It is a week before the annual Playhouse International Wine Festival so we’re talking BC wines with WineDiva, Howling Bluff Winery and Stag’s Hollow. Other guests include celebrity restaurateur Umberto Menghi, Star Chefs Robert Clarke and Michael Blackie, an Absinth event at Morton’s, SOWA needs a new name, and the UBC Farm needs more friends.

HOUR ONE

The Wine Diva, Daenna van Mulligen, examines some of the BC wines that will be showcased next week at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. www.winediva.ca

A repeat of an interview from last year with Umberto Menghi, a classy guy and a great interview, a real storyteller.
http://www.yelp.ca/search?find_desc=umbertos&find_loc=Vancouver%2C+BC

Robert Clarke and Michael Blackie are star chefs and great pals. Robert is Executive Chef at Vancouver’s Raincity Grill, C Restaurant and nu restaurant. Chef Blackie is the highly successful culinary mastermind behind Perspectives Restaurant at the Brookstreet Resort in Kanata, Ontario.They are both part of the National Arts Centre BC Scene in Ottawa in April. We go looking for what the whole thing is about.
http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/varietyandfestivals/index.cfm

Josh Snyder is the General Manager and Sommelier of Morton’s The Steakhouse in Vancouver. Vladimir Hill is President of Hill’s Absinth in Vancouver. They are doing an intriguing pairing of food and Absinth Friday, March 27. This is a remarkable event, considering absinth was banned in France, the USA and other countries in the early 1900’s. www.mortons.com

HOUR TWO

The South Okanagan Wineries Association needs your help. They’re having an identity crisis. I mean, check out the title…SOWA…what’s that spell? Gimme an S! They’re asking BC wine lovers to come up with a new name for their glorious wine growing area around Oliver, from McIntyre Bluff to the USA Border. The winner gets a trip to Oliver for the annual wine makers’ party called The Banée, plus accommodation at Spirit Ridge in Osoyoos. Listen up and be inspired, then enter at www.ccltd.ca/namethatwineregion

Just down the Naramata Bench road from me is Howling Bluff Estate Winery and it’s the vision of Luke Smith, who was on his way back to a financial career in Vancouver when he looked at Skaha Lake, south of Penticton, and the vineyards above it, then looked at his wife and said “Why are we leaving?”. Neither could answer the question so they turned around and never left. Listen to the show for the rest of the story. www.howlingbluff.ca

Dwight Sick is the new winemaker at Stag’s Hollow Winery at Okanagan Falls, BC. He learned his craft at Pentage just outside Penticton and he learned well because his wines are really well received. This is background you can use. www.stagshollowwinery.com

University of BC Farm is under the gun. The University wants its 24 hectare site back for its future plans. Problem is the farm plays an important role in keeping our food on the table. The Friends of the UBC farm check in on the phone to tell us about the conflict and let all of us know there’s a peaceful people event at UBC Tuesday April 7th from 3:30 on to show unified support for The UBC Farm.Our guests are Andrea Morgan, President and Andrew Rushmere, Outreach co-coordinator from The friends of UBC Farm Details at: www.amsubc.ca or friendsoftheubcfarm@gmail.com (for questions).

Enjoy!