What’s a Mollydooker? We’ll phone Adelaide in Australia and ask Sparky and Sarah Marquis because that’s the name of their fabulously successful wine. What’s a Goldfish doing in Yaletown? Is Claudio Valentini a screen star or a food star? We taste Scotch in Kelowna, hang with the Van Westens at Pair Bistro. Bo Thompson runs one of San Francisco’s most popular wine stores..find out why. And The Wine Diva runs down her Top 100 wines under $20 bucks..

What’s not to LIKE?

THE SHOW

I remember the first time I saw a bottle of Mollydooker..It was The Boxer I believe. I thought “ who came up with the name and who designed this funky label”.

It took me a year to find the answers, taste all the wines and track down Sparky and Sarah Marquis in Adelaide Australia.

The chat was so good, we devote the first two segments to getting all the info.

In 2007, The Wine Advocate rated their 2006 Lefty wines among the best value wines in the world, and Velvet Glove became their fifth wine to be awarded 99 points. Wine Spectator selected The Boxer as a “Best Value Wine” and ranked the 2006 Carnival of Love as the 8th Best Wine in the World. In 2008, the Wine Spectator chose the 2007 Velvet Glove as a “Classic” wine, and five other Mollydookers as “Outstanding”. The 2007 Carnival of Love was ranked 9th Best Wine in the World. www.mollydookerwines.com.au

Nessa van Bergen is operations manager and sommelier for both Joe Fortes and Goldfish in Vancouver.

Goldfish Executive Chef William Tse joins our conversation as we talk about the menus and wine lists of two of Vancouver’s most popular food destinations.

Joe Fortes is Classic American food and Goldfish Pacific Kitchen draws on Pacific Rim influences.

Food and wines pairings, favourite wines and Vancouver trends are all talking points..Chef also takes us into his kitchen..and tells us of his Chef father’s advice..”don’t become a Chef”. www.joefortes.ca
www.goldfishkitchen.com

There are certain places you should know about..no matter where you live. Penticton BC is in the heart of BC wine country.

In the heart of Penticton is Valentini’s…a cozy breakfast and lunch room in the old Cannery building.

On the wall is a glossy 8X10 of the actor Claudio Valentini..smiling away. Happy as a dog with a bone.

The reason Claudio, the chef put it up there was because there are days when he doesn’t feel like smiling..he’s turning out great food with a kitchen staff of none..two great assistants never stop working around him. It’s fair to say Valentini’s is a favourite stop for locals but travelers might want to make it a destination. File this under Places You Should Know About.

HOUR TWO

Two charity events..first is a Scotch tasting on behalf of the Okanagan Symphony at the home of Judy and Graham Burns in Kelowna.

I was intrigued by the thought of an evening of Scotch..Nine in total.. Plus a great meal..created and served by Judy for a group of 15 or so.

What does one serve with Scotch? And where the heck is the spit bucket? There isn’t one mate..

Scotch master is Wee Dave Johnson www.okanagansymphony.com

Rob and Tammi van Westen and myself were part of this years Naramata Wine Tour through the Roundhouse in Vancouver and Victoria BC.

Part of the evening was devoted to a live auction..dinner for a group at Pair Bistro on West 10th in Vancouver with the wine makers was sold for over $2000.

After some planning what followed was an 8 course extravaganza..paired with great van Westen wines..

It’s a noisy room we stepped in to because Pair and its charming Chef Todd Hodgins and his front of house expert, wife Janis have created a very popular dining destination, with a room jammed with diners and a kitchen the size of a small submarine.

And the best thing..?? Monies raised went to the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Bo Thompson runs the most popular wine store/bar Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants in downtown San Francisco.

His location helps a ton. Its inside the Ferry Building and right beside the Market on the waterfront.

There’s always a winemaker pouring their wares..a great cross section of old and new World wines..Napa and Sonoma are prominent.

He and his partners also love to showcase smaller wines that you may not know about. The partners in the store are also renowned wine industry personalities and include Debbie Zachareas, and Master Sommelier Peter Granoff.

You can find the weekly tasting schedule and shop online at www.fpwm.com Lots of great info here!

And finally..Daenna van Mulligen – The Wine Diva – our weekly wine reviewer, runs down some of the Top 100 wines under $20.00.

The complete list can be found on her website www.winediva.ca