- Story by Angela Cowan Photography by Don Denton

Currently holding the titles of marketing director and sommelier at in the Cowichan Valley, Chris Turyk has been involved with the family-run business since its inception. Tim and Colleen Turyk (Chris鈥檚 parents) bought the land and a sweet old farmhouse in 2009 with the idea of trying their hand at winemaking. It quickly grew into a much larger enterprise than they鈥檇 anticipated.

鈥淲e had no idea or thoughts to creating this size of business,鈥� says Chris. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 the grand plan, but it took on a life of its own, and there was no going back.鈥�

A food lover from an early age, Chris always envisioned working in the industry, and initially thought he鈥檇 end up in the kitchen of his own restaurant.

He studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, but made the shift to wine after a short time.

鈥淚 wanted to become a chef, and then I realized my ability to taste things exceeded my ability to create them,鈥� he says, laughing. 鈥淚 think the wine aspect came from the food. I realized they were complementary.鈥�

It was in 2014 that wine as a career really took off after Chris decided to enter into the inaugural Best Sommelier in BC competition, organized by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. After an impressive showing鈥攊n which he placed third for the province鈥攈e was promptly offered a sommelier job at Hawksworth, four-time winner of Best Upscale Restaurant in Vancouver.

It was an opportunity that was supposed to last a year, and ended up being two and a half.

鈥淚t was an unbelievable experience,鈥� says Chris, who formally left the restaurant in 2017, but continued to help out occasionally when hands were needed for another year.

Shortly thereafter, he found himself in a practicum at the UBC farm.

鈥淚 remember thinking, 鈥榳ho else gets to do this?鈥欌��

Going between a 鈥渟mall-scale, very socially aware, very liberal鈥� environment like the farm, and a top-end eatery like Hawksworth, 鈥済ives you a wide perspective,鈥� says Chris.

Being exposed to the incredible variety of extremely high-end wines while also learning about grape agriculture and growing practices gave him an invaluable education that鈥檚 served him well.

鈥淵ou get a bit of everything, and you can speak to what鈥檚 important to different people,鈥� he says. Whether that鈥檚 explaining the sustainable farming practices Unsworth employs to younger generations of environmentally aware wine drinkers, or being able to talk about the specific notes in each wine with people who have been enjoying a glass of vino for decades, Chris is able to connect with everyone across the board.

And now that he鈥檚 stepped into the marketing role, he鈥檚 added another piece to the puzzle.

鈥淓ven 18 months ago, I wasn鈥檛 expecting to be in a marketing role,鈥� says Chris. 鈥淏ut I like chatting to people. I鈥檝e wanted to teach wine classes for a while, and marketing is basically education on what we do, and why it鈥檚 important.鈥�

I鈥檝e wanted to teach wine classes for a while, and marketing is basically education on what we do, and why it鈥檚 important.鈥�

The 7 Sins

Envy:

Whose shoes would you like to walk in?

Since I already walk in John Fluevog鈥檚 shoes, that question really forces me to think. Purely for the experience of such a high-consequence environment, being in the work boots of a cellar hand at a hyper premium winery has always interested me. Moving or dealing with wine that retails at $5,000 per bottle means every ounce is roughly $200, so, no mistakes.

Gluttony:

What is the food you could eat over and over again?

Pork. The humble and noble pig has a very special place in my diet. To sum it all up in one word: bacon.

Greed:

You鈥檙e given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?

I would get one million $1 USD bills, then fill a kids鈥� pool and swim around Scrooge McDuck style.

Wrath:

Pet peeves?

Socks with sandals. I thought, as a civilization, we were better than that.

Sloth:

Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?

Does work count?

Pride:

What is the one thing you鈥檙e secretly proud of?

I can recite all the chemical elements of the periodic table to the tune of a recognizable song from The Pirates of Penzance.

Lust:

What makes your heart beat faster?

What is adrenaline? As a relatively excitable person, often I focus on the opposite. Taking little moments throughout the day to observe and enjoy where I am and who I鈥檓 with pays dividends not only for me, but mostly for those around me.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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