Meet Kayla Koroush With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It's a new week 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 Kayla Koroush.

Once aiming to be a preschool teacher, Kayla works in the marketing department for a winery in Napa Valley, and she blogs for herself at Barrel Thief, a wine blog (a barrel thief is a glass tube that helps vacuum wine out of bottles so vintners can have a taste.) Her blog is a place where she can document her encounters while she explores the world of wine.

We met Kayla at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Buellton, in 2014, where she was a scholarship recipient to attend the conference, and we will see her at the annual Wine Bloggers Conference again in a couple of weeks when the conference takes place in Finger Lakes New York.

Watch our social media for a hello from Kayla when we meet her again in a few weeks, and in the meantime, please give her a hello, as we did when she recently visited Vancouver's Granville Island.

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

Meet Christine Campbell 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 Christine Campbell.

Christine is an avid traveler and lover of ‘all things wine’.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, Christine sits on the BC VQA assessment panel.

She holds her Wine & Spirits Education Trust Advanced Level 3 certificate. Driven by her passion, she also completed her French Wine Scholar course and is continuing with the Master of Champagne course through the French Wine Society.

When not studying wine, Christine writes weekly on her wine blog Girls Go Grape and is a contributor for the Alcohol Professor and Wine Tourist Magazine.

Christine is a friendly and spirited person with a zest for life. She is the mom to a gorgeous daughter and also loves dogs.

Seen here cheekily enjoying a cocktail (because she does realize there is more to enjoy than just wine) Christine would love a hello from you.

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

It's OK to have opinions - and 4 other things I have learned in business

By Leeann Froese

5 Things I have learned on our 2nd Anniversary

I am not sure how that happened so fast, but our little agency is two years old this month.

Andrew and I want to thank our amazing team and our clients for allowing us to us create brands and get the word out on things that celebrate living well: wine, food, hospitality, financial planning, film, and sport.

I have been learning new lessons everyday, and wanted to share a few things that rank at the top of my mind as we celebrate the start of year three #withTownHall.

I'd love to know, if you own a business, what are you learning? Maybe we can learn from each other? Listed as a countdown, but not in strict order:

5. It's OK to have opinions - even if they are unpopular

For much of my career I only cared about being a people pleaser. I still possess this trait, and our team also shares this trait, but not at the expense of giving bad advice or being untruthful.

My mentor, Christine Coletta, instilled in me the saying 'we're not here for a haircut', meaning that people don't look to my expertise so I can blow smoke, or not make things happen. As such, people can count on our team for good content and to get things done.

I have also realized since opening Town Hall that after almost 20 years in the industry I have knowledge to share and I should provide not only expertise, but also the truth and my own opinions, especially if they defend clients, and even if these opinions or truths are unpopular or are not what people had hoped to hear.

So now, I give my complete opinion when asked, or call out situations when I need to. An example of this is my recent post about those who ask for wine donations. Sorry, everyone who wants free wine.

4. The right team is everything

There is no way that Andrew and I could deliver strong programming to our clients without the contributions of a strong design and communication team. I'm so proud of the work that our team does to create identities and raise profiles.

It has taken the full two years, with some personalities coming and going (and this may continue as the business evolves) but when the fit is right, as it currently is, the culture and work output can be magic.

Thank you Sujinder, Felicia, Amy, Laurisha, Ali, Lindsey, Kathleen, Lindsey, our newest member, Carole, and our consultants Alana and Irene, for being so key in the team's success. We would be nowhere without you all!

3. A home office can only hold so much

We are seeking a new space, and ideally, by our 3rd birthday we will be in a different office. We are working with a realtor but the Vancouver market is hot. Wish us luck!

2. We need to tell people what else we do

Many people don't realize we are a full service agency and think that we only offer publicity services, or that I am singularly a PR person.

So can you please help it be known: we offer packaging, media relations, social media outreach, logo and graphic design, advertising campaigns, events and marketing strategy.

Also, we are not the popular Joseph Richards Group owned Townhall Public House.

We named our company “Town Hall” based on collaboration, which we feel is so important, especially in this era of crowd-sourced information and real-time customer feedback.

It is our constant goal to be a lifestyle destination, and deliver projects that inspire and celebrate the good life.

1. We are just getting started

In the scheme of a growing business we are really just getting started. The learning curve for sure is super steep.

I was looking after a lot of the agency work at Coletta and Associates before we closed the doors there, but there's nothing quite like being the one who's the air traffic controller and holding the bag and making sure that everybody's rent gets paid.

We are super thankful to our clients who believe in what we're doing at our little agency. We truly love you!

Life is too short to work with people you don't like and products you don't fall in love with.

We thank everybody for coming along for our ride #withTownHall

We are very social with what we do - so converse with us on your favourite social network @townhallbrands.

Keep up with what we do and talk to us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

We look forward to what the next year brings!

This week #withTownHall meet a swearing Minion

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.

However, this week #withTownHall, for something a little different, we introduce you to a swearing Minion.

For the uninitiated, Minions are the lovable yellow stars of the Universal Studio films Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 who feature the character Felonious Gru, a super villain. His evil deeds are undertaken by his team of Minions.

The Minions are small, yellow pill-like creatures that speak a made-up language called Minionese. They are super cute, and funny in their efforts to implement evil plans and household tasks for Gru.

Now, the Minions star in their own hotly-anticipated prequel film featuring Minions as the main characters, and focuses on the Minions before they met Gru. The film opens this weekend across North America, and there is a marketing and licensing frenzy to accompany the release.

Everywhere you look there is merch featuring the Minions, and at McDonald's there is a Minions Happy Meal, where a free Minions toy is available with purchase of any Happy Meal while supplies last.

This all seems straightforward, as McDonald's does similar meals and toy giveaways with other motion picture partnerships, but this giveaway created a media hailstorm.

Several parents are outraged, complained that the Minionese that the little characters speak sounds like swear words, including "what the f&$k" and "well I'll be damned".

This report on CBC news explains the whole situation, and states that our brains try to make sense of sounds and that is why some of us might think we are hearing nonsense as curse words.

This parent video (you need to turn up the sound) demonstrates what some people are saying they hear. Is this cute little cave Minion saying "what the f___" ?

What do you think - is this Minion swearing?

McDonald's says there are no plans to take the toys out of distribution.

Weigh in with your opinion here with a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Meet Chris Pritchett 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 Chris Pritchett.

As someone who was born in America we thought it would be fitting to introduce you to Chris on the Fourth of July.

Also we chose to introduce you to him this week because just this week he has just been named the new head coach for the UBC Thunderbirds Baseball team.

Most recently Chris was a scout for the Boston Red Sox, and in years before that his career has been built through the major-league baseball system, and that includes ties to our own Vancouver Canadians.

Before he became a scout for the Red Sox he was a hitting coach for the Vancouver Canadians, and his connection to Vancouver and the C's goes back even further than that.

In 1991 Chris was drafted to the California Angels and four years later he played as first baseman for what was then a AAA Vancouver Canadians team. After more than 450 games with the C's, he played in the California Angels organization until 2003 when he retired and returned to university.

After topping up his education with a couple of degrees, for the past four years he has traveled across Canada to help the Red Sox discover tomorrow's next players. Now, he returns to Vancouver where he lives with his wife Saffron Henderson and their two sons, and they are very glad to have him in Vancouver to return home every night.

Chris takes over as head coach of the Thunderbirds from Terry McKaig, who after 18 seasons, moves into the role of UBC's director of baseball. Congratulations to Terry!

Now please help us congratulate UBC on their change, and Chris on coming back home to Vancouver by saying hello here.

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

Meet Brian Webb 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 Brian Webb.

As we congratulate the United States, who took another step closer to marriage equality this past week with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, we thought it was timely to introduce you to Brian.

Why? Brian is a role model and sets a positive image for young gay men. Though social media, Brian is able to increase the awareness of the rights and values of the LGBT community to all people worldwide on topics including safer-sex, anti-bullying, and human-rights.

Originally from the Okanagan Valley (in fact, we share a home town), and now based in Vancouver, Brian is a marketing manager for a software company and loves to travel all across North America to uncover new destinations, people, and experiences. He has a knack for finding the inside stories that resonate with the LGBT community and those that love seeing the latest trends. He shares all of this on his popular website Homoculture.ca

Brian is into healthy living. His passion for marathon running, working out at the gym, and eating right inspires others to achieve their personal best. Something I love and take inspiration from. #gogetit Brian!

Will you join us in celebrating equality and say hello to Brian?

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

Vancouver Canadians Run for a Cause This Season

We are back - with our fifth annual $5-run initiative  Suggested Tweet:

Back again in #YVR! For every run @VanCanadians game, @TownHallBrands pledges $5 to C's Foundation. Cheer on the C's #withTownHall.

The News:

[Vancouver, British Columbia] The start of baseball season with the Vancouver Canadians not only marks a great traditional Vancouver experience at the Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, but also a tradition of annual giving-back to the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation (VCBF) for Town Hall Brands, a Vancouver-based marketing agency.

Returning for its fifth consecutive year, Leeann Froese and Andrew von Rosen, co-owners of Town Hall Brands, are back again with the $5-run initiative (watch the video!) in which Town Hall donates $5 to the Foundation for every run scored by the Vancouver Canadians this season. To date, nearly $10, 000 have been raised and 50 children have received support to play baseball through the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation and Town Hall Brands since, the beginning of the initiative in 2011.

"We've worked with Vancouver Canadians for more than a decade. As soon as the Foundation launched, we knew it would be important for us to be a part of it," shares von Rosen.

As longtime baseball fans and supporters of the Foundation, von Rosen and Froese started the $5-run initiative to support the VCBF's work in providing local children in need with the opportunity to play baseball through a summer mini league. For many children, this translates into an experience of discovery, teamwork and most importantly, lifetime friendships to enhance their daily lives.

"We're parents, too. We want to lead other children in a healthy and active lifestyle, as much as we want for our child. Being able to put a child on a diamond with a smile on their face is an incredibly valuable experience for both the child and us. Not to mention, it helps to build community," says Froese.

Whether you're a sports fan or not, the Town Hall Team invites you to join in cheering on the C's to score more runs and add even more to the $5-initiative to support our community.

For game schedule for Vancouver Canadians, please visit: www.canadiansbaseball.com

Meet Mijune Pak 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 Mijune Pak.

Mijune is also known as Follow Me Foodie, after her blog of the same name, that she launched in 2009.

She is also a weekly food columnist for the WE Vancouver newspaper with her own column called “Follow Me Foodie”.

In addition to this she is sought after as a speaker, honorary culinary judge, and contributor to numerous other media outlets.

She can cook and she is honest and offers full disclosure to her posts. After establishing her reputation in Vancouver, Mijune has gained recognition on a global scale.

We are proud to know her here at home in Vancouver, and in particular I am fond of Mijune as we share a birth date - June 6.

So please say hello to my Gemini sister, the lovely Ms. Pak.

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

Meet Tori Klassen 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 Tori Klassen.

Tori is a communications professional who runs her own consultancy. She blogs and Tweets and is a generally social person, who has been slowed down somewhat recently following major knee surgery. She is on the road to recovery and when her knees work, she is a triathlete.

Please help us and say a big hello. Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Meet Jeremy Schacht 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 Jeremy Schacht.

I was happy to meet Jeremy last year when Sujinder and I visited Ampersand Distilling.

Ampersand Distilling Company is a new, family owned craft distillery located on a five acre organic farm in the Cowichan Valley.

Those who know me know I love #gttime, so when Sujinder and I were on Vancouver Island working we made a detour.

We were impressed by Jeremy and his talents with distilling, and the gin is delicious. Check it out at the Duncan Farmer's market or schedule a visit the next time you are visiting Blue Grouse Estate Winery.

Please help us and say a big hello. Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Meet Jim Irving 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 Jim Irving.

Jim Irving is the BC Hospitality Foundation's Director of Fundraising and Sponsorship.

Jim has just started in this newly-formed position with nearly 30 successful years of experience in the Canadian alcohol beverage industry. He has been a sales and marketing manager for wine and spirit agencies and breweries as well as the Canadian president of a luxury vodka brand. Most recently, Jim was the general manager for Precept Wine, the largest privately owned wine company in the Pacific Northwest.

Please help us congratulate Jim on his new role and say a big hello. Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Meet Blue Grouse Estate Winery 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 for something a little different, we introduce you to Blue Grouse Estate Winery.

We do this because today is their grand reopening!

Family-owned, sustainably-farmed and award-winning, Blue Grouse Estate Winery is located at 2182 Lakeside Road, Duncan, BC within the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.

The new winery and surrounding vineyards are a sought after destination not only for sampling the winery's award-winning portfolio of Island wines, but also for picnics and family adventures.

The inspired new winery facility was built with many sustainable elements including locally-sourced construction materials, the use of geothermal energy, onsite water collection and treatment, as well as other features that reduce mechanical heating and cooling.

The new Blue Grouse tasting room is open daily from 11AM to 5PM from June to October. Call 250-743-3834 or email tastingroom@bluegrouse.ca for winter hours, group bookings or just to say hello.

Please help us congratulate the team on their new winery opening and say a big hello. Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Look out for these BC Wineries at Bloom

by Ali Harris

Celebrate the arrival of fresh, local, home grown wine and sunny spring time, with the annual Bloom: Wines of British Columbia Spring Release Tasting.

Explore more than 90 BC wineries showcasing over 360 BC VQA wines! The event is sure to provide a wonderful overview of the capabilities of BC's terroir.

We encourage trade and media who are attending to stop by the tables of our clients, and we have provided you with a bit of intel about each.

A note to Journalists: we can help you with any interview requests for the visiting winery principals.

Winery: Evolve Cellars 
Located: Summerland
Who you will meet: Harry McWatters (founder), Christa-Lee McWatters Bond (founder), Steve Jones (hospitality) 
What you will tast
2012 Cabernet Merlot 2014 Rosé 2013 Sauvignon Blanc
2013 Pinot Blanc
Need to know fact: Evolve is the newest winery on Summerland's Bottleneck Drive. In fact, it opened to the public on May 16th! Led by Christa-Lee McWatters Bond and Harry McWatters, their goal is to gently transform the fruit that Mother Nature creates, into wines that can be enjoyed by all.

Winery: Mt Boucherie Family Estate Winery
Located: Kelowna
Who you will meet: Jim Faulkner (winemaker)
What you will taste:
2013 Riesling
2013 Gewürztraminer
2012 Pinot Noir
2012 Merlot
Need to know facts: At Mt. Boucherie Winery, there’s a wine country experience for everyone. Whether it’s a picnic, yoga or a family-style dinner in the vineyard, you’ll want to bring a friend because everything is better in two. 

Winery: Okanagan Crush Pad
Located: Summerland
Who you will meet: Christine Coletta (owner), Amy Hollenbach (sales), Alison Scholefield (brand manager) and Rebeka Eriksson (sales)
What you will taste:
2014 Haywire Rose
2013 Haywire Switchback Pinot Gris
2013 Haywire Pinot Noir
2012 Haywire Canyonview Pinot Noir
Need to know facts: Okanagan Crush Pad is the first in Canada to extensively use concrete tanks, and wines that are fermented and aged in concrete carry the Raised in Concrete™ designation. See what differences you think the use of concrete makes!

Winery: Serendipity Winery 
Located: Naramata Who you will meet: Judy Kingston and Katie O'Kell (owners)
What you will taste:
2013 Pinot Grigio
2013 Rose
2012 Voignier
2010 Devil's Advocate
Need to know facts: Judy Kingston makes her every wine with food pairings in mind. Be sure to stop by and try their wines and chat about the stories behind each wine... because there's a story in every bottle. 

Winery: Singletree Winery
Located: Abbotsford  Who you will meet: Andrew Etsell (owner)
What you will taste:
2013 Pinot Noir
2014 Siegerrebe
2014 Sauvignon Blanc
2014 Pinot Gris
Need to know facts: Singletree Winery is committed to showing the world what the Fraser Valley is capable of. The winery was named for a single harness yoke that was commonly used in the late 1800s. The Singletree was an essential tool that allowed fertile land in the Mt. Lehman area to be cleared to make way for farms.

Winery: SpierHead Winery
Located: Kelowna
Who you will meet: Marina and Bill Knutson (owners) What you will taste:
2013 Pinot Noir
2013 Chardonnay
2014 Riesling 
2014 Pinot Gris
Need to know facts: This small winery flies under the radar for many, but keeps capturing accolades and awards in every competition entered. For example, the 2014 Pinot Gris was just given 90 points from Beppi Crosariol!

Winery: Summerhill Pyramid Winery
Located: Kelowna
Who you will meet: Ezra Cipes (CEO)
What you will taste: Cipes Brut
2012 Organic Pinot Noir (first public debut!) 2014 Alive Organic White (first public debut!) 2012 Alive Organic Red (first public debut!) Need to know fact: Summerhill Pyramid Winery is fully committed to organic practices. Ask them about their nitrogen generator or their on premise pyramid cellar which is second only to the Great Pyramid of Egypt for alignment and precision!

Winery: TIME Estate Winery
Located: Oliver
Who you will meet: Harry McWatters (founder), Christa Lee McWatters Bond (brand manager), Steve Jones (hospitality)
What you will taste:
2012 Meritage
2014 White Meritage 
2013 Cabernet Franc
2013 Sundial
Need to know fact: TIME Winery is the next big winery project in the South Okanagan desert, with Harry McWatters, grandfather of the BC wine industry, coming out of ‘retirement” to make wines from the province’s most awarded vineyard. The visitor centre will open in 2016 but hard hat tours are available.

Meet Sam Hauck 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 Sam Hauck.

Sam is a wine judge, wine educator, and wine writer. You can catch up with his wine reviews on My Vancity.

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

"We Are Looking for a Wine Sponsor"

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By Leeann Froese Let’s Explore the World of Wine Sponsorship Requests

Because we are lucky enough to promote wineries, we receive many requests to ask our clients for sponsorship. Before I talk about how your request might be a fit, I will first rant a little…

You might not believe this, but wineries get asked to give their wines away every single day. Can you think of another for profit industry that is asked to give their manufactured goods away on a daily basis? Why should a winery give you free wine?

Wineries are for profit businesses. Even when they contribute wines, they need to pay hard costs for the product, handling, and taxes on any wines they donate. If your request is for a for-profit business or ticketed event, then the wineries that we work with are generally not interested in making donations. They're generally only interested in making a donation if there's a charitable cause attached to it, or if there is a partial purchase to be joined by a donation. So don’t ask. Work the cost of wine into your budget and purchase it. Or get a license, buy the wine and sell it at your event and make your profit that way.

Experience tells me that unless wine is an integral part of an event, attendees don’t care or remember the wines they are served. So any wineries giving wine under these circumstances are giving it away without expecting anything in exchange. This is RARE. Again, wineries are for profit, just like shoe stores, spas, restaurants and charity fundraisers.

Due to wine being an adult and beverage alcohol, our clients do not consider partnerships or giving to youth athletic organizations, schools, projects or programs for minors under the age of 19, religious and denominational organizations, or motorized sporting events.

If you made it through the rant and still think you have a good sponsorship fit, then consider the following:

Wineries will sometimes go into partnership with other companies if they have the same target customer and collaboration makes sense. They may do this for personal reasons, or for reasons of social responsibility or maybe purely marketing. These sorts of partnerships are developed strategically and are usually a tactical part of a winery’s marketing plan.

If there is a charitable component to what you are doing, this might influence the winery’s situation. People that own wineries are passionate and caring people, and support community causes when they fit. There are myriad worthy causes but unfortunately not all causes make sense for our clients to support.

We scrutinize charitable asks on behalf of our clients, and to manage your expectations, many do not want ad-hoc requests at all, because as I mentioned, they have alliances with specific charities that they celebrate throughout the year.

Most wineries look for a minimum of three months before they make a decision on supporting an event. In order that you may work together with a winery in the most mutually beneficial way, we ask that sponsorship requests be made in writing preferably three months in advance of when your promotion begins. We will review your request and see if there is a fit with our clients and then get back to you as soon as possible.

To ensure we receive all the required information, as well as to assist you better, we request you include all of the following information in your proposal to us:

Detailed description of what the wine will be used for, including:

• Name of organization or association.

• History, purpose, type of event and what charity will benefit.

• What you are requesting from a winery (quantified): how much wine are you asking for and expected number of event attendees, if applicable.

• What you are proposing to offer as sponsorship benefits. How will the winery be recognized for their donation? From our experience, a logo and thank you in print is no longer sufficient to meet the marketing in exchange for this kind of support.

• Include a list of other promotion/event sponsors.

• What is the advertising support that will include the winery?

• The profile of your audience. Please be as specific as possible.

If you have a sponsorship package, please include it with your request.

It is important for the winery is to know how their wines will be handled. Please include:

• Who will serve the wine?

• How will it be served?

• What kind of glassware will be used?

• Who holds the special occasion license?

Any requests that are missing the components above will not be considered. We want to ensure that organizations requesting product give the donation as much thought as the wineries do.

Once all of the requested information is compiled, send your request in writing to info@townhallbrands.com

Meet Darnelle Moore 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 Darnelle Moore!

Darnelle is co founder of the popular Vancouver fitness studio Eastside Fitness.

She has been involved in the fitness industry for more than 12 years as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, coach, run leader, indoor cycling instructor and program coordinator. She has been active and passionate about fitness her entire life and has experience participating in many sports.

I like to call her 'small but mighty". She has experience as an elite athlete, competing in road cycling as part of Canada’s National Team. She enjoys trail running, weight training and hiking and she is also proud mom to three active kids.

In addition to keeping herself and those around her fit, she is a little league baseball coach at the South Vancouver Little League and she writes very helpful a biweekly fitness column in the Vancouver Courier.

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

Meet Julie van Rosendaal 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 Julie Van Rosendaal!

The lovely Julie van Rosendaal hails from Calgary, Alberta and is known by many for her popular food blog Dinner With Julie. I first met Julie in 2009 when I was working with a wine client to host in Calgary, and Julie attended.

Julie is a superstar who wears several foodie hats. She is the food and nutrition columnist on the Calgary Eyeopener on CBC Radio One, the author (or co-author) of several cookbooks, is the food editor of Parents Canada magazine, and a freelance writer for various publications, and she is also a contributor to the online cooking series, Good Bite.

Julie is regularly seen on local and national TV, and she co-hosted a TV cooking show called It’s Just Food on Viva Network.

She does it all from her home in Calgary which she shares with her husband, son and dog.

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

Meet Glen Korstrom 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 Glen Korstrom

Glen is well known in Vancouver for his work as a journalist at Business in Vancouver who mainly covers the subjects of retail, tourism/hospitality & real estate.

Outside the office, he is a big fan of music, sports and wine.

Whether you already know Glen or not, please help us and say a big hello.

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

Meet the Drunken Cyclist Jeff Kralik 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 Jeff Kralik.

Jeff is The Drunken Cyclist. He is a wine lover and a wine blogger, who can saber open a bottle of bubble with almost anything. He is known to be a bit of a ham at times...

Jeff is also a Cat 3 cyclist, a husband, and a father of two boys and he lives with his lovely family in Philadelphia. We know Jeff via the Wine Bloggers Conference and want you to know him too - he has more than 45K followers on Twitter!

And whether you already follow or know Jeff or not, please help us support him and say a big hello.

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

So A Genie From the Finger Lakes Grants You Three Wishes…

by Sujinder Juneja Following two successful conferences in Santa Barbara, California and Penticton, British Columbia, in August 2015, I will be participating in my third-in-a-row Wine Bloggers Conference #withTownHall; this year in Corning, New York and hosted by the wineries of the Finger Lakes AVA.

Although the region has been growing grapes (a mixture of native Vitis Labrusca, European Vitis Vinifera and French-American hybrids) since 1829, it’s still a small and arguably emergent region, with production levels such that few of their wines make it all the way to the left coast. I am very excited to finally get a chance to gain a better understanding of what makes these cool-climate wines, and the Finger Lakes region itself, so unique.

So when I was asked to pick the ‘top three’ things that I really wanted to learn while I was visiting (and tasting), here’s what I came up with:

I Love to Get My Hands Dirty

When people use the word ‘terroir’ to discuss the specific traits of different wine regions in the world, it’s important to note that the concept doesn't just refer to the soil. ‘Terroir’ translates loosely as a “sense of place” and refers not only to the complex geology within the soil itself, but also the geography (aspect, slope), the climate, the weather and even the surrounding flora and fauna that may have an effect on the agricultural crop in question.

Coming from British Columbia, which is also described as a cool climate wine region, one of the first things I want to learn about the Finger Lakes AVA is what makes its terroir so special for the wine that it produces. Both regions share a similar history of commercial wine development, each of them dating back to the mid 1800s when grapes were first planted by the clergy for use in sacramental rituals. Each region experimented with native vines and hybrids before moving towards increased plantings of the European Vitis Vinifera varieties, to varying degrees of success. I want to learn more about the geology and geography that adds to the bright and minerally flavours of the Finger Lakes wines.

The Right Grape for the Right Place

The fact that both British Columbia and the Finger Lakes have shared a similar path in terms of varietal experimentation forces me to think about the reasons some grapes are planted more than others. Some are chosen for their ability to ripen properly in a given climate, while others are chosen because they are more fashionable or commercially viable, even if the resultant wine suffers in quality. The more winemakers, grape growers and soil specialists I speak to, the more I realize that it doesn't make sense to plant consumer-friendly, but slow-ripening varietals, like Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, in regions that simply don’t get the heat units to enable them to fully mature to produce balanced wines. It makes more sense to plant grapes and produce wine that matches the ‘terroir’ of the vineyard.

It’s been noted that the wines of the Finger Lakes region are fresh, with naturally high acid and low alcohol – you’ll have to look elsewhere for wines with rich intensity and depth of fruit. French vignerons are way ahead of the game, having studied their own terroir for centuries. That’s why you don’t see Cabernet Sauvignon in Burgundy and you don’t see Pinot Noir in Bordeaux. The grapes suit the land and produce the best possible wines. So although Riesling and Pinot Noir (both very fashionable varietals) have become the dominant plantings in the region, the second thing I want to experience about the Finger Lakes AVA is these less-recognized varietals which have been developed specifically for the region. When is the last time you sipped a Cayuga White or a Valvin Muscat? It’s my aim to try as many of these unique varietals as I can, hoping to find some new favourites in the process.

A European Invasion

The third thing I really want to know about the Finger Lakes AVA is: what is it that is so exciting about the region that makes it attract some of the highest profile international winemakers to start their own projects there?

The first I heard about was Louis Barruol, owner and winemaker at Chateau de Saint Cosme in Gigondas (and one of my favourite all-time wineries), who is one of the most acclaimed and respected winemakers in the entire Rhone Valley, if not the world.

He recently partnered with local Finger Lakes investors to create Forge Cellars, a winery in the Seneca Lake AVA that focuses exclusively on Riesling and Pinot Noir. With more than 500 years of family experience making wines from Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre and Viognier in hot Southern France, what made him invest in Riesling and Pinot Noir in cooler upstate New York?

More recently, a joint venture was announced between leading California winemaker and consultant Paul Hobbs and the Mosel Valley’s Johannes Selbach that saw them purchase a 67-acre site on the southeastern shore of Seneca Lake that will ultimately be planted with 45 acres of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Blanc.

What is it about the Finger Lakes that drew these two titans of the wine industry together? It’s a big question, but I aim to find the answer.

August can’t come soon enough. Very much looking forward to exploring the Finger Lakes wine region from August 13-16 at this year’s Wine Bloggers Conference.