And so…
Cherries And Clay is a Vancouver-ish Wine Blog which simply reflects what we’re drinking, what we’re up to and what we like. That ‘Cherries And Clay’ header and its font are by Alex ‘Rhek’ Usow of Sharks + Hammers.
We’ll try super hard not to be boring, ‘kay?
Other than that, there’s no particular focus or agenda. Sometimes we try new things and get stoked on them. We’ll share those things with you. We also get the opportunity to go to some rad tastings and attend some pretty fun events. We’ll write a bit about those as well. Sometimes we’ll also just write about whatever’s on our minds wine-wise, even things that piss us off. Stuff like that.
By no means do we see ourselves as wine experts, nor do we see ourselves as the authoritative voice on anything. Seriously. We just like wine and sharing our enthusiasm for the stuff. Period.
If you’re looking for something a little more formal or technical, you may want to pop over here or here. For the local restaurant and food/lifestyle scene, you’d probably be better off with this.
Otherwise, click away. We hope you’ll enjoy this site as much as our moms do…
Kurtis Kolt is a Vancouver-based freelance wine consultant, competition judge and writer who received the ‘Sommelier of the Year’ award from both the 2010 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival and Vancouver Magazine. Recently named one of Western Living Magazine’s ‘Top 40 Foodies Under 40’, he is certified by London’s Wine & Spirit Education Trust and has credit in the Winemaking program at UC Davis. A big proponent of a casual and fun approach to wine, Kurtis’ enthusiasm and experience has resulted in a high demand for appearances, from writing and judging for both Wine Access and Vancouver Magazine to leading wine festival seminars and beyond. Catch his weekly wine column in Vancouver’s Westender, published every Wednesday. More info’s at KurtisKolt.com
Jake Skakun is a wine professional based out of Vancouver, BC. Days rarely go by when he doesn’t drink and discuss wine. He has toured many of the picturesque wine regions of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the US and more locally, BC. He has walked from Barbaresco to Alba and nearly got mugged in Nice. He was the Assistant Manager at Vancouver’s much praised Salt Tasting Room for 3 years and contributed to the award-winning wine program. Children and old ladies trust him. Recently, he was on a wine drinking sabbatical in San Francisco where he staged at such legendary wine meccas as Quince, Nopa and Terroir. Jake completed the Sommelier Diploma Program through the International Sommelier Guild in 2007 and is credited in the Winemaking program at UC Davis. Currently, he is enrolled in the Diploma Program with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and is very hopeful to be finished in Spring 2012. You can find him on the floor at the Gastown installation l’Abattoir, where he oversees the wine program.