Meet Clement Chan With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It's Saturday - that means it's time to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall we introduce you to Clement Chan

Clement is co-owner of Le Tigre Cuisine - a food truck and catering company. He is also was a season three contestant on Top Chef Canada.

In May, Clement and partners are planning to launch Torafuku, a ramen restaurant with West Coast Flavours. and as a sneak preview to that, just this past week under the banner of the new restaurant Torafuku, Clement and his team won best dessert at the BCPMA Healthy Chef Competition. Congrats!

I wanted to introduce you to Clement this weekend, because tonight he is part of something very special: #dinnerpartyYVR.

Partnered by Cressey, and sponsored by one of our clients Serendipity Winery, #dinnerpartyYVR is a social dining event that has connects Vancouverites in around the home dinner table, all to raise funds for charity. More than 30 hobby chefs cook for strangers in their homes, and the guests pay to attend, but all proceeds of each dinner are donated to a charity of the hobby chef's choosing.

Clement, along with 12-year old #dinnerpartyYVR veteran Liam Lewis, will host a dinner party for some special dinner guests. Diners will be treated to a gourmet meal in Cressey’s luxurious Meccanica Penthouse.

He has a lot going on!

Whether you already know Clement or not, please help us support him and say hello.

Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Take photos like a pro from a camera or a phone

Photography Tips Anyone Can Use By Ali Harris

One of the things I learned in my first photography class is that "The best camera is the one that's with you".

It's no secret that today almost everyone has a camera of some kind on them at any given time. This speaks volumes to how our society and its interaction with photography has changed over time in its value, purpose and process. What used to be an incredibly lengthy and confusing process, has now become available to everyone!

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with three commercial photographers who we have worked with for food, event or portrait photography:

Ali Rahimi  - Vancouver/Montreal

Charles Zuckermann – Vancouver

Phillp Chin - Vancouver/Toronto

These three have more than 60 years experience combined, compared to my five, so I am happy to incorporate their tips and tricks and work them in with my own.

Please find the follow advice on how to take photos like a pro - from any device.

Go to the Light

Stay away from having bright backdrops, especially windows in the back of photos – instead use this light to your advantage and turn your subject to face the brightness and let it illuminate your photos!

Think in Threes

The Rule of Thirds, also known as the Golden Ratio, is a guideline for composing your photos. It involves dividing the image into 9 equal sections and placing your subject where the lines intersect. Putting your subject in the middle is a no-no, as this will create a static photo. The idea was developed by renaissance painters who found that the eye doesn't rest at the centre of the photo... instead, it wants to wander. Of course, there are times when it's appropriate to break the rule, but always have it in mind.

Exposure, Aperture and Shutter Speed

Exposure indicates light sensitivity. A high ISO (International Standards Organization - referring to the industry norm for light sensitivity) allows you to take photos in low light. However, if the ISO is too high, the photo will appear grainy.

Aperture is the size of the physical opening of the lens and determines the focal length or depth-of-field. The higher the number, the a smaller hole letting light in, which I know, is a bit confusing. A low aperture means a larger hole letting light in which will lead to the background being out of focus.

Shutter Speed is how long the lens remains open for. A long shutter speed will show motion in the photo, and may lead to a blurry photo. A short shutter speed is best, to capture a sharp image.

Presentations and Presenters 

Do you need to capture someone giving a speech, giving a cheque presentation, or receiving an award? Use a medium to shallow depth-of-field (Aperture) to make the cheque and/or presenters 'pop'. This means that only the people and cheque will be sharp and the background will be blurry. You can change the depth-of-field by lowering the aperture on your camera.

Avoid shooting from below people. To get the most flattering angle, have your camera at eye level or higher!

Large Group Photos

• Do you need to take a photo of your hockey team or staff? Align your subjects largest in the centre and smallest on the outside and have even numbers on either side.
• Be as close to the crowd as you can without cutting off their heads - you want to see their faces as much as possible.
• Take quite a few shots – have lots of countdowns to avoid people blinking
• Break the ice by making a joke!

Phone Photos

• Take your picture a little further back than you would like to give yourself room to crop it.
• Download an editing program or use the one that comes with your phone.
• Tilt your phone/camera a little. This gives a much more playful vibe.

What to do if the room is dark 

• Use a high ISO to increase the speed that your camera takes the photo.
• Use the built in flash on your camera or smartphone and if your camera doesn't have one, use your smartphone's flashlight as a flash, by holding your camera with one hand, and the smartphone in the other.

What has a better chance for publication? Horizontal or vertical photos?

Most print and online publications request Landscape (Horizontal) shots, but periodicals/magazines often use Portrait (Vertical) shots. Most photographers submit both.

When in doubt, hire a pro! Care to share your favourite photography tips and tricks? Leave them in the comments below!

Meet Annika Reinhardt With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It's Saturday - that means it's time to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall we introduce you to Annika Reinhardt

I wanted to introduce you to Annika this weekend, because she is also known as Social Bites; and next weekend Social Bites is hosting something very special: #dinnerpartyYVR.

Partnered by Cressey, and sponsored by one of our clients Serendipity Winery, #dinnerpartyYVR is a social dining event that has connects Vancouverites in around the home dinner table, all to raise funds for charity. More than 30 hobby chefs cook for strangers in their homes, and the guests pay to attend, but all proceeds of each dinner are donated to a charity of the hobby chef's choosing.

"This event provides the platform to do social good while enjoying good food and new friends" Annika says. And to date, $15,000 has been raised for Canadian charities!

The next #dinnerpartyYVR takes place on Saturday, March 28, 2015

Whether you know already know Annika or not, please help us support her and say hello.

Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Friday Night Liquor Story

By Leeann Froese Ho-ly! Well what a day it has been, if you work in liquor in our Province.

And I have something to add. Today I met with British Columbia Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton.

Earlier this week I got an email from Anton's office asking if I could meet with her this week. It was stimulated by an email I sent in December to Anton and copied in premier Christy Clark, MLA John Yap, and MLA Rich Coleman.

I had no reply to that initial letter until 10 weeks later when I received a form letter. In the meantime, the trade and media became increasingly vocal on social media as the weeks passed, and I followed the situation along with our winery clients. At one point I shared a couple links to YouTube posts of governmental debates that mentioned our clients in the Legislature, and commented how the situation was a total sh*t show.

So today I spent an hour with Anton in her office. I had never met her before, had no particular love or hate toward her, and no expectation of how the conversation would go. I queried why she had contacted me to meet today, of all days, when the pricing was going to be announced, and how any consultation seemed after-the-fact. It turned out that her office had taken some notice of what I've been sharing on social media and she sought a chance to chat with me. Also, I'm one of her constituents; her office is conveniently up the road from me.

I found her to be very accessible, open to feedback, and she was as open and candid with me as I was with her.

As an industry stakeholder I explained that Andrew and I own our burgeoning marketing agency with a specialty in wine, and we attempt to make a modest living as well as support others via our promotional work with wineries in BC and from overseas. I stated that our clients’ success at the retail shelf and in restaurants is our success too, and the new price model set to be implemented on April 1, 2015 is being very negatively received by BC’s wine and liquor industry. This industry does not feel that they have been asked for input and they are very nervous about what the final prices will be.

She shared with me that the government knows there are some people who are not happy but there's also people who will be happy, most of all consumers, who, as we have all been reminded, now get to enjoy happy hour, wine at farmer’s markets, and soon in select grocery stores. (I admit I personally am pretty glad about happy hour.)

But I said to her again that I did think it was a sh*t show (and yes I used those words) that the industry had a lack of consultation and that the numbers are not public, and that our winery clients are frustrated and uncertain. I also noted that the private retailers, who stand to take a hit in their margin, are an important trade channel for both our domestic and international wine clients. I mentioned that private retailers are frustrated that they cannot sell to restaurants, and Anton indicated this situation will not change.

I also said that she must have noticed that among all of my cohorts the talk is most negative, and that key wine writers had a lot to say on the matter. She said that she had not directly spoken to these wine writers, but would if she had been approached.

Among further discussion on the topic she shared with me that any price fluctuations will be minor and the announcement that was going to follow today was the release of the information to hospitality customers. I didn't really clue in that ‘hospitality customers’ meant that the public was not going to see what the wholesale markup model is going to be, so I am disappointed that after all this waiting, we still don’t all know the prices.

At this late hour I am drafting this post and the day is all but over. Many of my clients and journalists have gone to bed, but that was not before the online world was set aflame with indignation and frustration. Sigh.

However, being the glass-half-full person I am, I want to end this post with a glimmer of hope, and that is that it’s still a very much a time of change in our province. The liquor act is being analyzed from end to end and rewritten, and that job is not finished yet. The government remains open to ideas and feedback so I definitely recommend anyone in the industry or otherwise who has something to share should contact their MLA. Especially if you come across any rules or laws that seem to be antiquated or silly.

A last note from my meeting: Anton said that any media or trade writing on the topic of liquor should reach out to her communications person Jeff Groot.

Now I will watch and wait.

Meet the Hootsuite Owl With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It's Saturday - that means it's time to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall we introduce you to the Hootsuite Owl!

Hootsuite is a Vancouver-based company that offers an online social media management system. Hootsuite has a dashboard that helps users keep track and manage their social network channels. From a business perspective, it can enable a business to monitor what people are saying about their brand and help companies respond instantly.

I attended a social media meetup at the Hootsuite office a while back, and admired their brand integration, heavily based on owls. Their office HQ is the Owls Nest and their Owly mascot is named for the company's URL shortener owl.y. So I jumped at the chance to meet the superstar mascot.

I have a few friends that work at Hootsuite, and I cheer on the company's success as a local company that employs more than 500 people. I cannot imagine Town Hall ever getting bigger than 10!

In any case, it's not the best picture, but hopefully you will see the fun in it too.

Have you ever met Owly? Whether you have or you have not, please do say hello. Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Meet Tyler Harlton With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It's Saturday - that means it's time to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall we introduce you to Tyler Harlton.

Tyler is the owner and winemaker of Summerland's TH Wines.

Relatively new to wine, first Tyler was a pro hockey player (drafted by the St. Louis Blues), then a lawyer, and now, as a winemaker he is winning over palates one at a time with his BC wines made, by hand, starting in the vineyard.

We are really proud of Tyler on his journey as a BC wine producer, and we invite you to help us congratulate him, as he was just named one of the Western Living magazine 2015 Foodies of the Year!

Whether you know Tyler already or not, please help us congratulate him and say hello.  Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

7 Tips to Build Your Online Relationship

By: Amy Chen

Whether it’s with your customers, employees, stakeholders, or suppliers, a genuine relationship is fundamental to any successful business.

As our world is shifting quickly to social media platforms, effective maintenance of online relationship becomes just as important as an in-person relationship.

So, what are seven tips to follow in building and maintaining an authentic online relationship? Ricky Shetty from Daddy Blogger and a panel of social media experts (Matt Astifan, Wendy McClelland, Michelle Castillo, Steve Dotto, Cadi Jordan, Vincent Ng, Katt Stearns, Jonathan Christian, and Kemp Edmonds) who spoke at the recent 2015 Social Media Mastery Conference offered several nuggets throughout the day-long event.

We have rounded it up the best of our ability into seven take away tips:

1. Do unto others as they have done unto you. If you want others to Like, share and engage on your posts, do so first and reciprocate. Remember to be respectful and thank others when they engage in your conversations. Just like any relationship building, the more time you spend engaging in it, the more you will get noticed. But make sure your engagements are meaningful, appropriate and reflect the kind of personality you want others to perceive.

2. Go the extra mile. Social media, especially LinkedIn, is a world full of professional connections. There are many others with a similar background as you. To get noticed, you need to build connections by going the extra mile. Thank others when you make a connection with them. Or, offer encouragement, compliments and expert advice where appropriate.

3. Use hashtags. Use hashtags (but don’t overuse them) so your content appears in conversations with likeminded individuals. When you have a common ground with others, it’s much easier to engage in an authentic conversation and build a relationship.

4. Pictures are in. Visual image is where it’s at in social media. People are drawn towards images and colours. Use images wherever possible in your social media posts. It is only when you have someone’s attention then you can have their ears to listen.

5. Tag appropriately. The rule of thumb is to only tag people who appear in your photo. Don’t flood and spam your social media connections by tagging photos of people who do not appear in the photo. Chances are, your connection won’t be sharing or engaging in the conversation if it’s not relevant to them.

6. Find common ground. Part of building and maintaining a relationship is finding your common ground with the other person. When you share the same hobbies, stories, or have a similar common ground, you’re able to start a conversation that you’ll both relate to and find interest. From there, a meaningful and authentic relationship can be built and often leading to a successful business relationship.

7. Treat it as a real relationship. If it’s not something you will want the whole world to know about, don’t share it on social media. Treat every connection you have on social media as an in-person relationship. Behave as you would in-person.

What do you think? Do you agree? Do you have any tips to add or share? Let us know below. 

Meet Bailey Williamson With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It's Saturday - that means it's time to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall we introduce you to Bailey Williamson.

Bailey is the winemaker at Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard, located on Vancouver Island in the Cowichan Valley.

Bailey has been with Blue Grouse since he and his family relocated to Vancouver Island in 2012, and before that he was at Road 13 in Oliver BC.

At Blue Grouse, Bailey oversees the production of a small portfolio of estate-farmed wines, including special and less common varietals that grow fabulously in the Vancouver Island climate, including Ortega, Bacchus and Siegerrebe.

He also makes a lineup of wines called Quill that are special blends made from grapes grown on both Vancouver Island as well as in the Okanagan.

These days, as everyone in western BC is reveling in the blossoms and preparing to welcome spring, Bailey and the Blue Grouse team are working hard preparing for the re-opening of the winery in a brand new, beautiful building set to open this summer. (Plan your visit to Cowichan now.)

And whether you know Bailey already or not, please help us say hello.  Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Meet Mark Hicken With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It's Saturday - that means it's time to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall we introduce you to Mark Hicken.

Mark is a Vancouver lawyer providing a full range of legal services to the wine industry through his own law practice, Vintage Law Group, located in Vancouver, BC.

With all of the changes happening in BC with liquor legislation, and the province's wineries' desire to sell wines in all provinces in Canada, Mark has been busy helping clients navigate these changing waters. And in generosity to the industry, he has been publishing articles to help everyone interpret just what the heck is going on, as it seems to be in constant state of change.

For his vast wine industry knowledge he is often sought after to give comment in the press on the matters noted above and more.

He sits on the board of director for the BC Hospitality Foundation, and is the president of the Modernize Wine Association of B.C., a non-profit society that advocates for a modern food and wine culture.

On top of this, he shares info on his blog winelaw.ca and can be spotted at wine tastings all over British Columbia. If you don't already know Mark, you should. He's a really nice guy!

Whether you know Mark already or not, please help us say hello.  Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Meet James Melendez With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It's Saturday - that means it's time to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week we introduce you to James Melendez, otherwise known as James the Wine Guy.

James is a #winelover and a really nice guy. I met him a few Wine Bloggers Conferences ago after forging an online friendship through Twitter, and am happy to share who he is with you here.

His motto is "Demystifying Wine...One Bottle at a Time". He is passionate about wine, food, travel, science & technology, and has been previously named the World's No. 1 producer of wine videos.

He uploads at least with one video per week, if not more often, midweek on or near 'Wine Wednesday'.

Check out James on his blog and  please help us say hello.  Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Getting Social at the Variety Show of Hearts Telethon

By Leeann Froese Sometimes BC families require medication, equipment, or accommodation while they are receiving treatment in hospitals outside of their own communities.

And sometimes, specialized therapy and tools to help children can make all the difference in little lives becoming successful, as they make their way through school and family life.

Variety the Children's Charity steps in to help make sure that families get the help that they need. They make a big difference and families' lives and help children across the province.

With this in mind I am super proud to participate in the Miss 604 Show of Hearts Social Lounge.

The 49th annual Variety Show of Hearts Telethon takes place on Valentine’s weekend, airing on Global BC February 14th and 15th, and there’s a lot in store for BC viewers and supporters this year.

Respected and widely followed blogger Rebecca Bollwitt a.k.a Miss 604 has proudly come on board as a sponsor of the Social Lounge, to lead the way with live and interactive social media updates. 

The hashtag is #SOH2015 and we hope you'll join the conversation by including @Miss604 and @Variety BC in your tweets. 

There will be other bloggers and local social media personalities included in the room such as photographer and foodie Scott Graham from What’s for Lunch BC, tech blogger and one of the world’s top 3D printing authorities John Biehler, and travel blogger Marc Smith of 30 Day Adventures. We’ll all be monitoring the #SOH2015 tag, replying, interacting, and leading a few fun campaigns and contests throughout the weekend.

And I will be there on Sunday, February 15, #withTownHall, smart phone charged up, posting and tweeting on behalf of both @TownHallBrands and my own handle @lfroese 

Tune in on Valentine’s weekend to see how your donations make a difference and follow @VarietyBC on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

I hope that you will join the conversation, and I hope you will make a generous donation! 

Meet Welbert Choi With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It’s Saturday – that means it’s time to introduce you to a new personality #withTownHall.

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall please meet Welbert Choi.

Welbert is a man of many talents, notably as chef de cuisine at Forage. He is also a father and talented photographer - see his photo work here.

In addition to all that Welbert does, he is a really nice guy, so can you please say hello to Welbert with a comment – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter so more people can meet him too!

Meet Alison Scholefield With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese

It’s Saturday – that means it’s time to introduce you to a new personality #withTownHall.

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall please meet Alison Scholefield.

If you like this post please feel free to share it so others can meet her too!

Alison Scholefield is the sales ambassador for Summerland winery, Okanagan Crush Pad, representing her family’s wines Haywire and Narrative.

Perhaps her future was fated at an early age. Visitors to the Canadian booth at Vinexpo in 1992 might have seen Alison happily colouring under the table while Mom, Christine Coletta, poured Icewine.

Back in those days Alison's nickname was 'Bub' and now Haywire's much loved sparkling wine carries her name. (Look for the Bub where fine wines are sold.)

Alison loves being a part of her family's business and and having the opportunity to be involved in Vancouver’s amazing wine and food culture

Can you please say hello to Alison with a comment – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter so more people can meet her too!

Meet John Biehler with Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It’s Saturday – that means it’s time to introduce you to a new personality #withTownHall.

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall please meet John Biehler.

If you like this post please feel free to share it so others can meet him too!

John is a Vancouver-based technologist, blogger, traveler, 3D printing advocate, photographer, and speaker who is often called upon by the media to comment on tech trends.

John is internationally famous for the innovation he displays in Canada with 3D printing, and has been named one of the Top 20 influencers in the world in this genre.

Despite his notoriety and rising fame John is a humble guy who loves to share his knowledge. Check out his website for the full story.

Can you please say hello to John with a comment – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter so more people can meet him too!

Meet Crystal Kwon With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It’s Saturday – that means it’s time to introduce you to a new personality #withTownHall.

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall please meet Crystal Kwon.

If you like this post please feel free to share it so others can meet her too!

Crystal does public relations at Citizen Relations, is the managing editor of Vancity Buzz and she is a weekly contributor to the Province where she writes on lifestyle and travel.

Can you please say hello to Crystal with a comment – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter so more people can meet her too!

The year that was 2014 With Town Hall - Part 2

By Leeann Froese Picking up from last week's Wine Wednesday, today I finish a recap of what we did in 2014.

I repeat how grateful we are for the support we receive from our clients, colleagues and the trade. You all bring the awesome, and I can't wait to see what 2015 unfolds for us all.

Here we pick up the last half of the year...

August

Road Trip #withTownHall

As our team grew throughout 2014 two new people with no previous wine experience joined us (Laurisha Bardal and Amy Chen) so a tour & learn was in order. We visited Okanagan Valley clients SpierHead winery, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Mt. Boucherie Family Estate Winery, Okanagan Crush Pad and Serendipity winery.

Each winery client welcomed our team with open arms and in addition to learning a lot, we had a lovely time!

September

BBQ OFF the Bypass

Our client, the amazing Angie Quaale, hosted the 9th annual BBQ On The Bypass (it became OFF the bypass after Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store moved to a new location). The free public event offered music, unique displays, tasty vendors and delicious BBQ samples.

15 teams gathered and the winner was House of Q, who then went on to win for the World’s Best Ribs from the World Food Championships in Las Vegas!

Celebrity Dim Sum

Raising funds for Aids Vancouver was the annual Celebrity Dim Sum. What fun it was to have politicians, media, and other personalities from Vancouver serving up yummy dim sum to an enthusiastic crowd.

Haywire was the official wine sponsor and sneak previewed its next release of the Lunar New Year wines.

Jurgen Gothe Celebration

Our team was proud to help organize the event to celebrate the 70th birthday and achievements of Jurgen Gothe’s lifetime. Many in the industry came together with wine, food, and stories. Our team was thrilled to be part of the planning, event execution and friendship for a memorable afternoon with an unforgettable man and those close to him.

Fall Colours

The British Columbia Wine Institute held its annual fall tasting event Colours. A few of our lovely BC winery clients were in town to showcase their newest releases to an enthusiastic crowd of trade and media.

October

Let's hear it for the Girls!

In time for breast cancer awareness month was the promotion of The Girls wine - a rosé and a red - with 100% sales proceeds of to charity. Note these wines are available year-round and make a wonderful choice for gifting or entertaining, knowing that all proceeds go to a great cause. The red would could be a nice Valentine wine.

November

Meet Monte Creek Ranch

We were pleased to announce that the wines are now available from Canada's next wine region and the newest winery in Kamloops, Monte Creek Ranch. Stay tuned for summer 2015 when this winery opens its doors.

Samanatha Syrah

Each year Vancouver’s sommelier of the year is invited to make 100 cases of wine through Okanagan Crush Pad’s Okanagan Wine Campus program. From this $5,000 is donated annually to the BC Hospitality Foundation to support wine education scholarships. 2013 Sommelier of the year Samantha Rahn of Araxi in Whistler created a delicious Syrah. Our team was proud to do the packaging and the publicity.

We are thankful to the media for the great press for sommelier Samantha Rahn's wine project. This has been the most publicity we have received to date for one of the Okanagan Crush Pad Wine Campus wines. Girls rule!

Previous Wine Campus releases include Kurtis Semillon 2011 (Kurtis Kolt), Owen Cabernet Franc 2011 (Owen Knowlton) and TNT Chardonnay 2012 (Terry Threlfall). In progress and up next is Mike Bernardo (2014).

Skills n Spills

The second Skills N Spills competition benefiting the BC Hospitality Foundation took place. Hospitality trade teams competed for bragging rights and more. Our team's role was media communication and coordinating the amazing media judges.

A New Look for an Older Wine

We were proud to bring to life the new packaging for Cipes Ariel 1998 premier cuvée.

This critically lauded wine now looks as beautiful as it tastes. The artwork and calligraphy were done by Helen Menyes, who also hand painted each of the original Cipes Gabriel 1991 bottles. The layout and design were led by our Andrew von Rosen, and inspiration for the design also came from the winery's winemaker Eric von Krosigk. The artwork depicts the archangel Ariel (lion of god), descending down the cone shaped bottle. On the back, two ethereal lions are nose to nose, creating the impression of angel's wings.

Andrew and I had a bottle of this wine on New Year's Eve (thank you team for the gift!) and it was absolutely delicious. No other way to put it. A truly special BC wine.

December

One Faith Vineyards

Our team announced the newest project in British Columbia wine: One Faith Vineyards, and not without controversy, so with this project we will expand...

In the past I have been lucky enough to do media work in Canada with Penfolds Grange and Mondavi's To Kalon Vineyard, and I was proud to be the publicist to launch Osoyoos Larose. These wine labels are all bold, high end, aspirational projects. Those in the Canadian wine media might recall that when Osoyoos Larose was launched it was met with skepticism before it earned fanfare. Critics said it showed promise but were slow to get 100% behind the project. In the case of One Faith Vineyards I am suggesting the case is the same. However today, the conversation is more rapid, as in 2001 there was no online platforms for social dialogue. And a tempest in a decanter is taking place because Bill Lui dreams for One Faith Vineyards, an expensive wine, to become a first growth wine for Canada.

Sujinder Juneja from our team, a French Wine Scholar, assembled this text:

"Let’s first talk about what First Growth actually means. Translated as “Premier Cru” in France, the First Growths were established in 1855 when Napoleon III classified the best wines of Bordeaux for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, based at the time on selling price and overall reputation. The top-ranked wines, named the Grand Crus Classés (Great Classified Growths) were placed in one of five categories from first to fifth, each of which carried a high mark of prestige and suggested a higher quality product.

The fact that these classified growths were now perpetually allowed to charge more per bottle than their close neighbours meant that greater financial resources could be potentially allocated to produce the best possible wine, year after year, even in challenging vintages.

Even inside France, the term First Growth is not a regulated term, but remains a title that lends distinction and perceived quality to the associated wine. Premier Cru is now also used in other appellations in France, including Burgudy, Alsace and Champagne, for example. More often than not, the term merely means the top wine (price and quality) of a particular estate.

Outside of France, the term has been used by other wineries who hope to establish a connection to old world traditions or perhaps build a higher reputation for quality in their home country.

In Canada, there is not yet a legal or binding definition for First Growth but it is the vision and the goal of One Faith Vineyards to produce a First Growth-level wine in the Okanagan Valley, an exceptional wine of unparalleled quality. Everything to do with the wine, from vineyard to winery, from grapes to bottle, must be only the very best.

To be fair, Bill Lui, the proprietor of One Faith Vineyards has never said that his wines are Canada’s First Growth. It is only his goal. His ambition. And only time will tell if that honour is given to One Faith in a formal way. And to be sure, Bill Lui has never once suggested that One Faith Vineyards is above the other great vineyards or wineries of the South Okanagan, but rather that the wine represents the fully-realized potential of excellent quality Bordeaux grape varietals, which have been growing in that site for more than 20 years."

Interestingly, many people talking about this wine and Bill Lui have an opinion when they have not met Bill, (a generous, humble, husband and father), or tasted the wine. Bill has invested his retirement resources to the project. Despite this, whatever does not make the final blend of only 144 cases is used in the 100% charitable The Girls Wine project.

How does the 2012 wine show? People might expect a big, extracted, tannic and masculine wine, as it is made from Bordeaux varietals, but the inaugural release of the wine is a delicate, fruit forward blend that expresses the south Okanagan terroir beautifully. With the meticulous care, attention, hand crafting and detail that go into production and the resulting limited quantity made, the wine retails in a custom made bamboo box of three for $495. At the time of this post the wines had been selling steadily, but a few cases remained.

Wild Sweets

Also in December we were proud to welcome Wild Sweets by DC Duby as a client. I worked with them when I was at Coletta & Associates back in… let's just say it was more than a decade ago. It's fun to reconnect with these two passionate chocolatiers and pastry artists. I encourage you to take a look at their website as their chocolate creations are truly remarkable.

#30 Days of Kindness

Our last project of 2014 was a team one: we took part in #30DaysofKindness

Our team met 30 Day Adventures chief adventurer Marc Smith at the Skytrain station to take part in 30 Days Of Kindness by surprising 20 lucky strangers with the gift of a smile, a positive note and a free ride on Translink. (Just so you know no transit laws were broken in the committing of this act of kindness as we had full approval from Translink.)

This is our 2nd year in a row participating in 30 Days Of Kindness. I am so proud of my hard working and generous-spirited team. Check out our little video and the post with detail on Marc's site

Wrapping Up

Whew!

It was so nice to end the year on a kind note, making people smile, and spreading good will.

Let me know how YOU enjoyed 2014. Did you attend any of these highlighted events? What were the highlights of your year?

2015 already promises some projects and exciting events to emerge so stay posted. Things are already getting busy in the industry with tastings and events.

If you do not already follow us on social media, we'd love for you to join us. Or sign up to receive updates to see what we are getting up to with our clients. You can do this at the top of the website.

We can't wait to share what else our clients are going to be up to, keep all dialogue going, and I hope we see you in person very soon!

Happy New Year - and on behalf of myself, Andrew, Sujinder, Amy, Laurisha, Felicia, Lindsey, Ali and Ritika, let’s all #gogetit!

Meet Ezra Cipes With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It’s Saturday – that means it’s time to introduce you to a new personality #withTownHall.  This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week #withTownHall please meet the CEO of Kelowna's Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Ezra Cipes.

If you like this post please feel free to share it so others can meet him too!

In addition to running Canada's most visited winery as its CEO, Ezra has a thriving talent as a musician, and that's what he was doing before he returned to the family business to oversee operations at the family run winery.

Earlier in his adult life, Ezra worked as a touring and session musician and became a published songwriter, but despite his love for music, he felt the call back to the vineyard. Home on the family farm, Ezra initiated a half acre permaculture garden, selling vegetables and herbs to Summerhill's onsite Sunset Bistro. After reconnecting with the winery and the land, Ezra knew he needed to assume a greater role at the winery.

Now, Ezra is responsible for day to day operations, marketing, and leadership. He has completed courses in vineyard management and in permaculture design.

And despite all of this, Ezra still creates music and performs occasional gigs on the side.

I wanted to take this opportunity to share something really cool that we saw last week: this is a music video of a song that Ezra and his brother Ari Cipes did that was created by their friend Elsie Kay (also a talented musician herself!) and I think you should just sit back and enjoy this before you take a moment and say hello to Ezra.

Can you please say hello to Ezra with a comment – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter so more people can meet him too!

The year that was 2014 With Town Hall - Part 1

Starting the New Year with a look at the year that was… 2014 in review - part one of two long posts... By Leeann Froese

It is remarkable that it is already the first Wine Wednesday of 2015!

2014 had been quite the amazing year for our team at Town Hall. The saying that ‘it takes a village’ is certainly true, especially as you apply it to what we're doing here. It takes a committed team and also a supporting cast of characters to really make all that we accomplish on behalf of our clients possible.

We feel blessed to have a cohesive team that really enjoys each other's company both while at and outside the office, and we love our clients, because as well as quality offerings, they carry so much passion and personality.

Also in the village we rely heavily on social thought leaders, bloggers and journalists to support our efforts to help spread the word on behalf of our clients, and we can't thank everyone enough for their ongoing support and enthusiasm for everything that we're doing here.

There is too much to detail, so to follow are a few highlights from what was an incredible year.

January

Wine for the Year of the Horse

Haywire Lunar wine launched… and sold out in days. This was an unprecedented program to create a wine for the local market specifically crafted to pair with Asian cuisine, and this wine symbolized the Year of the Horse. Our team did the packaging and PR. The program was a huge success and will be repeated for this year, the Year of the Sheep.

Wines of France educational seminar

On behalf of Sopexa Canada our team coordinated three days of training for the senior managers and product consultants of the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch, highlighting Alsace, Beaujolais, Bourgogne, Languedoc-Roussillon and Rhône Valley wines. On the heels of this, it was so exciting having Wines of France be the theme region for the Vancouver International Wine Festival in 2014.

Dawn Chubai goes Under the Covers

14 years after her award-winning début album, vocalist turned TV personality Dawn Chubai releases Under the Covers. Our design team was proud to do the layout on her album cover.

February

Pure Chablis

An exclusive dinner format never done before in Vancouver: three up-and-coming sommeliers (Brooke Delves, Jason Yamasaki and Roger Maniwa) competed to pair wines from Chablis to a menu created by chef Jefferson Alvarez of Secret Location. Invited guests to #PureChablisYVR voted by private individual electronic ballot, and the winner was Roger Maniwa.

The International Wine Festival

The 2014 International Wine Festival featured 178 wineries from all over the world, and the theme country was France. Mike Bernardo of Vij's was named the Sommelier of the Year. The wine world gathers to taste and connect. Selfies were taken.

March

Kosher Wine from BC

Canada's first uncooked Kosher wine was created by Summerhill Pyramid Winery with the release of Tiferet (loosely translated, means beauty).

Eight unique curries compete

In another first, the inaugural Curry Cup took place on behalf of the Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia; eight chef teams competed and the winner was chef Taryn Wa of Savoury Chef.

April

Vancouver Dining gets Social with Serendipity

Serendipity Winery is the exclusive wine partner for the second annual #DinnerpartyYVR. Hobby chefs prepared meals in their homes with all proceeds to charity.

May

Dish n Dazzle

The BC Hospitality Foundation and Wines of New Zealand presented Dish N Dazzle with proceeds to support those in the hospitality industry in dire financial need. The event featured New Zealand Wines, a spirits competition and food from top Vancouver restaurants.

Spotlight on Portuguese Wines

For the first time in 20 years (maybe more) vintners from Portugal arrived en masse - 27 in all - to Vancouver, many displaying wines that were not available in Canada yet. We were proud to implement this program, which was a guided tasting led by Treve Ring, followed by a walk-around tasting. We were delighted to see how engaging the vintners are, how well the wines showed and how much the trade appreciated these wines.

Portuguese wines are on the rise globally, and we can see why.

Spot Prawn Festival

Presented by the Chefs’ Table Society of BC, the 8th annual Spot Prawn Festival took place at Fisherman's Wharf. The Spot Prawn Festival celebrates the start of spot prawn season in BC's coastal waters. The event involves many local chefs, and more than 2000 people attend this celebration of sustainable seafood.

Wine In the Garden

The Bottleneck Drive Winery Association from Summerland held their first event in Vancouver: Wine in the Garden, at the beautiful VanDusen Gardens.

June

Provence Rosé

We were delighted to present a program on behalf of Wines of Provence, celebrating the wonderful wines and flavours from the south of France. the program included media appearances by Provence's François Millo and Viktorija Todorovska and a tasting for retailers.

Preparing BC wineries for Fame

I was joined by DJ Kearney and Kathy Michaels to present a media training session to the BC Wine Institute member wineries.

Finding the Best Canadian Wines

The Wine Align National Wine Awards of Canada judging took place in Penticton, BC. It was a thrill to see the judges, many of whom I have worked with for more than 15 years (!) but never get to see, and help host them at Okanagan Crush Pad.

A huge highlight for me as well was meeting Jamie Goode, a visiting wine author from the UK. He is a marathon runner and kindly slowed down enough for me to join him for a run in paradise.

Welcome Calvin

Our Felicia had a baby! Welcome Calvin! 9lb 2 oz and 100% cute!

July

#WBC14

The Wine Bloggers Conference took place in Santa Barbara California, following a pre-excursion to Paso Robles. While there we presented a handful of BC wines in a hotel suite, exposing the wines to leading bloggers. We also got to see parts of California wine country and taste some incredible wines from the region, not to mention meet amazing people we now remain in touch with throughout the year.

Golfing to help the industry

The British Columbia Hospitality Foundation’s annual golf tournament took place in Vancouver. Amazing support was shown from the industry.

Joining Us

In July we were also pleased to welcome the Blue Grouse Vineyards and Winery team as well as financial consultant Judy Poole of Raymond James into our roster of clients. Wonderful people with lots to share.

Next week I will finish off from August onward, this post is lengthy enough!

Did you attend any of these highlighted events? What were the highlights of your year?

2015 already promises some projects and exciting events to emerge so stay posted.

We can't wait to tell you what else our clients are going to be up to and I look forward to seeing you very soon!

Happy New Year - let’s all #gogetit!

Meet Melanie Wessel With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It’s Saturday – that means it’s time to introduce you to a new personality #withTownHall.  This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are). We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week we introduce you to Melanie Wessel Can you please say hello?

Melanie works at Well Seasoned, a gourmet food store in Langley, BC.

She has been working extra hard these past many months: the store relocated to a bigger and better space (she's seen here in the old store),

In addition to the store, the store's classroom she has been helping with the hosting of many classes and events, and then there is the holiday shopping... shoppers from all over have been flocking to this food lovers' mecca for goodies to give and entertain with. Good thing Melanie is a true foodie who loves her job, and she'd love to see you visit the store.

Can you please say hello to Melanie with a comment – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Meet Jim Faulkner With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It’s Saturday – that means it’s time to introduce you to a new personality #withTownHall.  This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are). We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them.

This week we introduce you to Jim Faulkner. Can you please say hello?

Jim is the winemaker who prefers not to be in the spotlight, but rather remain in the cellar doing what he does best: making the celebrated wines for Mount Boucherie Family Estate Winery.

Since he won't step into the spotlight, we want to shine a light on Jim by introducing him to you... here is is spotted under the shade sails at the winery this past summer.

Jim quietly goes about his business making wines from the smorgasbord of grapes he has access to via the winery's 300+ acres of family-owned grapes. With something for every palate, the Mt. Boucherie wines are oft-celebrated and receive critical acclaim. When you visit the winery in West Kelowna, ask for Jim and let him know you saw him here.

Can you please say hello to Jim with a comment – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.