Peter Van de Reep

I spent a day in the Fraser Valley vineyards with @laurenmccarth for the @nytimes , photographing a story on how Trump’s U.S. tariffs are reshaping Canadian wine. What we found: determined growers, empty shelves, superior and diverse wine, and a lot of pride in every bottle. “Canadians “Elbows Up” For Homegrown Wine Over Trumps Trade War” Writer: @laurenmccarth Thanks for the call @harrisonhill and @keithbedford Pictured: - Cannon Estate Winery @cannonwinery - Winemaker @jacobcornymedeiros working the vessels at the Cannon Estate Winery - Andrea and Justin Manuel - owners of Cannon Estate Winery - Award-winning Sommelier @peter_van at L’Abbatoir - @labattoir_van in Gastown, Vancouver Paywall free link in my bio

Last week I got to fly in to Kelowna for a few days to attend the level 3 pilot of the @winesofbc Ambassador Program. Hosted at @quailsgate and moderated by @rhyspendermw , it was a very engaged group of a number of sommeliers, winemakers, viticulturalists, marketers and other wine professionals. The following day, @kristi_linneboe got a group of us to head up to @tantaluswine where @dave_pats took us on a grand tour of all of the active ferments and wines in barrel from the bountiful (and delicious) 2025 harvest. Stunning stuff from them on the way! Also, don't miss @rocket_subs in Kelowna. Delicious sandwiches. Thanks Justin!

I've been back from Portugal for almost 2 weeks now. It was quite the whirlwind, and jetlag was hard on me this time to be honest, but this was quite the trip. I had the opportunity to meet and learn from some incredible people - Fernando Alves, head of R&D at Symington, Ana Rosas, master blender at Ramos Pinto, Manuel Lima Ferreira, head of the IVDP technical tasting panel. All while getting to experience it with other top sommeliers and wine pros from Canada. Thanks to @caps_canada and the @vinhosdodouroedoporto for their support and organization of the Master of Port competition. I didn't qualify for the next round (last post is me with the president of the IVDP, receiving a participation certificate) but there's a chance I'll be back in 2027 to learn more. Muito obrigado! Posts in order - me at Quinta São Luiz, Fernando Alves at Quinta do Bomfim, Pinhão River valley looking towards Quinta do Noval, Quinta do Bomfim, Ana Rosas at Ramos Pinto, Porto from Villa Nova de Gaia, Sunset from Kopke's Quinta São Luiz, Mercado Bom Succeso with friends, me with Gilberto Igrejas, presidente of the IVDP.

I had the incredible privilege of attending the 2025 Accademia Brunello in Montalcino. A week of education, wine tasting and getting to know this incredibly special part of the world. It was fascinating to see the diversity of expressions of Sangiovese from all around this remote Tuscan hill. With it's unique location between Siena and Monte Amiata, and vines circling the hill, it's very clear why the valley Montalcino is in would be a UNESCO world heritage site. From traditional, historic producers like Fattoria Dei Barbi and their long connection to Montalcino to more modern but creative innovators like Tenuta Buon Tempo or the highly precise excellence at Poggio di Sotto. Everyone we spoke to was incredibly passionate about the wines and the land they were farming. It also was surprising to see the scale of these producers, many of them producing less than 5000 bottles per year of their Riserva wine. The slopes here prevent much mechanization, so nearly all of the work is by hand, a lot of labour goes into these wines. Thank you so much for having me. I can't wait to come back to visit again.

It's the end of 2024 and also my birthday today. Looking back, 2024 has had the highest of highs and some of the lower lows too. I did take some time to consider my best experiences of the year... And I tell you, I've been so lucky this year. I travelled more than I ever have (and I love it so much... Travel Channel, I'm ready to host a terroir of wine and food show). Here, in no real particular order, some of the best things or places I ate at this year. 1. Maz, Tokyo. Outstanding journey of Peruvian ecosystems interpreted through amazing Japanese seafood and produce. Impeccable everything. Worth all the awards they have won since. Meal of 2024 for me. 2. Chilte, Phoenix. Spectacular flavours and exploration of Sonoran cuisine. Superb cocktails too. 3. Châteaubriand, Paris. Friendly, creative tasting menu with really delicious pairings. 4. Sushi M, Tokyo. My second visit with Sarah and it is without peer in my experience. @yoshinobu.kimura.54 is a genius with pairing. Edomae sushi with his pairings could be my last meal. 5. Koke, Kyoto. A brilliant combination of Okinawan, Spanish and Japanese cuisine by a killer team in Kyoto. Awesome wine and delicious cooking. Highly recommended. 6. The Butcher of Paris, Paris. Dugat and Abbatucci raised Corsican porter house from an old dairy cow? Amazing. Outside in a semi-covered market stall? Even better. Communal Bordier butter piled so high the tourists would rubberneck. Stellar. 7. Aux Bons Crus, Paris. Blanquette de veau with morels and sauce vin jaune, pot au feu, frites, Morey Saint Denis from Dujac at cave prices. Will go back here every time. Great find through David Lebovitz's site. 8. Ta'Carbon, Phoenix. Tripas tacos, tacos hazz. All mesquite charcoal. Insanity. 9. Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix. The Rosa is a great pie. Service was awesome. Love waiting next door at their bar with a good cold beer before sitting at the bar in the pizzeria. 10. The Narrows Public House, Halifax. I made a specific detour here. My favourite pub in Canada. Maritime hospitality, great beer and great food. An absolute must for NS. Okay, that was too long. Thanks for reading.

So I got invited to a D&D group with a few wine nerds and I named my character Egon of Scharzhof because that's obviously a good name for a mountain dwarf barbarian and it's a name from one of the best wines I've ever had in my life... Wines that are moving further and further out of reach as more people come back to the traditional off-dry and sweet wines of Germany. I had no idea our DM would show up with a bottle last night. What an absolute honour and pleasure to drink this bottle with good friends. Thanks Dave (and Mark!).

I did it! I passed the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced examination today. This was my third attempt. I put a lot of effort, time, money, sweat and maybe a few tears too into this since I first applied to this in 2018. First of all, I wouldn't have been able to do this without the strong, unwavering support from @s.m.fuller . She is always there for me, without hesitation and I cannot thank her enough for that. She is now a Coravin expert and doesn't get too mad at the stacks of wine books, notebooks and wine everywhere. Thanks go to my tasting group in Vancouver, especially @andyforsyth84 , @t_and_a_wine_co , @christinahartigan and @sommwineguy for hosting, buying and everything else. It's such a great community in Vancouver and I'm looking forward to the next steps both with my journey and mentoring others looking to push themselves as well. Come let me pour you some wine!

Happy Valentine's Day to my favourite person, @s.m.fuller . I knew we took this photo for a reason! Japan was so prepared. Too bad the sun was so dang bright in that greenhouse! Ha!

Today was a magical day. I got to hang out with Capybaras in Kobe and feed them some salad. Such pure joy. Swipe for videos.

Greetings from Kyoto. Sarah and I are here for two weeks, exploring and contemplating from across the Pacific. This is from Nanzen-ji, tucked into the mountains of Higashiyama. A beautiful retreat from the city and head of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.

My dad asked my thoughts about this wine since most of us don't drink nearly 40 year old Bordeaux, and I thought I would share them with you too as opposed to just the "perfect claret" comment in the story. My uncle Max gave this bottle to me this year. It's my birth year. Max has poured me virtually all my top Bordeaux bottles and is the reason why I'll always love old wine from here. Reading about Gruaud Larose, it's a second growth in Saint-Julien that was known for power and a brooding, monolithic quality. The 1985 was one of the last years, if not the last, to be owned by the Cordier family. The books I have on older Bordeaux put the drinking window for the vintage at drink by 2010. I would disagree, the wine was probably near the end of ts window now. Lots of cedar and oak on the nose, mushroom and fallen leaves, but also a clean, very ripe cherry and raspberry character. A fair amount of spice too, but toned down and balanced. Decanted only for sediment. I'm not a big advocate of decantingand prefer to watch evolution in the glass. 12% alcohol only. I love that balance in old Bordeaux before all the consultants and Robert Parker changed the style. What really impressed me with this wine was the core of ripe red cherry and tart raspberry, supported by cedar. A nice fine acidity and very silky tannins that have been toned down through bottle age. The texture on this wine was extremely elegant. The only negative was that perhaps the wine was starting to dry out a touch. That's why I'd put it at the end of the drinking window. Excited to see the current owners are all about leading the charge on sustainable farming.j Thank you for coming to my Ted talk. And thanks for the bottle Max!

It's a bit of an unsung hero, but it's a well-seasoned team of pros. Bar Gobo @bar.gobo , is the little sister to chef-owner Andrea Carlson's @chefandreacarlson One Michelin Star Burdock & Co., in Vancouver. This Michelin Guide-recommended wine bar is known for both its food and natural, organic and biodynamic wine program designed by award-winning sommelier Peter Van de Reep @peter_van . Echoing Burdock's ethos, Bar Gobo embodies the Canadian Pacific Northwest farm-to-table philosophy, but it has its own personality. Under the guidance of Korean Executive Chef Jiwon Seo @so_j_one , who spent 3 years at Burdock & Co., Bar Gobo introduces subtle yet original Korean influences like makgeolli braised beef cheek. Drawing on her heritage and contemporary culinary experience for inspiration, dishes are innovative and ideas fresh. The tiny kitchen and limited resources produce impressive culinary creations, making Bar Gobo a sophisticated yet casual dining experience and neighbourhood gem.  A three-course prix fixe menu is $65/person with optional beverage pairings for $50. On the table: 1) Anchovy "Toast" 2) Devilled Eggs - candied anchovy crunch, chives 👍🏻 3) Burrata - quince, pickled Sichuan peppercorn, house made focaccia 👌🏻 4) Pickles daily selection - kimchi brussels sprouts, soy sauce pickled local shishito peppers 💫🇰🇷 5) Endive - caramelized endive, puff pastry, whipped chèvre, prosciutto 6) Celeriac - roasted Cropthorne celeriac, sabayon gochujang (Korean Chili Paste) preserved brave child rakkyo (Japanese shallot) gremolata 👍🏻 7) Cavatelli - pork and beef ragu, fermented tomato 8) Ling Cod - roasted cod, preserved radish greens, roasted radish, doenjang (fermented Korean soybean paste, locally produced) butter sauce, chilli oil 9) Beef Cheek - makgeolli (milky, lightly sparkling, Korean rice wine, locally produced) braised beef cheek, confit sunchoke, crescent island prune plum sauce, sage 😍 10) Huckleberry - earl grey mousse, huckleberry compote, molasses almond crumble 11) Chocolate Cake - olive oil chocolate cake, whipped chocolate cream, Vancouver Island sea salt gochugaru (Korean chili powder) chocolate. Tasty!