Mar 31, 2025
For the first time under one roof in Victoria, importers will
be joined by local BC makers from Vancouver Island, Vancouver, the
Okanagan, etc., to showcase the best alcohol-free wine, beer,
spirits, and packaged cocktails available.
Organized by Kurtis Kolt.
Kurtis Kolt is a Vancouver-based wine consultant who writes
about wine, presents seminars, hosts events, judges wine
competitions, works with restaurants on their wine programs, etc.
His various certifications and credits include London’s Wine &
Spirit Education Trust, the Court of Master Sommeliers & the
Winemaking Program at UC Davis.
In 2010, when Kurtis received
the ‘Sommelier of the Year’ award from
both the 2010 Vancouver International Wine Festival
and Vancouver magazine, he opted to diversify
his focus on wine through different arenas.
In recent years, Kurtis co-founded, curates and
runs ‘Top Drop’ in both Vancouver and
Calgary, a terroir-focused trade & consumer wine
festival Western Living magazine
called, “The one wine tasting of the year you shouldn’t
miss.”
Guests at Free Spirits, we could find 5 minutes with
were:
Kurtis Kolt - See above
Andrea Demers - Softer Drink
Store in Victoria. More than 100 different drinks.
pouring Zamalek and Fin Soda.
Janet Helou - from Glimmer.
pouring Glimmer (BC)
Paul Watkin - from Seacove pouring
Medbubble (Spain)
Paul Jordan- Mondiale.
pouring from Clear Sips (Ontario), Cognato (S. Africa),
OddBird (Italy/France,) NOA (Quebec,) Cipriani (Italy)