Stir Q&A: B.C.’s best sommelier for 2023 spills on Beaujolais, her new wine school, and more
Michelin-starred Burdock & Co’s wine director Kelcie Jones to be honoured at the Vancouver International Wine Festival
Kelcie Jones.
Vancouver International Wine Festival takes place at various venues from April 22 to 30
KELCIE JONES MADE history recently when she was named the best sommelier in B.C. by the B.C. Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. It was the first time in the competition’s eight-year run that a woman took home the title. And what at gruelling experience that annual event it is: the region’s top wine talents gather to complete a rigorous written exam then execute various tasks on-stage, in front of a live audience, like decanting, sparkling-wine service, menu pairing, spotting errors on a wine list, and blind tasting. Jones beat out 15 other competitors.
The wine director at Michelin-star restaurant Burdock & Co, Jones is also an educator and partner at This is Wine School. Formerly of Chambar and Elephant restaurants, she is working toward her Master of Wine, one of the hardest designations to achieve in the wine world. There are currently 500 Masters of Wine around the globe; Canada is home to 10 of them.
Jones will be recognized along with other talents at the 2023 Vancouver International Wine Festival, during the trade-only Celebrating Excellence annual awards lunch. The 44th-annual fest has a focus on South America while featuring wine from 17 countries, with partial proceeds going toward Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival.
Stir connected with Jones in advance of VIWF.
Congratulations on being named best sommelier in B.C.! What does this recognition mean to you?
It’s kind of surprising, to be honest! I didn’t really expect to win, but I am thrilled that a woman finally takes the title. Prior to the competition, though, VIWF gave sommelier of the year to Samantha Rahn in 2013. Now that the competition happens every year, VIWF gives sommelier of the year title to the winner, though it’s all been men since then. It’s nice to change that up a bit…
What made you want to pursue a career in wine in the first place? What do you love about your work to this day? What are some of the challenges?
I worked in a restaurant as a server through university and loved the opportunity to sell wine to tables; it was the most romantic part of the job. I still find describing wines and telling people’s stories to be the most lovely and romantic part of the job. Inventory is the most challenging part: I am not strong with the data entry.
What are you looking forward to about this year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival?
I am excited to explore and learn more South American producers and taste some wines we perhaps don’t have in market yet. I am also always thrilled to hear Elaine Chukan Brown, a California based wine journalist, speak, so I will be attending whatever seminar they present.
Photo courtesy of the Association of Wine Producers and Growers Corpinnat.
What are a few wines you're especially excited about right now?
Right now—and always—I am super excited about new wines from Corpinnat, a region formed by some former Cava producers who are making thoughtful, organic, very mineral and focused styles of sparkling in Penedès, Spain. These are great food wines and show very mineral: think similar foods to Champagne, but you can also pair them with little salty tapas and snacks like olives and patatas bravas.
I just tasted some Veyder-Malberg Grüner Veltliner, a fresh herbal white from Austria, the other day. I am impressed by how subtle yet powerful these wines can be—and how savoury. These are great salad wines, or grilled veg-dish pairings.
I’m always excited about Beaujolais, and Matthieu and Camille Lapierre now have a new offering, Le Beaujolais, which I think is so fresh, charming, and delightfully low in alcohol. Lower alcohol wines—think less than 12% ABV—make pairing options much wider and easier.
Tell us about your wine school.
I am really excited to have recently launched This is Wine School together with two great sommeliers and friends, Jenna Briscoe, from Cafe Medina, and Maude Renaud-Brisson of Apero Mode.
We are teaching wine classes in Chinatown (beneath Kissa Tanto in the beloved Nancy Go Yaya space) that range from WSET 1, 2, and 3 to fun, one-off alternative wine classes that cover topics like natural wine, food pairings, and underdog wine regions. We are hoping to share wine in an approachable and inclusive way that is fun and fresh.
Burdock & Co.
Do you consider food and wine pairing an artform?
I feel like you can definitely learn food pairing by learning the rules and colour in the lines if you want to—pairing Cabernet Sauvignon with steak, for example—pretty easily, but when you get into cuisines that didn't historically pair with wine or are pairing more casual food, like junk food and snacks with wine, that can be pretty exciting. I still feel the real artists are chefs and winemakers, though. I’m just a bottle librarian!
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