Tariffs from the USA and more.   All of these subjects were discussed over and over again by the wine trade and fans in attendance.   Tasting Room Radio set up the same home base they always have. Up to 6 chairs in a circle on the convention centre floor ..leaving room for the invited and the walk-ins.   We couldn't fit everyone in, so we decided to build the show around the most interesting storylines and storytellers.   With apologies to those we couldn't fit in, the podcast guests are     Co-Hosts - Jenna Brisco, Maude Renaud-Brisson & Kelcie Jones. Educators and Somms at This is Wine School.   Richard Kanazawa - winemaker at Bench 1775 (Naramata) Tracey Horneman - winemaker at Blue Grouse (Cowichan) Kailee Frasch - Winemaker Quails Gate  (West Kelowna)   Harry Hertscheg - Executive Director Van Wine Fest Evan Goldstein - Master Sommelier (SF) Tony Holler - Owner Poplar Grove (Naramata)   Wine School Team  Taylor Butterfield - White Wine  Winemaker  Chateau Ste. Michelle (Washington)