Luke J.
Wine Judge
Member since 2018
What is your most memorable wine or wine and food experience?
My most memorable wine moment was probably the first time I made a second-run wine. The whole process was memorable. From getting the grape skins in trash bags at 6 am before work, to mixing the grape must with an oar every day to break the cap, to pressing off the wine, tasting a freshly fermented wine straight from the press, and finally tasting that wine as it evolved over the years that I drank it.
That process helped me better understand the commitment of the winemakers we support as members of the BC Guild of Wine Judges. I learned how much work goes into making a wine, how it can get better over time, how it can get worse over time, and how rewarding the process can be.
What wines have you always wanted to try but haven’t? What is your favorite vineyard? Region?
I’ve been fortunate to try wine from a very wide array of regions. While there’s always more to try, I feel like my time in the BC Guild of Wine Judges has opened many doors to regions I never would have otherwise considered.
It would be hard to name a favourite winery but for region I am partial to the Douro Valley and Porto in Portugal because of how much I enjoy port and port-style wines.
What event or experience started your journey in wine?
When I first got introduced to wine, I assumed that I didn’t like white wine, because I hadn’t tasted one that I enjoyed. I thought they tasted “bready”. After mentioning it to someone who knew a lot more than me, they opened a bottle of white wine that had been aged in stainless steel rather than oak and I enjoyed white wine for the first time. That bottle of wine showed me there was a whole world of wine that I could learn about and set me on a journey to learn more.