WARNING: There are passionate, opinionated oenophiles on the premises! We may come from a diversity of backgrounds but one thing we all share in common is an unyielding interest and passion for wines and spirits. So, let us introduce ourselves and share with you our most memorable wine/whiskey experience (so far!).

Nancy
I am one of the founding partners of Kensington Wine Market and hail from La Belle Province where the enjoyment of good food and wine is never taken for granted. Add to this a Hungarian heritage, years (I won't say how many!) traveling and tasting the fruits of many cultures and you will know why my work is indeed my pleasure. Life beyond wine involves cooking, reading, writing and time spent enjoying the rewards of another sort, my family.

Best Wine Experience: Most recently, in the village of Rieux Minervios, at an incredible French family-run hotel ( www.auxquatsaisons.com) sitting in the garden one fabulously warm evening sipping rose while sharing travel and life experiences with David and Graeme, the owners, and their eclectic mix of guests. Quelle joie de viere!

Richard
I am an architect here in Calgary, taught wine tasting for many years, and am one of the founding partners of Kensington Wine Market. My three cats and I were born in Caracas, Venezuela, but we've lived most of our lives here, and while their taste favors things that are fishy or oily, Chardonnay is my top pick.

Best wine experience? There are so many! Ice cold champagne figures prominently: with scrambled eggs, cheddar, and caviar on the Indian Ocean off Perth, Australia; a sunny summer lunch, my birthday, under lime trees in the South of France last year; pulled from the snowy banks of the Elbow on a spring picnic with Italian riccota cake; and of course those special events with Kistler, Shafer Red Shoulder, and other great big flavorful Chardonnays!

Andrew
I am a native of Calgary who enjoys sports and the great outdoors. At the University of Calgary I studied Military History, and at present I am working on a Political Science degree through Athabasca University. I came to work at the Kensington Wine Market by chance expecting only to stay until Christmas. I’ve been here nearly 2 years and who can blame me for staying; fabulous wine, great people and a terrific work environment! Two years ago the only thing I knew about wine was that I enjoyed it. Today, I feel confident talking about any wine in the store and helping customers with food and wine pairings. Although I have developed a palate for wine, my main interest is the Single Malt Scotch collection.

Best wine experience? My favourite scotch experience was meeting the distiller of Highland Park here in the store in 2004. He poured his 12, 18 and 25 year old single malts for me and my colleague. I was shocked when he admitted that he too preferred the 18 year old to the 25!

Christine
Born and raised in Red Deer, I came to Calgary in 1987 and worked in ticketing for the 1988 Olympics. I rermained in the event ticketing business for the next 19 years. Joining the Web , Corporate and Gifting department at the Kensington Wine Market happened quite by chance and began as a temporary position for the christmas season. Now they can't get rid of me!

Best wine experience? The first time I actually understood how food and wine can change each other. We were trying a sweeter wine and there happened to be a fruit tart that someone had brought in. I typically dont like sweets, and that held true when I tasted that particular wine. I took a small bite of the fruit tart and found I did not like that either. I inadvertantly tried to wash it down with the wine...WOW! It was amazing!

Christopher C. I was born in Britain but grew up in Canada. I’ve lived in Spain, Asia and Edmonton (definitely an Oilers fan). I enjoy traveling and have degrees in Atmospheric Physics and English, and I’ve studied Journalism too. Recently I completed level 2 ISG sommelier course and am entering level 3 of the WSET training. In the spring of 2007 I joined the KWM team to learn more about (and taste) wine.

Best wine experience? Recently I was traveling in northern Spain, and stumbled upon a Tapas Festival. The streets were filled with people, music, pretty ladies, and, of course, tapas and wine. I thought to myself, “Ahhhh, this is Spain”.

Elaine
A Brit by birth, I arrived in Calgary in the mid-90s after many years living in Ontario and in Florida. I love music, all kinds, and spend much of my spare time enjoying live music events. My career background is in accounting, and I spent many years plying that trade in the arts industry. I joined KWM in the fall of 2006 to assist in the always busy and challenging administration dept. When friends ask me what I do here, I tell them that KWM provides a perfect balance between the administrative and creative sides of me.

Best wine experience? Dinner on Long Boat Key in Florida at a restaurant called Euphemia Haye. Our friends introduced my husband and I to a Simi Chardonnay that was amazing. Everything about the evening crystallized into a perfectly memorable experience…good friends, good food, good wine.

Gino
Being Italian, I believe that good wine and good food are the essential ingredients to "la dolce vita". My immersion into the world of wine occurred at the age of 5. My Nonno (grandpa) took a mug and scooped into an open barrel of wine then passed it to me. I remember having a taste or two...but that is all I remember! Since then I've been hooked.

Best wine experience? One of my most memorable wine experiences occurred recently at Easter, when I invited a group of friends over for dinner. We feasted on roasted lamb and matched it with a stunning Syrah from Spain...FINCA SANDOVAL. Now, that was good wine and good food! Buon Appetito.

Grant
I remember my first bottle of wine enjoyed in a restaurant in Vancouver; I was hooked and needed to know more. Travelling extensively with Nova Gas International expended my taste and knowledge for wine and food. Now I own an economic and regulatory consultancy specializing in the pipeline industry. This allows me to spend part-time hours at KWM, learning all the while.

Best wine experience? My wife and I were traveling through the Loire Valley, France. We stopped in a little town near Azay-le-Rideau Chateau to get lunch. The shop was closed, but the storekeeper was kind enough to open up just for us. With cheese, pate, a baguette and a bottle of Vouvray in hand, we parked our rental Renault on the banks of the Indre River, and enjoyed one of the best picnics in memory.

Kent
I hail from Regina where my love for water polo began. A spot on the award-winning Canadian national water polo team brought me to Calgary, and also provided numerous traveling opportunities. It was easy to develop a passion for wine and food while traveling the world. I work full-time with Canadian Natural Resources Limited, and enjoy part-time work at KWM where I can expand my horizons in the vinotech and culinary worlds.

Best wine experience? It was Christmas eve 2004 and I was enjoying some incredible wines with friends. But nothing compared to the 1982 Fonseca Port we opened. Good friends, good food, good Port. It’s the stuff memories are made of.



Lynn
I spent the first 25 years of my life in San Francisco, but it was not until I moved to Calgary that I began to play golf, hike into the backcountry, become employed as an accountant and develop a love for fine wine. Life outside of the Kensington Wine Market includes skiing and snowboarding with my husband and grown up "kids", bonding with my Labrador retrievers, golfing, hiking, running and most all outdoor pursuits for fun and fitness.

Best wine experience? The Boston Marathon Finish Line...hundreds of $$$ in training programs...26.2 miles of putting one foot in front of the other...the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment...a bottle of Perrior Jouet Belle Epoque 1998!

Maggie
I am the California gal who went to University in Sonoma County and almost did not finish. Fortunately, I made it to the haven of Calgary where I can read California wine reviews (since I cannot afford to drink the wine anymore) in my snug Gore-Tex parka!

Best wine experience? I've tasted so many fabulous wines that it is tough to come up with one. Some of my favourite times have included a bottle of Amador County Zinfandel with a cutting board offering blue cheese, apples, walnuts and chocolate.

Marty
Having spent many years doing IT work for an accounting software company, I felt I needed to find something more stimulating and enjoyable (after all, it was accounting, not rocket science). When an opportunity came up to work at KWM, I thought it could be just what I was looking for. Working at KWM allows me to grow my knowledge of wine and spirits (and of course enjoy tasting as many as I can). My fellow staff members have proven to be very knowledgeable, and I continue to learn from them to improve my knowledge of wines and spirits so I can become confident answering customer questions like, “Could you recommend a good wine to go with a barbequed steak?” or “I’m looking for a nice Scotch”. Working at KWM also provides me with inspirations for future vacations, like perhaps going to Australia and visiting the McLaren Vale, or perhaps the Douro valley in Portugal – there are so many possibilities.

Best wine experience? For me, probably one of my best spirits experience came when I was visiting the Laphroaig distillery on Islay in Scotland with my wife, where I sampled the 30 and 40 year old versions of the whiskey among others. Wonderful, powerful, peaty. Could I ask for more? Well, maybe they could have donated the rest of the bottle to me for further enjoyment. Even now, having a wee dram of Laphroaig continues to remind me of that experience.

Michael R.
I was born and raised in beautiful Vancouver, BC and moved to Calgary in November 2005. I spent 20 years working in the food and beverage industry in Vancouver. My wife arrived in Calgary before me and her first words were "you should get a job at KWM". Having been in fine dining most of my working life, I'm not a stranger to fine wines, but the knowledge of the staff I work with and the exclusive selection of wine and scotch at KWM is mind blowing. What a great learning experience. Away from work I like to explore all the hiking, showshoeing and cross-country skiing this part of the country has to offer.

Best wine experience? Boating through the canals of the South of France with five great friends and tasting as many Cote du Rhone wines and cheese as was humanly possible. My next wine-inspired travel adventure will be a trip to explore the wine regions of Italy.

Rebecca
I am a proud born-and-raised Calgarian but I’ve also lived in Ontario where I received a degree in Marketing, and in the Penticton area where my family owns a vineyard on the Naramata Bench. I worked for Hillside Estate and Lake Breeze wineries while in Penticton, and also as a wine distribution agent in Vancouver. I have enjoyed numerous journeys overseas and other points around the world, and I am an avid sports fan. Soon I will begin Level 3 in the WSET training, having completed Level 1 and 2 of the ISG sommelier training.

Best wine experience? Any great wine experience should be with good wine, good company, in the sunshine on a patio, with a view of Lake Okanagan. Heaven.

Tina
I am definitely a wannabe oenophile who is working on getting to know ALL wine regions. I love the fact that working at KWM allows me to learn and explore my passion for wine. When not at KWM, I am a public relations consultant, specializing in media relations. And, when not planning my next big holiday, I can be found hanging with my friends and family enjoying wine and playing scrabble!

Best "wine" experience? There are so many to choose from. A few years ago I spent three years in Australia, soakling up the sun, sampling amazing wine and meeting some amazing people. One of my best memories was a three-week holiday with my Mum. We drove to the Barossa Valley, visited dozens of wineries and discovered some amazing wines while experiencing the colourful Aussie culture and landscapes. Other spectacular wine-influenced vacations include tasting wine at the Hamburg's Fleetinsel Festival, and visiting other Aussie wineries throughout the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Grapians, Heathcote and Gippsland regions. I can’t wait for my next trip!

It's not just wine that the KWM staffers are passionate about! Many of our employees are long-distance runners. Meet the KWM Free Runners! Left to right: Darryl, Jim, Lynn, Andrew, Luc.