The MS Whisky & Wine Festival is an intimate event hosted by the MS Society of Canada, Central Alberta Chapter. Noted for the high level of vendor/guest interaction, the intention of the event is to provide for whisky and wine enthusiasts whether they’re interested in learning or have the most discerning palate. Our VIP Guests will have opportunity to further heighten their knowledge and experience through a Master Class of their choice. As part of a small group, VIP Guests will sit in a breakout room and focus on a number of products reflecting a particular genre. This year’s Master Classes feature notable local hosts chosen for their passion, knowledge, hospitality and their ability to educate with a flair of entertainment!

Matt Buck – VIP Whisky Master Class

Whisky has an incredibly rich history, tightly woven through the fabric of society. As we move toward the future, increasing demand for Scottish Malt Whisky is putting pressure on producers and driving the industry in new and uncharted directions. We will examine the effects of Scotch’s past on its present and future, and take a tasting journey through a selection of these controversial bottlings.

I’m a full time Bartender and the General Manager of To The Lost, Forgotten Alley, and the newly opened Gusto in Red Deer’s Downtown core, and I’m also half of Old Fashioned Cocktails- a hospitality and cocktail consulting company dedicated to elevating the culture of drink in Central Alberta. I am very excited to be scheduled to write the exam to obtain Certification as a Spirits Specialist by the end of this year.

Whether it’s a cocktail you prefer, or a glass of wine, a pint of ale or a dram of whisk(e)y, drinking is a way of slowing down, it’s the act of appreciating something that was crafted with care and dedication, a product with a birthplace, a story, and a personality.

BJ Tumanut – VIP Wine Master Class

It’s difficult for me to taste wine without wondering about its story: where it came from, the history of the area and winery and how it was grown. I wonder who made it, what I would eat it with, and why it was made a certain way and not another. To me, wines are stories.

I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri but it was only after I moved to Edmonton in 1997 that my interest in the world of wine was born. I first studied wine casually on my own but soon began pursuing a formal wine education. I studied with the International Sommelier Guild and developed a career in fine wine in Edmonton from 1999 to 2002.

At the end of 2002, I decided I needed a change and I swapped my wine glasses for chocolate boxes and managed the three Chocolates by Bernard Callebaut stores in Edmonton for eight years. Chocolate was a great fit for me, so much so that in 2011 I moved to Red Deer to own and operate my own store. I’ve been enjoying Red Deer ever since and around town people call me “CocoLady”.

Currently I’m working on my Level 3 Award in Wines from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust based in London, England. I’ve also started to dabble in wine writing as I’ve begun to write for Central Alberta Home & Lifestyles magazine. I’ve also received sensory training and earned my Canadian Wine Scholar Certificate from Fine Vintage Ltd. My thirst for wine education continues! I’m currently enrolled in the BC Wine Ambassador Program: Level One and the Fine Vintage Ltd Sommelier program.

Join us January 17, 2017!

For event information and tickets please visit www.reddeerwhiskyfestival.ca